The Steam Next Fest hasn’t even started yet, and thousands of players have already fallen in love with the free demo of a new Soulslike.
What game is being discussed here? It is about The First Berserker: Khazan – a dark action RPG with an anime look. The game is developed by Neople, with Nexon, a large developer and publisher from South Korea, also backing the project.
You can currently download a free demo of The First Berserker: Khazan on Steam. It already has over 3,400 reviews, 90% of which are positive.
You can watch a trailer for the game here:
Hardcore action battles in dark anime style
What is the game about? After Khazan is falsely accused of betrayal and banished to a snowy mountain, he embarks on a bloody quest for revenge – having barely escaped death.
The world of The First Berserker: Khazan is really dark despite its 3D anime visuals, perhaps even too “edgy” for some. The game is reminiscent of Berserk, Kentaro Miura’s dark fantasy manga, both by name and atmosphere.
How much Soulslike is there? Is this a true Soulslike or more of a “Soulslite”? MyMMO has played the demo, and it’s safe to say that there are arguments for both:
- Fights are as crisp as in the Souls games – standard enemies are easy to take down but still dangerous.
- Bosses deal significant damage and take quite a bit of hits – well-timed parries and dodges are crucial here.
- With Lacrima, which you collect from defeated enemies as well as from fighting, you level up your skills. If Khazan dies in battle, he drops Lacrima on the spot – but for bosses, you don’t have to return to the arena to retrieve it.
- You can only level up at blade nexuses – these are basically the bonfires in the game. When you rest at such a point, defeated enemies respawn.
The First Berserker: Khazan offers two difficulty levels: After completing the first mission in the demo, you can choose between “Easy” and “Normal.” For many, that’s reason enough not to call it a Soulslike.
What cannot be denied: The First Berserker: Khazan is a (at least on normal difficulty) hardcore and dark action RPG. It relies heavily on many familiar Soulslike mechanics but is also a bit more forgiving than other genre representatives.
Have you already played the demo? Feel free to share your first impressions in the comments. By the way, The First Berserker: Khazan is not the only major Soulslike expected to be released in 2025. You can read more about it here: Have you finished Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree? These Soulslikes are coming in 2025
