The First Berserker: Khazan Guide#
The First Berserker: Khazan is a hardcore action RPG developed by Neople and Nexon, adapted from the world of Dungeon & Fighter (DNF). You play Khazan, the legendary berserker, who returns from death to walk a road of revenge. This guide covers the combat system, the three weapon styles, boss strategies, and exploration collectibles.
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S | Type: hardcore action RPG
Key Features#
| Feature |
Detail |
| Hardcore combat |
A stamina-based combat system — attacking, dodging, and blocking all consume stamina |
| Three weapons |
Greatsword (high damage / slow), Dual Blades (fast / combo-driven), Spear (mid-range / thrusting) — each with its own skill tree |
| Skill system |
Skill points unlock combos, counter skills, and passive abilities — a separate skill tree per weapon |
| Khazan’s Power |
A rage meter — once the meter fills you enter “Berserker State” — increased damage plus new moves |
| Equipment forging |
Gather materials → forge and upgrade gear — equipment quality determines affixes and socket counts |
Quick Start for New Players#
| Stage |
Advice |
| Opening |
Start with the Dual Blades — fast attack speed and high fault tolerance. The Greatsword demands extreme stamina discipline from beginners |
| Early chapters 1-3 |
Prioritize Stamina points — more stamina means more attacks and dodges. Do not stack attack power alone |
| Mid chapters 4-6 |
Start paying attention to gear stats and affixes — elemental advantages like fire and frost matter greatly in the late game |
| Late chapter 7+ |
The iron rule of souls-likes — learning a boss’s moves matters more than stacking numbers |
Story Background#
Khazan was once the greatest general of the Kingdom of Bell — a legendary hero hailed as “the Berserker.” But in the war against interdimensional invaders, he was betrayed, defeated, and sealed away. Centuries later, Khazan awakens from death and sets out on a road of revenge, chasing the truth with fury in his heart.
The story unfolds in a dark fantasy world that fuses classic DNF elements (an extension of the Arad continent) with a new souls-style narrative. Players traverse multiple visually distinct regions — from rotted graveyards to stately castles and on into interdimensional rifts.
Combat Mechanics#
| Feature |
Detail |
| Stamina management |
Every action costs stamina — attacks, dodges, blocks. The core strategy is rationing and recovering stamina |
| Perfect block |
Block the instant an attack lands → fully negate the damage and open a counter window → chain into powerful counter skills |
| Rage system |
Attacking and being attacked builds rage → a full meter triggers “Berserker State” → damage up 30% plus special moves unlocked |
| Weapon switching |
Swap between equipped weapons at campfires — but not mid-combat — so loadout planning matters |
| Elemental advantage |
Fire / ice / lightning / holy — each element is strong against certain enemies — the right element means 1.3-1.5x damage |
Weapon Breakdown#
| Weapon |
Base damage |
Stamina cost |
Attack speed |
Recommended stats |
| Greatsword |
120-180 |
High (30-50 per hit) |
Very slow |
Strength > Vitality > Stamina |
| Dual Blades |
40-70 |
Low (10-20 per hit) |
Very fast |
Dexterity > Stamina > Vitality |
| Spear |
70-110 |
Medium (20-35 per hit) |
Medium |
Balanced Strength + Dexterity > Stamina |
Area Overview#
| Area |
Recommended level |
Boss |
Notes |
| Forgotten Graveyard |
1-10 |
Rebel Leader |
Tutorial area — teaches the basics of combat |
| Wailing Forest |
10-20 |
Abyss Watcher |
Complex terrain plus frequent ambushes |
| Broken Castle |
20-30 |
Fallen Knight |
Castle interior — narrow-corridor fighting |
| Dragon’s Nest |
30-40 |
Dragon of Destruction |
Open arenas plus lava terrain |
| Chaos Abyss |
40-50 |
Mad Eaton |
Final area — an interdimensional setting |
System Requirements#
| Spec |
Minimum |
Recommended |
| OS |
Windows 10 64-bit |
Windows 11 64-bit |
| CPU |
Intel i5-6600 |
Intel i7-10700 |
| RAM |
12 GB |
16 GB |
| GPU |
NVIDIA GTX 1060 |
NVIDIA RTX 3070 |
| Storage |
50 GB SSD |
50 GB NVMe SSD |
| Recommended peripherals |
Controller (Xbox / PS5 controller recommended) |
Controller + low-latency display |
World Regions in Detail#
Forgotten Graveyard#
| Factor |
Detail |
| Recommended level |
1-10 |
| Boss |
Rebel Leader |
| Key items |
Khazan’s Memory #1, Forging Blueprint #1, Reinforcement Stone x5 |
| Hidden path |
The gravestone on the right side of the graveyard is interactable — it opens a secret passage to a hidden chest |
| Shortcut |
Light the bonfire in front of the boss’s fog gate — after a death you can run straight back to the boss (saves about 2 minutes of running) |
