VGTimes Interview with The First Berserker: Khazan CTO at TGS 2024: About the Game's Features, Plot, and Dungeon Fighter Universe

The First Berserker: Khazan is an action RPG in the spirit of the Dark Souls series. The title references the manga and anime «Berserker», and the developers were indeed inspired by the work of Kentaro Miura. At the same time, the action of Khazan takes place in the universe of Dungeon Fighter Online. At Tokyo Game Show 2024, our editor-in-chief Rodion Ilyin spoke with Khagino, the technical director of the project, to understand the details. Alas, the developer was in a hurry, and the interview session turned out to be short (in addition, the developer communicated through a translator, which also delayed the process), but we still managed to get some information.

VGTimes: Tell us about the game. What is it about?

Hagino: The original Dungeon Fighter, which The First Berserker: Khazan is related to, is quite popular in South Korea and China. But this time, we want to attract Western players as well. There is a demand for projects in the spirit of Dark Souls, so we decided to transfer the Dungeon Fighter universe into the format of a hardcore action RPG with its own unique style.

VGTimes: What features will your game have? Why should we buy it?

Hagino: The developers from Neople think that Dungeon Fighter is a great game, this is their first online action game. We have been working on this project for a long time and are proud of the result. The team gained the necessary experience during the work on Dungeon Fighter Online. We really enjoy creating bright combat scenes. We want to make Khazan more challenging than other games in this genre, but at the same time maintain a unique style. The graphics are created by rendering pre-drawn cartoon models. We are confident that players will be able to get a unique gaming experience from The First Berserker.

VGTimes: How was the main character chosen for your game?

Hagino: Khazan is the most significant character in the Dungeon Fighter universe. He was loved by players (like Geralt in the The Witcher trilogy — VGTimes note). So he was the perfect choice for the role of the main character of The First Berserker.

VGTimes: The main character's name is very interesting. What does it mean? Tell us about the plot of the game.

Hagino: Khazan is a hero of his time. He defeated the dragon Hizmar and saved the empire, but was betrayed by the monarch. From this moment on, his adventure begins. Khazan must find out the truth about what happened. Along the way, he will face many trials along the way.

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That's all, we can make the main conclusion that in The First Berserker: Khazan you can expect a jaw-dropping soulslike gameplay that will shake the soul out of you and make you hone your fighting skills to automatism. If such masochism is close to your spirit, mark the game in your calendar — if you have already bought one for 2025, of course.

And what do you think about The First Berserker: Khazan? Perhaps you played Dungeon Fighter Online and are already familiar with the universe? Share your opinions in the comments!

Interview conducted by Rodion Ilin.

VGTimes has been operating since 2011 and during this time has visited dozens of exhibitions and festivals, where our journalists have collected many exclusive materials. For example, in 2019 we got to a closed screening of Cyberpunk 2077 at gamescom, in 2017 we prepared a photo report from WG Fest, in 2020 we were at the largest gaming event in Central Asia CAGS, and also visited IgroMir several times, where we saw Hideo Kojima and other famous developers.