*This review was machine translated from Korean to English.
The First Berserker: Khazan
One Major Flaw Keeps It from an A+
Full disclosure: this review leans heavily into subjective territory.
I don't praise a game just because it's from a Korean studio—to be blunt, I detest the Korean gaming industry. This is about nostalgia. Back in school, I lived and breathed the original Dungeon & Fighter as a Greatsword Berserker. Think about the odds: I’m playing the exact character from my best childhood memories, but transplanted into my favorite genre, the Soulslike. While I tried to remain objective, the nostalgia and the game's genuine strengths blinded me. Consider this a fair warning before diving in—especially if you’re on the fence about buying it. However, if there's one thing that lends this review some credibility, it's this: I conquered my first playthrough on Hard difficulty completely solo, without ever once relying on the Spirit of Advocacy.
⏳ Dissonance Dominates the Game: Infested by Delayed Attacks
The game's overreliance on unnaturally delayed attacks is undeniably frustrating. Enemies frequently freeze mid-swing, defying all laws of momentum solely to disrupt your parry and dodge timings. The way these enemies act is past the point of being challenging; it's just downright ridiculous and absurd. Whether it's a trash mob or a boss, a jarring dissonance dominates the whole game, making it feel like you and the enemy are completely out of sync. It’s deeply irritating, dragging the gameplay as far away from 'pure action bliss' as possible.
As for the bosses? Don't even get me started—it’s significantly worse. At least trash mobs go down quickly, and elite enemies can be deleted by chaining basic attacks into skills. Now imagine a boss with a massive health pool and terrifying damage rushing you with patterns that defy intuition. The real issue is that you KNOW the attack is coming and you are PREPARED to react, yet you keep getting caught by these infuriatingly delayed strikes, leaving you feeling cheated rather than outplayed.
Delayed attacks should be used sparingly, as a tool to catch players off guard—a seasoning that adds variety rather than the main ingredient of combat. They should never become the foundation of the entire system, with every encounter built around them as this game does. A great game should make you feel in sync with its bosses—that every encounter is a challenge you can overcome through understanding and mastery. The intense immersion that comes from successfully parrying and dodging is only the beginning. It should then surprise you with clever twists that push you to learn, adapt, and return stronger, fueled by the desire for revenge. That’s the real formula for a masterpiece. Unfortunately, this game misses the mark.
💪 Those Who Persevere Will Prevail
Yet, the developers knew where to draw the line. The game follows a core Soulslike golden rule: Perseverance Guarantees Triumph. Enemies rarely spam these erratic combos without room to breathe. Instead, they leave clear punish windows after a heavy swing, allowing you to study the rhythm and retaliate. Keep pushing, and those seemingly unfair delayed strikes will finally make sense. It doesn't suffocate the player; it gives you space to adapt. Every death feeds into the learning curve, and once the counterplay clicks, the rhythmic flow and tactile payoff hook you instantly.
This is where my bias creeps back in. Normally, I would slam a game for such arbitrary difficulty. Yet, the urge to step back into the shoes of my childhood Greatsword Berserker granted me the patience to push past the irritation. See? I told you this review is subjective.
🎮 Where Flawless Control Meets Tactile Payoff
At this point, you're probably asking how anyone is supposed to navigate these deliberate timing traps. Rest assured, the game's tight controls have your back. Input precision for dodging and parrying is sharp. With zero clunkiness or input delay, the character responds instantly, making the steep learning curve manageable.
This responsiveness is matched by a heavy sense of impact. Parrying offers great sensory feedback, blending sharp visuals with crunchy sound design. This peaks with the 'Counter Attack' system, triggered at the final frame of an enemy's attack. The window is generous, yet execution never loses its punch. Nailing it opens up a punish window, and chaining charged attacks delivers an unmatched rush.
⛓️ Unleash the Onslaught: The Relentless Flow of Skill Chains
Modern Soulslikes often try to put a unique twist on the established formula. While it backfires for some, others successfully set themselves apart from the crowd. This game is one of the success stories. While traditional Soulslikes usually boil down to rolling, light attacks, and the occasional weapon skill, the thrill of relentlessly slamming down skill combos here is a blast. Better yet, resource management is highly forgiving. Whether you're attacking, taking hits, dodging, or parrying—essentially as long as you aren't running away in circles—your Spirit Charge constantly builds. This generous resource loop allows you seamlessly weave skills into devastating chains. It's spectacular execution.
Let me give you a quick tip. If you wait until the enemy enters a staggered state to begin your skill chain, the execution window will feel impossibly tight. The secret is to trigger that stagger mid-combo. You should dynamically track the enemy's stagger gauge within your combo string and initiate the chain right before the break. Once this clicks, even bloated health bars on Hard feel surmountable. Needless to say, this is excellent game design, actively prioritizing analytical and tactical play over mindless button mashing.
⚖️ The Verdict
Without a doubt, this game harbors one major flaw. The highly erratic timing traps can easily leave players feeling cheated, breaking your spirit even when you anticipate the incoming strike and are ready for it. I know exactly how infuriating that feels. Yet, if you push through, you will realize the developers stopped just short of crossing the line, keeping the hurdle challenging but surmountable. Once you overcome this barrier, which sits a bit higher than in standard Soulslikes, you unlock the pure euphoria of parrying and the thrill of obliterating enemies with your skills. Deciphering the patterns of these formidable bosses to finally get in sync with them, alongside a 'punish window' that you truly earned through mastery after countless deaths, is more rewarding than anything else. By the time the boss finally falls, your skills are elevated, letting you truly feel your own growth.
Ultimately, this is why the game gets my recommendation. However, if you plan to purchase and actually enjoy this title, you must steel yourself for a brutal ride. On the bright side, the crisp controls and exceptional sense of impact hold up beautifully, while the visuals, audio, and overall polish are flawless. It remains an excellent game that narrowly misses 'Masterpiece' status. Because the rest of the package is so phenomenal, I highly recommend picking it up during a 20% sale to test your mettle against its frustrating timing traps.
"Love this game? Great. Just never touch the original MMO—its notoriously scummy business practices make EA look like a charity."
