Of the numerous new soulslike games set to arrive in 2025,The First Berserker: Khazanhas caught the eye of many fans thanks to its brutal combat and cel-shaded art style. A demo released in January did little to quell anticipation, displaying a moody, atmospheric world, robust combat, andunforgiving bosses, all hallmarks that soulslike fans look forin these games.
Game Rant caught up with developer Nexon to discussThe First Berserker: Khazan. The studio talked about how it fits into theDNFuniverse, how it approaches combat and exploration, and what players can expect from its gameplay loop and boss fights.This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
How The First Berserker: Khazan Fits into the DNF Universe
Q:The First Berserker: Khazanis part of theDNFuniverse. How much will new players need to know about previousDNFgames to understand the narrative?
A:You don’t need anyprior knowledge of theDNFgamesto enjoyThe First Berserker: Khazan. The game is designed to be engaging even for players unfamiliar with theDungeon & Fighteruniverse. At the same time, fans of the original series will discover new dimensions of the lore, with intricate details and perspectives that couldn’t be fully explored in the originalDungeon & Fighter.
Q:The First Berserker: Khazanhas a striking art style that catches the eye. Can you talk a little about the game’s setting and how it fits in with theDNFuniverse?
A:Our goal ofevolving theDNFUniverseand expanding it globally with a console launch inspired us to create a fresh new art style for the IP. While many ARPGs and Soulslike games lean toward surreal, complex art with high-end design and graphics, we aim to bring an animated and anime-inspired style toThe First Berserker: Khazan. This choice stays true to theDNFaesthetic while also refreshing the look for Western audiences who may be less familiar with the universe.
We aimed to achieve a cinematic quality forThe First Berserker: Khazanthat is often found in mature-audience animation, focusing on two primary elements: bold, gritty, and intense battle scenes, paired with high-quality rendering to immerse players in a dark, atmospheric setting. We also believe that this animation style would better express the ultimate combat feeling we pursue and the action scenes that General Khazan unfolds.
Through this approach, we hope to engage a global audience by delivering intense battles with detailed,cel-based animation. Furthermore,DNFis a rich universe and IP with a diverse and captivating world and lore that includes deeply developed characters. Within this universe, the story of General Khazan stands out as a darker, more poignant hero narrative. Our approach was to delve into the intricate details of the berserker to evoke a profound sense of immersion, akin to experiencing the intense emotions of an impactful animated tale. We strived to capture the essence of General Khazan’s character by balancing moments of intense action with delicate and poignant scenes.
Q: The game seems to take inspiration from titles likeNiohandSekiro: Shadows Die Twice. What is the main aspect ofThe First Berserker: Khazanthat makes it stand out from other soulslikes?
A:When designing the core mechanics, we prioritized creating a well-crafted action system akin to DNF. To achieve this, we drew inspiration from various design elements in the action genre, including those found in soulslike games. WhileThe First Berserker: Khazanincorporates some key formulas from the soulslike genre, it was not chosen to create a soulslike game; rather, it was selected to contribute to our vision of enhancing the action experience inDNF.
The First Berserker: Khazan is Easily Picked Up By Action-RPG Veterans and Newcomers Alike
Q: IsThe First Berserker: Khazanaccessible for someone who has little experience playing soulslikes, or is it more aimed at gamers who are well-versed in third-person action-RPGs?
A:The First Berserker: Khazanis a title that can be easily picked up, as it allows players to make choices based on their own preferred playstyle. With that,the Soulslike/Action RPG genre, in general, is intended to be a bit more challenging, therefore there will be several challenges and even failures throughout fans' playthroughs. However, these failures and challenges do not come empty-handed, as they provide a number of rewards, once defeated. Additionally, for players who are less familiar with action games, we’ve prepared an easy mode, ensuring that everyone can experience an appropriate level of challenge and accomplishment.
The First Berserker: Khazan’s Level Design
Q: Would you describeThe First Berserker: Khazanas a linear game? Can you talk about the game’s structure a little?
