Tekken 8

The Tekken saga has always been drenched in betrayal that helps it stand outfrom the rest of the crowd, but Tekken 8 pushes that intensity higher than ever. That increase in intensity can be felt across each punch, kick, and slam as these hulking behemoths fight each other to the death. The generational curse of the Mishima family continues, and we find Jin at an interesting crossroads – continuing down the dark path of revenge much like Heihachi or Kayuza, or try to become a better man and break free from the cycle of violence. The fights here carry emotional weight beyond the tournament stage, and that makes this journey a lot more compelling to complete than prior entries in the series.

Dungeon and Fighter Connection

Since it was first announced, The First Berserker: Khazan has shared an indelible connection to Dungeon and Fighter. Dungeon Fighter Online players will have encountered the disgraced general (no spoilers on how that turns out), but this story plays out during the Pell Los Empire’s reign. It explores Khazan’s story and his rise as the infamous berserker after betrayal.

Environments

If you’ve played the demo, the sheer variety of environments seen thus far has been impressive. Players go from a snowy pass teeming with beasts and soldiers to a spiritual journey on the mountainside and eventually, a dark dungeon full of dragon-like hybrids. Another location was recently revealed in a new trailer – the Rovelion Imperial Theater, the “home of arts and culture in the Pell Los Empire” (or at least it used to be). Now there are traps and nobles of the past lurking in the darkness, seemingly creating hallucinations.

Combat

For those who haven’t played the demo, The First Berseker: Khazan’s combat is essentially a Souls-like. You have a stamina meter, can execute light and heavy attacks, and claim several sites of the Blade Nexus as checkpoints. Much like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, enemies have a posture gauge (known as Fortitude) that you must break to deal critical damage.

Parrying and Evasion

Parrying and dodging are a given, but timing them is key. A properly executed parry means less stamina lost – and stamina will become essential in some boss fights – allowing you to maintain the aggression. If you dodge right before an enemy’s attack lands, you’ll execute a Brink Dodge, which can be useful in conjunction with certain skills.

Counterattacks

Not every attack can be parried or dodged, however, and that’s where Counterattack comes in. Execute it perfectly and you’ll perform a Nioh 2-like Burst Counter, which staggers the enemy and regenerates all your stamina. Mess it up, however, and you take tons of damage. Be careful, though, as Elite enemies can also perform Counterattacks (which is as cool-looking as it is frightening).

Weapons and Skills

Thus far, we know of three weapons that Khazan wields – the Spear, Greatsword and dual-wielding a Sword and Axe. Each possesses unique attacks and playstyles, whether you prefer extensive mobility with the Sword and Axe, more range with the Spear or slow but hard-hitting attacks with the Greatsword. You can’t swap between weapons (at least, not in the demo), which encourages zeroing in on a build and playstyle.

Each weapon also has unique skills, unlocked with skill points, like Ruthless for rapidly slashing away at any enemy with the Sword and Axe, or Breakthrough for charging at an enemy with the Greatsword before bringing it down in a massive swing. My favorite is Moonlight Stance, which creates afterimages for 15 seconds that deal additional damage. Skills consume Spirit, so managing it during a battle along with your stamina and Fortitude is also key.

Berserker Mode

A recent trailer also revealed what seems to be Berserker Mode for Khazan, which sees him taking on the Blade Phantom’s armor and gaining new skills, even seemingly transitioning between multiple weapon types. Not many details have been provided, but it looks sick as hell.

Summoning Allies

While Dungeon Fighter Online is known for its multiplayer, you won’t find such modes here. That doesn’t mean you can’t summon allies to your cause, however. Available from the third level onwards, the Spirit of Advocacy will fight by your side (and you’ll probably need it, given the boss). However, like Nioh, there’s also the Remnant of Adversity, who you can challenge and earn drops from. They also drop Lacrima of Circulation, which you need to summon allied Spirits.

Easy Mode

If the combat and overall difficulty are too much, The First Berserker: Khazan sports an Easy Mode, providing a means to stress less and enjoy the narrative. However, at least in the demo, you must finish the first mission to unlock it. It’s unlikely to be different in the game, but regardless, be prepared.

Transmog

Though it’s not the be-all, end-all of the action RPG gameplay, loot is important, and so is looking amazing. So what happens if you want to change your looks but retain the same equipment? Transmog is thankfully available to facilitate this…after you finish your first playthrough, as confirmed by creative director Junho Lee in a Reddit AMA. Why it’s set up like this is unknown, but it’s there.

