The First Berserker: Khazan

Lore & Background

The First Berserker: Khazan is set in the Pell Los Empire, where General Khazan and his friend Ozma, a powerful mage, were branded traitors. Khazan had his tendons severed and was exiled, but during his transport through Mount Heinmach, a ghost seeking a mortal host—the Blade Phantom, an aggregation of warriors who died in combat—possesses him. After a trial overseen by the Bantu Tribe shaman Quimuk, Khazan defeats the Blade Phantom but offers a truce: the Phantom's powers in exchange for helping the warriors restore balance to the mortal world, as an imbalance of souls entering the Netherworld has occurred. Khazan's revenge against the Emperor and those who betrayed him becomes intertwined with this mission.

Khazan travels across the empire, joined by allies including former soldier Tristan, shield maiden Elamein, blacksmith Qazumaka, and Netherworld messenger Daphrona. He discovers that Ozma faked his execution and was working with the Emperor, and that a forbidden magic called Chaos is corrupting souls. After Elamein is possessed by Chaos and killed, Khazan learns Ozma orchestrated his betrayal. The story culminates in the capital, where three endings are possible depending on player choices: a default revenge ending, a good ending unlocked by completing side missions for the Blade Phantom's sword and Charon's chains, and a true ending requiring those items plus three fragments of Aldevir's Disc, revealing Ozma's tragic motivation involving the execution of his lover Reese by the Emperor's soldiers.

Reader's Guide

The First Berserker: Khazan is significant as a 2025 entry in the action role-playing genre that explicitly draws from Soulslike conventions while integrating mechanics from the Dungeon & Fighter universe. Its stamina-based combat system requires players to manage stamina for attacking, dodging, and blocking, with perfect blocks and parries reducing enemy health and stamina. The game encourages aggressive play to prevent enemy stamina recovery, and features three weapon types—dual-wield axe and short-sword, great sword, and spear—each with distinct playstyles. Equipment includes random drops with rarity levels, damage values, and set bonuses for matching gear. The Lacrima currency system, where unspent Lacrima is lost upon death but recoverable, reinforces the Soulslike risk-reward loop. The game's structure of individual missions with hidden items, shortcuts, and boss battles, plus a central hub called The Crevice, provides a familiar but refined framework. The multiple endings, unlocked through specific side content, add replayability and narrative depth, exploring themes of betrayal, revenge, and redemption within a cel-shaded anime aesthetic.

Did You Know?

• The deluxe edition was released early on March 24, 2025, three days before the regular release on March 27.
• Players lose all unspent Lacrima upon death but can recover it by returning to the death point without dying again.
• Bonus Lacrima is awarded when dying during boss encounters, based on damage dealt before defeat.