A:It leans towards a closed-level design. WhileThe First Berserker: Khazanprioritizes the enjoyment derived from action, we are also preparing various elements and content to provide a sense of adventure and exploration. The world ofKhazanis designed as a space where players can repeatedly challenge themselves and collect valuable items, making each re-exploration process both enjoyable and seamless.The First Berserker: Khazanis not a game that offers fleeting, one-off enjoyment. It’s designed to remain engaging even after multiple battles and explorations.
Khazan’s driving motivations—survival and revenge—are deeply tied to a clear and powerful storyline. While an open-world approach emphasizes free exploration, we felt a morelinear progression better suitedThe First Berserker:Khazan’s narrative, atmosphere, and storytelling. That said, we’ve also incorporated various elements and content to ensure players still feel a sense of adventure and exploration throughout the experience.
How The First Berserker: Khazan Approaches Exploration
Q: How doesThe First Berserker: Khazanreward players who stray off the main path, and are there many opportunities to do this?
A:While we chose a linear structure, we made various efforts to incorporate the joy ofadventure and explorationthroughout the game. Speaking just about level and world play, we’ve placed various routes and hidden elements, and sometimes there are powerful enemies or traps. Through these elements, players can obtain important set items, crafting recipes, and various power sources for General Khazan. Moreover, we want General Khazan’s journey to be more than just a revenge story - we want players to uncover different aspects of past events through this adventure and exploration. As an example, some aspects may have an impact on the ending that players face.
Q: WillThe First Berserker: Khazanhave difficulty settings, and how important is the game’s challenging combat to the overall experience?
A:Our primary goal is for players to become fully engaged with the character and sympathize with his difficult circumstances; however, there were requests for difficulty settings. We want to encourage more players to participate in the game and discover its fundamental fun. Afterdefeating the first boss Yetuga, players can choose between an easy and normal difficulty level. In the easy mode, General Khazan’s overall stats are enhanced throughout the gameplay.
The First Berserker: Khazan Offers Diverse Combat Options
Q: How easy will it be for players to swap between the game’s three main weapon types in-game?
A:Players can easily switch between the three weapons via the main menu, each offering a distinct style of action to experience.The weapons inThe First Berserker: Khazanare comparable to that of characters in other games. Dual Wields, Greatsword, and Spear can be simply seen as three different play styles, but they are more distinguishable from one another in terms of attack power, speed, range, and pace, as well as attack and defense techniques.
By selecting a weapon, players decide the general combat style, and through the skill tree system, they can search for and develop their preferred combat style while enhancing it with various options, set effects for each gear, and different item combinations. By combining these elements, players can enjoy the game with various appearances and builds. Additionally, the skill tree system allows players to freely reset and adjust their settings at any time, encouraging experimentation and new challenges in gameplay.
Q:The First Berserker: Khazanseems to offer players plenty of defensive options including blocking, parrying, and dodging. Will one of those mechanics ultimately be more important than the others, or is it viable for a player to use whichever one they prefer?
A:We designed the game so players can take different moves in terms of strategy and tried to provide clear feedback or accomplishment for each attempt. Some attacks are better countered with guards, while others are more effectively avoided with dodging. In some cases, players can even evade an attack simply by walking past it, although careful attention to the direction of movement is crucial in such scenarios. Each defensive action has been balanced with its own costs and rewards. We encourage players tofreely play according to their preferred style and strategy.
The First Berserker: Khazan’s Boss Fights Will Offer Rewarding Challenge
Q: What can players expect from boss fights inThe First Berserker: Khazan?
A:We consider adventure, challenge, and a sense of accomplishment as the core elements of gameplay. While challenges inevitably involve failure, we believe that failure should lead to another attempt, and it is important to ensure that the process remains enjoyable. Therefore, we have provided clear feedback at every stage of decision-making during challenges. Our goal is to lead players to face various enemies, learn their patterns, resist their attacks, and ultimately grow both the player and the character, Khazan.
Combat content such as bosses and enemies, as well as elements like level design, were created to allow for progressive new challenges that match the various states and levels of both the player and General Khazan. The main mission bosses all have strong personalities and various ways to defeat them. Beyond encountering different bosses, players can discover new aspects each time they challenge a boss. Furthermore, while you may encounter bosses in sub-missions that are similar to some main bosses, we designed these encounters to provide new experiences and challenges from a gameplay perspective.
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