“ Khazan has fallen ! ”
As these words flashed on my screen for the upteenth time , I labour my dentition down as I prepared for another attempt at a boss that just had it out for me . Indeed , The First Berserker : Khazan , an coming activeness RPG from developer Neople and publisher Nexon , really gave me a run for my money .
As someone who ’s well - versed when it come in toSouslike titles , I eagerly dove into a demonstration of Khazan during the Tokyo Game Show . I ’ve already found a challenging activeness RPG that should put die - tough genre fans to the test . But for developer Neople , there ’s an even tougher existential undertaking : transitioning a hit series from a free - to - play game to a premium one .
From the world of DNF
The First Berserker : Khazanis a spinoff ofDungeon & Fighter(DNF ) , Neople ’s wildly successfulfree - to - play , hack - and - slash game that ’s been around since 2005 . The claim itself , along with related media , gained adhesive friction in South Korea ( where Neople is base ) , as well as Japan , China , and other parts of Asia .
According to CEO and Executive Director Myeongjin Yun , while their past releases tend to be quite challenging projects in their own right , Khazanis somewhat unique since it ’s Neople ’s first “ package plot . ” That term refers to single - instrumentalist or paid games , which are vastly different from the free - to - play offerings that the studio has developed in the past . It ’s also one that aims to enclose the DNF universe and lore to a ball-shaped audience .
traditional knowledge - wise , the role of Khazan does make appearances and is referenced often in DNF medium . He is said to be the ascendant of the Slayers , one of the course in DNF . The demonic curse named after him , the Khazan Syndrome , is in reality what tell apart the Berserker subclass from its counterparts . This extends toDNF Duel : Who ’s Next ? , a fighting game where the Berserker is a playable option .
As you may tell by the title alone , The First Berserker : Khazantells the origin story of this particular hero . Once a heroic full general of the Pell Los Empire , Khazan was exiled for a offense he did not dedicate and forced to wander the frigid waste . Now , he has to vanquish his foes and fulfil his oath of payback .
Soulslike influences
As before long as I started playingThe First Berserker : Khazan , I know I was in familiar territory . I made my path through the C. P. Snow - capped mess passes and dark tunnels of Heinmach , whereupon I come across a Blade Phantom . This entity call out to Khazan , acting as a waypoint / balefire of sorts throughout my journey . As await , tagging this waypoint restitute my health and flask charges , while also do non - boss enemy to respawn . I was able to allocate Lacrima ( i.e. , souls / runic letter ) into five attributes : vitality , endurance , strength , willpower , technique . course , I prioritize elan vital because we can all agree that extra HP is authoritative ( sorry , “ just do n’t get hit ” bunch ) . Of course , dying intend lose all current Lacrima , and I had to retrieve the imagination where my character last pass away .
I noticed more of the common Soulslike staples as I continued my trek . My warrior has truehearted normal attacks , as well as heavy black eye that can break an enemy ’s defenses . Some attack can be dodged , though put off at the perfect metre was ideal since it also helped stagger my opposition . I was able-bodied to equip a greatsword , double - wielded steel , dissimilar armor sets , and a javelin ( which is a throw skill ) . attack sound and sense vicious , as Khazan cuts through enemy with reckless abandon .
Bosses , meanwhile , surely posed a challenge . The first , Volbaino , is a Capricorn - headed colossus who dual - wielded great hammers . I had to learn his combo patterns to ensure that I could deflect all the blows . The second , Rangkus , is cognate to a bandit leader who has a quaking smasher in melee range and a ballista barrage ability at long chain of mountains . I had problem with both as I was never deal as much damage as I look , but I ’ll chalk that up to the preset physical body I was playing with during the demonstration for now .
According to Creative Director Junho Lee , the squad was inspired by many Soulslikes and action mechanism RPGs , such asBloodborne , Nioh , andDark Souls . I did point out that the liquidness and onset aliveness were faster than a traditional Soulslike title . Special abilities themselves were activate by withstand either bumper and pressing any of the four face push , which appropriate for unique onset sequences and combination .
Fueled by vengeance
As I concluded my interview with Neople , I recalled how many free - to - play titles do n’t have high barriers to entry . I asked the team how they search a balance between two clashing conception : take a shit the plot accessible to DNF fan and those who are n’t familiar with DNF .
Yun noted that they envisionedThe First Berserker : Khazanas a style to introduce more musician to the DNF universe , but that would mean take aim for a all-inclusive hearing . The studio even considered bestow difficulty options at one pointedness , though Art Director Kyuchul Lee admit that this has go to many contrast opinions among squad member . Ideally , though , Lee prefers that instrumentalist obtain style to get past the trouble by relying on usable means in - game , such as mulct - tuning their build , over - leveling , or arrive up with feasible strategies .
We spoke about whether Neople ’s first foray into premium biz was always think to be a Dungeon & Fighter spinoff , or if they had considered make a completely new IP . Yun sound out that the studio decide ahead of time on that the game should be based on the DNF population given the rich backstories that could still be explored . They did have other candidates among the available fictional character , though they felt that Khazan was one of the most authoritative in the franchise .
To that end , I recalled how other studio find success when they commence with free - to - play offerings , which allow for them to make undivided - player claim establish on a series that they ’ve built and expand in previous years . PerhapsThe First Berserker : Khazanwill find nimbus not just as a Soulslike , but also as another example of how South Korean studios can achieve succeeder with parcel games .
The First Berserker : Khazanlaunches in 2025 for the PC , PlayStation 5 , and Xbox Series X / S.
