The First Berzerker: Khazan's Skill Trees Deserve to Be a…

There are plenty of reasons that the Soulslike continues to be one of the most popular subgenres of action RPGs, but it's safe to say that the games resonate most strongly with players thanks to their place as combat-forward experiences. Neople's The First Berserker: Khazan has quite a bit going for it in terms of its place as a new and well-received Soulslike, but the star of the game is arguably its great combat, which limits players to just a few weapon types but greatly expands the utility of each as a trade-off. One of the better systems that helps support this, and one that future Soulslikes should take note of, is Khazan's weapon-specific skill trees.

The First Berserker Khazan best early weapons mixed gameplay collage

Best Early Weapons In The First Berserker: Khazan, Ranked

Early on in the game, these are the best weapons to use in The First Berserker: Khazan.

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By Dominic O'Leary

The First Berzerker: Khazan's Weapon Skill Trees Give a Glimpse Into Character Progression

Going into a character build in a Soulslike without at least some knowledge of where the build will end up can be a daunting proposition, especially when limited stat points and careful allocation are essential elements of the subgenre's character progression. One of the best aspects of The First Berserker: Khazan's skill trees is that they provide players a glimpse into how they may or may not want to build out Khazan without needing to worry about mistakes with stat point allocation or the need to respec. Especially when it comes to the weapon-specific skill trees, The First Berserker: Khazan takes a lot of the guesswork out of putting together a viable build.

It's a small but noticeable quality-of-life feature that deserves to become an inclusion in the subgenre moving forward, swapping the "trial and error" approach of putting together a character build with something more measured and precise that players can work toward. Even though players might not typically favor larger, heavier weapons in a Soulslike, taking a look at The First Berserker: Khazan's Greatsword skill tree shows that some interesting abilities are unlocked through progression that might make it an ideal choice, which players would never have known had the skill tree not laid it bare for them.

Combat Options in The First Berserker: Khazan Benefit From the Weapon Skill Trees

Knowing where a particular build might end up after several hours of progression is great, but it would all be for nothing if the build itself isn't viable in combat. Thankfully, the three weapon-specific skill trees aligned with each of The First Berserker: Khazan's weapon types each amount to very different playstyles that each have their own pros, cons, and utility. The Greatsword features options for swift charges and knockback, the Spear is all about applying bonus damage through Khazan's afterimage, and the Dual-Wield is a balanced option that focuses on whittling down single targets through increased damage on consecutive hits.

Each of these weapons generally fits into the prescribed progression paths of similar armaments in the Soulslike subgenre, but tying special abilities to a universal skill tree that applies to every weapon of a particular type, rather than the weapon-specific bonuses of armaments in the Dark Souls trilogy, encourages players to regularly upgrade their gear — something which Khazan provides for with its more frequent loot drops. Finding the right weapon for a particular playstyle and investing in its skill tree only serves to make Khazan's already compelling gameplay loop that much more enticing.