Wailing Forest#
| Factor |
Detail |
| Recommended level |
10-20 |
| Boss |
Abyss Watcher |
| Key items |
Flame Enchant Core, Khazan’s Memory #2-3, Forging Blueprint #2-3 |
| Hidden path |
From the second bonfire in the forest, go right → leap off the cliff → a hidden cave → inside is a legendary ring |
| Environmental hazard |
Poison-flower zone — standing in the toxic mist drains health continuously — sprint through or use an antidote |
| Outlet |
Score |
Summary |
| IGN |
8/10 |
Solid souls-style combat plus excellent boss design — but exploration feels somewhat monotonous |
| GameSpot |
7/10 |
Excellent action feel — but the storytelling falls short |
| PC Gamer |
82/100 |
A must-play for DNF fans — non-fans can still enjoy the hardcore combat |
| Metacritic |
76/100 (Generally Favorable) |
An excellent action RPG — but limited innovation |
Frequently Asked Questions#
| Question |
Answer |
| Is this a souls-like? |
Yes — a hardcore action RPG — stamina management, perfect blocks, death penalties, and boss challenges |
| What does it have to do with DNF? |
It is built on the DNF worldview — but the gameplay is fully standalone. No DNF knowledge required |
| How hard is it? |
Hardcore-leaning — a newcomer’s first boss may take 10-20 attempts. Still slightly friendlier than the Souls series |
| How long is a first playthrough? |
About 30-40 hours (with full exploration and collection) |
| Is there New Game+? |
Yes — NG+ adds a new difficulty, new equipment, and new boss variants |
| Is a controller supported? |
Fully supported — playing with a controller is recommended |
| Is Chinese supported? |
Simplified and Traditional Chinese interface and subtitles are supported |
| Are the PC requirements high? |
Moderate — a GTX 1060 runs 1080p medium settings smoothly |
Boss Difficulty Tiers#
| Difficulty |
Boss |
Notes |
| ★☆☆☆☆ |
Rebel Leader |
Tutorial boss — learn block timing |
| ★★☆☆☆ |
Troll Warrior |
Early-mid boss — slow but heavy hits — wait patiently for openings |
| ★★★☆☆ |
Abyss Watcher |
The first real challenge — delayed attacks plus a clone phase |
| ★★★★☆ |
Fallen Knight |
Two phases — phase two adds area attacks and dash combos |
| ★★★★★ |
Mad Eaton |
Three phases — full-screen AOE, delayed attacks, and an instant-kill move — the hardest in the game |
| ★★★★☆ |
Dragon of Destruction |
A giant dragon boss — break the head and legs to topple it; watch the aerial fire breath |
| ★★★☆☆ |
Shadow Assassin |
High speed plus stealth — track its position by sound |
| ★★★☆☆ |
Frost Giant |
Slow but hard-hitting — watch the ground ice AOE — dodging takes priority over blocking |
Build Archetypes Compared#
| Archetype |
Weapon |
Core stats |
Difficulty |
DPS |
Survivability |
Best for |
| Strength Bruiser |
Greatsword |
Strength |
★★★☆☆ |
S |
B |
Boss fights — commit to one combo, then disengage |
| Dexterity Twin Blades |
Dual Blades |
Dexterity |
★★☆☆☆ |
A |
C |
Map clearing — fast suppression |
| Balanced Spear |
Spear |
Strength + Dexterity |
★★★★☆ |
A |
B |
Newcomer pick — safe mid-range damage |
| Flame Enchant |
Greatsword / Spear |
Strength + Intelligence |
★★★★☆ |
S |
B |
Against fire-weak enemies — double damage |
| Frost Control |
Dual Blades / Spear |
Dexterity + Intelligence |
★★★★☆ |
A |
A |
Control play — freeze enemies in place |
Collectible Totals#
| Type |
Total |
Purpose |
Recoverable if missed |
| Khazan’s Memories |
12 |
Unlock backstory — each memory reveals a piece of the plot |
Partially |
| Forging Blueprints |
18 |
Unlock new equipment forging recipes |
Yes |
| Reinforcement Stones |
Unlimited |
Upgrade weapon and armor levels |
Farmable |
| Legendary Equipment |
9 |
Graduation gear — 1-2 pieces per region |
No |
- Sifu — a hardcore martial-arts action game built on precision and timing
- Elden Ring — the open-world high point of souls-like action RPGs
- Sekiro — deflection-driven combat where block timing decides everything
- Dark Souls 3 — a series pillar that set the stamina-and-parry template
- Black Myth: Wukong — mythological action with a demanding roster of boss fights
- Bloodborne — an aggressive souls-like that rewards pressing the attack
Best Soulslike Games, Ranked · Hardest Bosses of All Time, Ranked
Full Guides#
In-depth sub-guides — beginner basics (core mechanics, stamina management, the skill system, and common rookie mistakes), the three-weapon system, boss strategies, build guides, world and map exploration with hidden paths and collectibles, and endgame content (the Chaos Dungeon, gear farming, and challenge modes) — are available in Chinese on NTGame’s The First Berserker: Khazan section.