New Game+

New Game Plus is also available, and it’ll function more akin to Nioh. While you can enjoy everything in the game within the first playthrough, Lee said higher playthroughs can unlock “more options and abilities.” Certain “restrictions” are also lifted, and while that seems to refer to transmog, perhaps there are more game-changing features to discover.

Multiple Endings

Another reason to embark on another playthrough is the multiple endings. Khazan isn’t on some casual stroll of the Pell Los Empire and as such, certain decisions may impact the overall narrative. Whether it’s as involved as, say, the process of unlocking other endings in Elden Ring remains to be seen, but Khazan’s story seemingly has more than one outcome.

Playtime

Whether you’re in it for the story or taking on every challenge, The First Berserker promises a meaty experience. If you pursue the True Ending, it can take more than 80 hours to finish, per Lee. How much this will vary depending on skill (and the amount of grinding previously done in the demo) remains to be seen, but either way, it’s a long game.

Potential Post-Launch Features

Khazan is seemingly poised to receive DLC in the future, though the “direction, content, and schedule” hasn’t been finalized. However, Lee confirmed that several modes are being discussed. Potential boss rush or boss rematch features? One can certainly hope.

PC Requirements

The minimum requirements aren’t too demanding, consisting of an Intel Core i3-6300 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200, 12 GB RAM, and a GeForce GTX 970 or Radeon RX 580 or Arc A580. This is enough to run the game in 1080p/30 FPS at Low settings. The recommended requirements, on the other hand, demand a Core i7-6700K or Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB RAM, and an RTX 2070, a Radeon RX 5700XT or Arc A750 for 1080p/60 FPS at High settings. You also need 70 GB of installation space with a solid-state drive mandatory all around.

The story follows Khazan, a heroic general who saved the Pell Los Empire but now finds himself disgraced and exiled. After becoming possessed by the Blade Phantom, he begins a quest for vengeance, battling soldiers, wild creatures, and monsters. Though the gameplay is very Souls-like, you can parry attacks like in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and break unblockable attacks similar to Nioh 2.

The closed beta runs from October 11th to 20th for Xbox Series X/S and PS5. It features the title’s first three chapters, spanning Heinmach, Stormpass and Embars, with three weapon types, Skills for each, gear to unlock and more. Check out our impressions of the beta here.

The First Berserker: Khazan launches in early 2025.

The First Berserker: Khazan offers shades of both, but there’s a lot more going on than meets the eye. The story follows the former general who after saving the Pell Los Empire from the Berserk Dragon is accused of treason. While his friend, Ozma, suffers a horrible death, Khazan is mercilessly tortured, the tendons in his arms severed before exile.

The story picks up during Khazan’s transport through Mount Heinmach, a mysterious force called the Blade Phantom disrupts his escort, setting him free while simultaneously possessing his body. Its purpose is unknown – for the time being, the player must find a way out, dealing with any straggling soldiers and other beasties on the mountain.

The First Berserker: Khazan is based on Nexon’s Dungeon and Fighter series, with the sordid tale of the former hero set hundreds of years prior. Khazan does make some appearances through Dungeon Fighter Online, but this is essentially his brutal origin story.

Said brutality carries over to the gameplay as well. The First Berserker makes no bones about its roots, taking inspiration from Dark Souls with its shortcuts, stamina meter, light and heavy attacks, stance breaking, bonfires (known as the Blade Nexus here) and respawning enemies. Lacrima is your currency for leveling up, and it’s dropped upon death. Of course, you can also dodge – proper timing will result in a Brink Dodge.

However, the other half of Khazan’s gameplay loop is like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, specifically its parrying system. The right timing means losing negligible stamina while reducing some of the enemy’s fortitude gauge. Deplete it completely, and you can execute a powerful critical blow. Also, while Lacrima is used to increase stats, thus affecting the scaling of weapon damage (on top of other things), you earn separate XP towards Skill Points for unlocking new abilities, which we’ll get into later.

From the outset, it sounds straightforward but weird. What makes Sekiro work is the lack of a stamina bar, where messing up a parry can deplete your health and poise, thus making subsequent parries that much more risky. In this case, not timing a parry and instead blocking will deplete more stamina. Running out leaves you temporarily stunning, which can be a death sentence against bosses with multiple attacks. You also have to account for this when attacking – get too greedy, and you might not have enough stamina to deal with the enemy’s follow-ups.

