The First Berserker Khazan Has One Unique Feature Every Soulslike Is Missing

One thing that sets The First Berserker: Khazan apart from other souls-likes in the genre is a unique feature that gives you bonuses in the form of Lacrima (XP) or Skill Points when you are fighting/defeated by a boss. This is a minor tweak to the soul-like formula that should be a universal feature, as it incentivizes repeated attempts at the same boss, even when it feels like you may never beat them. While other Souls-likes in the genre certainly award XP and/or legendary loot for defeating bosses, very few (if any) others reward you for simply trying.

Perhaps this is one of the many features that make The First Berserker: Khazan one of the best Souls-likes in years. This feature stands out to me as one that strikes a balance with the difficulty level of souls-like bosses, and it helps players improve at the game without removing the challenge in the actual boss fights themselves. There are many reasons to play The First Berserker: Khazan, but this might be the feature that prevents players from giving up too soon on otherwise seemingly impossible bosses.

How The First Berserker: Khazan's Boss Fights Differ From Other Souls-Likes

A Less Punishing Way To Incentivize Persistence

Tough bosses are nothing new for anyone who has played even a few hours of any Soulsborne or Souls-like game, and grinding XP to level up your character is an integral part of the experience. However, genre-defining games in the space force you to take out lesser enemies to gain XP (i.e., runes, souls, etc.), and often make it a considerable risk to enter a boss fight with a big stack of XP that you're at risk of losing should you die. The First Berserker: Khazan introduces a bonus/challenge system that rewards you with Lacrima (its version of XP) for successfully pulling off certain moves during a boss fight.

Khazan in art from The First Berserker, surrounded by a mass of black wings.

When The First Berserker: Khazan Unlocks In Your Region

The First Berserker: Khazan has different unlock times depending on the region you’re playing in, and the edition you bought. Here’s when it launches.

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As you go up against the first boss, Yetuga in The First Berserker: Khazan, you'll start to see reward notifications pop up as you land certain moves, deal a set amount of damage, etc. In later bosses, starting with the Blade Phantom, you'll be rewarded with Skill points to spend for completing certain challenges. You get to keep these rewards even though you technically lose the XP on death because the orb to reclaim your lost Lacrima spawns outside the boss arena. This is another amazing feature that other Souls-likes need to imitate.

Why Boss Challenges & Bonuses Should Be A Feature In Every Souls-Like

Removing The Fear Of Losing XP Doesn't Remove The Challenge

The fact that you are not really at risk of losing all your experience, AND you can actually gain more XP and Skill Points through repeated failures, is a huge incentive to continue trying to defeat the same boss repeatedly.

In most Soulslike games, such as Elden Ring, for example, if you die inside an arena, your runes are stuck there until you defeat the boss (in most cases), and you have to make sure you grab them every time to avoid losing them entirely.

The First Berserker: Khazan flips this on its head, removing the punitive aspect of fighting a boss if you're not fully prepared.

With The First Berserker: Khazan, each failed attempt actually puts you one step closer to taking the boss down.

The reality is, most players will have to face any given boss in Souls-like games multiple times, but with The First Berserker: Khazan, each failed attempt puts you one step closer to taking the boss down. There are a ton of bosses in The First Berserker: Khazan, each one more challenging than the last, so this feature really incentivizes players to learn each boss's unique move set without punishing them in the process.

Stills from Lords of the Fallen, Hollow Knight, and Darksiders 3, pictured side by side.

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Overall, this feature in The First Berserker: Khazan is one I really hope to see implemented in future Souls-likes. This is an excellent balance between the Souls-like and Souls-lite genres. It doesn't remove any of the challenge from the boss fights, but it does make them less scary to go up against since you don't have to worry about losing all your XP.