Developer Neople has said quite a bit about how games are supposed to be engaging, not exhausting, and that if stress keeps piling up in a difficult game, players will eventually quit. It’s a nice sentiment going into The First Berserker: Khazan, its new Souls-like action RPG, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t challenging, sometimes exhausting and more than willing to beat you down.
There are plenty of ways to get ahead on top of making sense of everything that the world throws at Our General. Without further ado, here are 15 tips and tricks you should know when playing The First Berserker: Khazan.
Prioritize Vitality at the Start
Most of your early levels should go into Vitality. On top of increased health, it offers small boosts to your damage and overall resistance against various elements (as useful as those will be) along with decreasing weight. Of course, there’s a simpler reason for not spreading your stat upgrades around at the start.
Choosing a Weapon
There are three weapons in The First Berserker: Khazan – the spear, the axe and sword, and the greatsword. Each scales off a major and minor stat, so, as you’ve probably guessed, it’s better to invest stat upgrades into the former for more damage. There is some overlap (mention the scaling for each weapon) in the scaled stats. Proficiency is key on the spear, while Willpower is a minor stat. However, the latter is a major scaling stat on the axe and sword. Distribute the upgrades in whatever ratio, but the overall damage for both weapons will suffer either way.
Though you get an item, Primal Regression Orb, initially to reset your stats, I didn’t see another drop during my playtime. It only becomes craftable in the mid-to-late game after defeating Observers in a way that I can only describe as ludicrous, so be extra sure about your weapon of choice and keep that one Orb handy if it’s not working out. You can respec and change things around in the late game if necessary or when bored.
Useful Skills
I spent most of my time with the spear, and above all else, you should get Moonlight Stance and Full Moon. The former adds after-images for additional damage to attacks. Other skills allow it to deal damage while Brink Dodging and even nullify damage from a dodged attack. Full Moon is a great charged attack that whittles Fortitude on bosses, and it can’t be easily interrupted. Get Assault for more Fortitude damage, Winged Eagle for the ranged triple slashes that can destroy projectiles and Heatwave for some extra defense. Pick up some skills to reduce stamina consumption when blocking or dodging.
However, you shouldn’t neglect the Common skills available regardless of your weapon type. Get everything that boosts your Spirit gain – dodging, taking damage, blocking, and dealing damage. Get the skill that restores health with Brutal Attacks from the front. Increased Counterstrike damage and skills for Phantom Form are also nice.
Special Cleanse Potions
Khazan is a magnet for status effects. Carry plenty of cleansing potions since I found the resistance potions to vary between “mildly effective” and “The goggles! They do nothing!” Unfortunately, the vendor lacks all the cleansing potions, even by the late game, but there is an alternative. Eventually, you encounter an enemy called a Corrupted Creation. Defeat it without using any recovery items, and the recipe for the Special Cleanse Potion unlocks, allowing you to remove any abnormal status effects with its usage. And no, defeating the boss version of a Corrupted Creation doesn’t unlock it.
Throwables are Underrated
You might think that enhancers, which add elemental damage to your attacks, are ideal, but throwables like elemental fuels and essences are underrated. You can toss them from a good distance, and they deal decent but not amazing damage (so throw a lot of them, obviously). With so many bosses having grab attacks and extensive combos, throwables are a good way to keep up the damage without putting yourself in too much danger.
Properly Executing Counterstrikes
If you’re frustrated at trying to execute Counterstrikes, it’s worth picking up the skills that reduce the activation time and increase the counterstrike window. Otherwise, the best time for activation is just before an enemy’s strike is about to hit you, not necessarily when the icon flashes. Different enemies and bosses have varying windows between the flashing icon and the actual attack, so observe them accordingly. If you’re having trouble narrowing it down, select an enemy type and head to the Training Grounds in The Crevice to practice.