And yet, after going hands-on with the closed beta for The First Berserker: Khazan, consisting of its three story chapters, I’m convinced that it’s a solid mix of what should be two opposing playstyles. The result is a challenging Souls-like – one that may not always feel fair but still provides an exhilarating rush.

Of course, the previous descriptors only scratch the surface. The first chapter feels pretty measured in enemy types and mechanics, yet it teaches you the basics. All of it comes into play against the boss, Yetuga, while educating the player on breaking parts, avoiding (or failing to avoid) command grabs, and status effects.

It’s chapter 2 where the game truly comes into its own. In Stormpass, Khazan must pass three trials to exorcise the Blade Phantom, which introduces the other weapon types. The Greatsword is heavy but is adept at cleaving multiple enemies with its attacks. It also has a shoulder attack as its sprinting attack and a charged attack, which deals extensive damage, even if it leaves you temporarily vulnerable.

Then there’s the Spear, my favorite, possessing more reach and sweeping attacks. Subsequent upgrades can unlock Moonlight Stance, where a successful light combo results in attacks dealing additional damage thanks to afterimages. It also applies to all attacks – using skill that allows for transitioning from a heavy attack into a stabbing light attack and both deal additional damage thanks to Moonlight Stance.

Each weapon type has interesting skills like the dual-wield’s charged heavy attack inflicting a wound on enemies or the Greatsword’s ability to charge light attacks. It gets even crazier when factoring in abilities like Whirlwind, which results in Khazan taking to the skies and landing on enemies with a spinning attack, or Ruthless, a slashing combo that gets faster with consecutive hits.

You can unlock skills which result in Brink Dodges dealing more damage on their attacks, changing completely, or even recovering stamina, offering a way to keep up the tempo with the axe and sword. While much of the gameplay is grounded, its skills strike a balance between stylish and brutal.

If that wasn’t enough, The First Berserker offers a loot grind. Though the starting Common armor and weapons will increase defense and some stats, you’ll eventually receive Rare drops, some even belonging to Gear Sets, which unlock powerful bonuses when paired with matching items. It’s somewhat reminiscent of Nioh, but that’s not the only common factor – eventually, enemies will unleash Burst Attacks, which are unblockable, but you get the Counterattack ability. It functions somewhat like the Burst Counter from Nioh 2 in terms of timing, but pull it off, and all of your stamina regenerates, thus allowing you to press the attack.

Then there are the other Spirits you can summon from chapter 3 onwards, with the Spirit of Advocacy offering assistance while the Remnant of Adversity challenges you to a fight. Defeating the latter yields rewards like the Lacrima of Circulation (used for summoning) and gear, which can be a great way to farm gear sets or shore up weaknesses. I haven’t even gotten to the Elite enemies, which seem capable of executing Counterattacks on top of packing a punch (and better rewards).

However, the highlight of the experience is the boss fights without question. The Blade Phantom felt like a massive difficulty spike between its multitude of weapons, teleporting attacks, seamless transitions between everything, and delays.

And yet, it taught me so much about changing up builds, trying new weapons, and fully exploiting the extra time from his Fortitude-broken state to deal more damage before exacting a critical blow. Those worried about spectacle shouldn’t worry since Viper, the boss in Chapter 3, starts like a more jacked-up version of those spear-wielding dragon warriors before turning into something else entirely. Its second phase is frightening yet undeniably cool.

Though it’s out in early 2025, I enjoyed much of my time with The First Berserker: Khazan. Its action is undeniably crisp yet punishing, but the environmental design and presentation are also quite strong. Going from Heinmach and its steep drops to the halls of Embars’ temple to stop a dastardly device felt natural and smooth. There were various routes and optional areas to explore, some unearthing chests with loot and others offering Soulstones to destroy in exchange for permanent buffs. The anime-esque art style also looks sleek while retaining the grim tone of Khazan’s journey.

Speaking of vengeance, the closed beta gave the feeling of just getting started on that path, with Khazan likely to plunge further into darkness when all is said and done. As much as I like the stoic portrayal, I’m curious to see him embrace the Berserker within and give in to anger. We’ll see how the full game fares, but for now, The First Berserker: Khazan is already hitting all the right Souls-like notes.