Defeating the First Berserker in Khazan Demo: A Triumph and Euphoria
At the Tokyo Game Show 2024, I had the opportunity to experience a 45-minute gameplay session with the highly anticipated Soulslike game, The First Berserker: Khazan. As someone who has conquered almost all the core Soulsborne games and numerous third-party Soulslikes, I approached this demo with a mix of excitement and trepidation. Initial reports from those who played the game at Gamescon suggested that it was exceptionally challenging, even more so than its predecessors. However, after my time with The First Berserker: Khazan, I found these claims to be somewhat exaggerated.
The demo unfolded in a snow-covered, mountainous setting, with players starting at a bonfire equivalent for leveling up and healing/resetting enemies in the area. The path ahead featured normal soldier enemies and a mini-boss in the form of a giant bear, while the path behind led to monkey enemies and another soldier mini-boss. To the left awaited the area’s main boss, a massive white ape.
The initial phase of the demo involved familiarizing myself with the basic controls, engaging in combat with regular enemies and mini-bosses, and facing the daunting challenge of the ape boss. Despite my initial struggles and repeated failures against the boss, I eventually uncovered the key to success in The First Berserker: Khazan: mastering the art of parrying.
In this game, effective stamina management is paramount, as every action—be it attacking, blocking, or dodging—consumes stamina. However, parrying stands out as a stamina-free maneuver that also depletes an enemy’s stance bar, allowing for increased damage output. The game’s core mechanic revolves around the strategic use of parrying to both defend against attacks and capitalize on openings to strike back.
The parry system in The First Berserker: Khazan is more forgiving than in similar titles like Sekiro, with well-telegraphed enemy attacks and clear patterns to learn and anticipate. The boss’s move set consists of around 10 distinct patterns, each of which can be countered effectively through precise parrying and strategic stamina management. Moreover, the demo subtly introduces players to the boss’s attack patterns through encounters with regular enemies in the surrounding area, effectively preparing them for the upcoming challenge.
Mastering the parry mechanic not only enables players to deplete the boss’s stance bar but also unlocks the opportunity to stagger the enemy by overwhelming their hidden stamina bar. This strategic depth adds layers of complexity to the gameplay and rewards players who can effectively execute the parry dance while maintaining their stamina reserves.
After numerous attempts and gradual improvement, I finally emerged victorious against the giant ape boss, feeling a sense of immense satisfaction and accomplishment. The game’s fair difficulty curve and well-crafted boss mechanics left me eager to delve further into The First Berserker: Khazan upon its full release next year. The demo’s proximity to the boss’s save point also highlighted the game’s respect for player time, allowing for quick retries and minimizing downtime between attempts.
In conclusion, my experience with The First Berserker: Khazan at Tokyo Game Show 2024 showcased the game’s challenging yet rewarding gameplay mechanics, emphasizing the importance of precise parrying and strategic stamina management. The demo’s seamless integration of tutorial elements and gradual difficulty progression set a promising tone for the full game’s release, leaving me eagerly anticipating future adventures in the world of Khazan.