Dodging Burst Attacks
If you mess up the Counterstrike, the full brunt of the attack will hit you (and some of them hit pretty hard, especially in the early to mid-game). You can’t block them but there is a worthwhile alternative if you’re not confident in your counter-striking: Dodging. Again, it all depends on your overall timing, but if successfully pulled off, you effectively escape without taking any damage.
Don’t Get Grabbed, Don’t Get Grabbed, Don’t Get Grabbed
Among some of the most brutal attacks you can suffer in The First Berserker: Khazan are grab attacks. They can’t be blocked and many have strong tracking, so dodging is paramount. But beware that they’re much more common than you’d think, ranging from almost every boss to a surprising number of smaller enemies. The spear’s Moonlight Stance is also ideal since one of its skills provides another dodge immediately after the first, adding even more distance between you and an enemy’s annoying grabs.
Delays Between Dodging and Blocking
When dodging and holding the block button, there’s a brief delay before the latter works. It may seem obvious, but that delay can feel like an eternity. If you panic dodge one attack, only for an enemy to unleash another (never mind dealing with groups), it’s very easy to eat damage due to the block delay. There’s also a brief delay when mashing the block button, so avoid that.
When to Start Crafting
Crafting becomes available after saving the Blacksmith and retrieving his hammer from a side mission. You could dismantle any excessive gear stored inside your stash (you have been storing it, right?) for materials.
However, I would advise holding off on crafting anything immediately since loot drops plentifully at higher levels. Crafting should be used sparingly to patch any holes in your build. Once you’re in the late-ish game, prioritize the Soul Eater’s set since three pieces (which is all you’ll probably have materials for) offer benefits like stamina recovery, health recovery on defeating enemies, and more stamina.
Which Gear Perks to Prioritize
This is an action RPG with loot, gear sets, set bonuses, and rarity tiers. However, don’t be fooled by “number go up” and the blue arrows when equipping better gear in the mid-to-late game. At that point, paying attention to the different stats and how they benefit your current set-up is important. Try to go for flat damage increases and things like defense and health for survivability.
Bonuses like less damage received and more charged attack damage are also nice, especially for the spear’s Full Moon. I would avoid the perks that activate when you’re at 100 percent health, but if you’re that good, go for it. If there’s any confusion about what a particular stat does, hit R3 while hovering over the item, and you’ll receive a detailed breakdown.
Phantom Form Sucks
Phantom Form is awful, at least initially. The damage is pitiful, you can be staggered non-stop (which is annoying against enemies with super armor like Elites and bosses), and the gauge takes a while to fill. However, Khazan takes no damage and it doesn’t consume any stamina, meaning you can block a bunch of damage, dodge continuously, parry attacks and even execute Brutal Attacks. Try activating it when surrounded by enemies or as an insurance method against a particular boss’s devastating attack. You’ll know it when you see it.
More Damage vs. Brutal Attacks Against Exhausted Enemies
After staggering enemies, your first instinct will be to trigger a Brutal Attack for extra damage. And that’s the right call, but as you unlock additional skills, you might become torn between laying in some extra hits or immediately going for the Brutal. For instance, the spear’s Assault: Descent skill can deal more damage when a target is staggered (or “exhausted” as the game describes it). Too much time means you might miss executing the Brutal Attack and recovering some health. Prioritize accordingly.
Spirit of Adversity Uses
After dying multiple times to a boss, you’re probably tempted to fight some Spirits of Adversity to level up. Which is…fine, but not the best for XP (unless you’re way underleveled). Instead, you should use them to obtain more gear, Spirit Orbs (an ingredient for crafting throwables) and Lacrima of Circulation, useful for summoning Spirits of Cooperation to aid in boss fights.
Complete Side Missions at Your Own Pace
Mainline the story, and you’ll soon find yourself under-levelled. You can push forward and garner XP from challenging the boss enough times to net some pity Lacrima. However, it may be ideal to complete side missions instead. Not only will they unlock additional Phantoms and provide XP, but they’re also a great way to farm gear. Even if you don’t get decent drops, they can still be broken down into materials or exchanged for Lacrima for more XP.
