Games Happy

No matter the way you select to categorise them, “Hardcore Motion RPGs” have shortly blossomed into a really worldwide style – and Nexon and Neople’s The First Berserker: Khazan is simply the most recent in a protracted line of them which have launched up to now few years. We have identified about it for some time, however we had our likelihood to lastly go hands-on with the sport throughout this yr’s Tokyo Sport Present – and we’re fairly proud of what we received to play.

Even after a couple of minutes holding the controller, I am already trying ahead to the subsequent likelihood I’ve to go hands-on; The First Berserker nails the steadiness between having weighty animations, with responsive controls, and Khazan feels nice in movement. Gamers can use gentle assaults and heavy assaults, with heavy assaults providing the flexibility for Khazan to cost them as much as deal extra injury to each poise and well being; shielded enemies can simply deflect lighter assaults, that means that gamers should endeavor to interrupt their guard earlier than they will make use of their sooner gentle assault combo.

There are additionally various different skills that must be acquainted to anybody who’s performed the style earlier than; sneak up on an enemy, and you’ll deal large injury with a sneak assault. Get the drop on an enemy, and your plunge assault could make fast work of them. Taking a web page from Sekiro, each enemy additionally has a stamina meter; break their Stamina by both dealing injury or good guarding assaults, and you’ll dole out an particularly highly effective assault as soon as they have been left open. Whereas we did not get an opportunity to supervise this shift ourselves, throughout an interview with the sport’s improvement workforce, we had been informed {that a} key goal throughout improvement was to point out Khazan’s gradual ascent all through the sport, together with unlocking new skills that tremendously will increase his agility. Already from the beginning the sport is quicker paced than a few of its contemporaries, however no less than from the sounds of issues fight ought to develop in complexity the additional in you go.

Past the gameplay, maybe the very first thing that stands out with The First Berserker: Khazan is its presentation. We had the possibility to play it on a PC, operating the sport at 4K and excessive framerates – and it was completely beautiful, with a frankly surprising variety of particulars, just like the blood dripping off of Khazan and marking itself within the snow beneath him within the opening moments of the sport. It is not simply the constancy, although, the sport’s artstyle is not afraid to be overwhelming at factors. The sport’s equal to bonfires – shattered, Eldritch swords – bathe the sport in a crimson gentle when interacted with. Usually I would anticipate one thing like that to be an eyesore, however I discovered it was dealt with tastefully sufficient to suit the temper. Not simply practical or overly stylized, Khazan gives a really placing visible identification that feels very straightforward to fall in love with. The ethereal nature of regardless of the hell was up with that orb within the sky leaves one with a ton of questions – one I am certain I may discover a solution to if I opted to dig into it, however I am content material with ready for my subsequent likelihood to dig into Khazan, as a substitute.

Regardless of not being a DNF fan, I admit there’s so much I am pretty enthusiastic about. The story’s premise is robust, for one – tales of righteous revenge rule, particularly with the undertones of turning into one thing you were not on account of your journey –  but additionally journals dotted across the degree I performed labored as an instance a number of the enemy’s personal ideas on the state of affairs, and helped floor them within the recreation world past simply being bog-standard goons. Whether or not that can evolve any past that within the full story is anybody’s guess at this level, nevertheless it’s extra of an effort than another video games I’ve performed – and mixed with the opposite shocking particulars, makes me very excited to see simply how far that polish goes. For instance, for all of the reward I can provide about Khazan’s moveset; we solely ever had the possibility to check out one weapon kind, with the sport sporting a number of for gamers to familiarize themselves with.

Put one other method; whereas Khazan is a spin-off for an present IP, it feels way over “simply” a narrative set in the identical universe. It is clear from each what the builders have informed us in regards to the care they’ve put into Khazan’s portrayal, from his moveset and animations to the story, that they really need this recreation to be one thing that may enchantment to anybody – no matter their historical past with DNF. You possibly can actually really feel the load of that dedication, too. Even this removed from launch, Khazan is already feeling a sophisticated and realized RPG, and I can not stress sufficient how promising that’s for regardless of the last state of the sport could be.

Whether or not you are new to DNF or a longtime fan, The First Berserker: Khazan seems prefer it’ll be a recreation worthy of additional inspection. Keep tuned for our full ideas as we strategy the sport’s 2025 launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Sequence X|S and PC (Steam). We’ll be posting our full interview with the event workforce within the days to come back, too – so maintain a watch out!