Compare The First Berserker: Khazan vs Absolum

Accessibility is supported by easy mode, summons, and other options, though not every reviewer personally tested them.

Accessibility was a strong point thanks to assist settings and damage modifiers, with some online limitations noted.

AI behavior is criticized where it appears, with one review calling it braindead.

AI behavior received limited but positive support for enemy responses that punish careless play.

Animation quality is praised for enemy animation and combat motion.

Animation quality drew strong praise for smooth, expressive motion and lively character/enemy animation.

Art direction is broadly praised for its cel-shaded, anime-inflected, gothic style, though originality concerns remain elsewhere.

Art direction was one of the strongest consensus positives, repeatedly described as gorgeous, striking, or beautifully stylized.

Atmosphere is mixed: one review praises dense historical mood, while another finds the atmosphere less inspired.

Boss design is the strongest point of consensus, with many reviewers calling bosses excellent, memorable, fair, intuitive, and satisfying despite some reuse or harshness.

Boss design ranged from memorable and mechanically strong to harshly criticized for an instant-kill final-boss gimmick.

Bug frequency is mostly low, though some reviewers mention minor bugs or a specific visual attack issue.

Bug frequency was limited but mixed, with one pre-launch freeze fixed and another reviewer reporting several bugs.

Camera behavior is split between one review calling it solid and another saying it leaves a lot to be desired.

Character development is criticized as lacking.

The character roster was praised for distinct heroes, but some reviewers wished there were more than four playable characters.

Checkpoint placement is praised, especially checkpoints before bosses that reduce runback frustration.

Class balance had limited mixed evidence, with at least one broken build described as trivializing the game.

Co-op was usually praised as fun and easy to access, though reviewers wanted more than two players and noted balance limits.

Combat is the product’s clearest strength: reviewers repeatedly call it fast, satisfying, deep, and among the genre’s best, with only a few reservations about stamina or consistency.

Combat was the clearest strength, with reviewers repeatedly praising its feel, depth, combo freedom, and beat-em-up fundamentals.

Summon and companion systems are split: one review loves the system, while others criticize unreliable ally AI.

Content variety is mixed, with praise for mission objectives and factions but complaints about limited weapon variety.

Content variety was praised for new encounters, paths, and discoveries, though some reviewers still wanted more areas or variation.

Controls are described as smooth, tight, responsive, and precise, helping the demanding fights feel skill-based.

Controls were generally praised as responsive and fluid, especially with a controller, with only a few platform or precision caveats.

The core loop earns praise for making hard-earned combat wins feel cathartic and motivating.

The core loop was often described as addictive and replay-friendly, though a few reviewers found the loop slowed by structure.

Crafting is positively described as easy to understand and relatively self-explanatory.

Crash stability is mostly acceptable but not perfect, with one reviewer reporting a couple of crashes.

Difficulty is the most contentious attribute: many reviewers find the challenge fair and rewarding, while others report brutal spikes, stamina strain, or unbalanced bosses.

Difficulty balance was mixed, ranging from adjustable and fair to overly grind-dependent or punishing in co-op.

One review highlights a touching optional quest with emotional weight.

Endgame content gets mild praise for adding New Game+ weapon options, though one reviewer wished those ideas appeared earlier.

Endgame content was a recurring concern, with reviewers describing it as thin, anticlimactic, or lacking meaningful progression.

Enemy variety is usually praised as sizable and fresh, though a few reviews still complain about samey enemies.

Enemy variety was usually positive, with several reviewers praising distinct foes, while one found variety lacking.

Environmental detail is mixed: several environments look good, but some reviewers find areas washed out or drab.

Environmental detail was praised for highly detailed locations and memorable, secret-filled areas.

Exploration is mixed: several reviewers like hidden rewards and shortcuts, but others find exploration limited, stifled, or nearly absent.

Exploration was a major positive, supported by alternate routes, secrets, handcrafted spaces, and reasons to revisit paths.

Fast travel convenience is mixed, with praise for resuming from checkpoints but criticism that players cannot freely warp inside levels.

Frame rate stability is positive overall, with only rare drops or exceptions reported.

Frame rate stability was usually praised, especially 60 FPS reports, though one Switch review noted occasional drops.

Fun factor is very strong overall, with many reviewers saying the game is joyful, addictive, satisfying, or peak despite difficulty.

Fun factor was very high overall, with many reviewers calling the game addictive, joyful, or a favorite.

Reviewers praised the mechanical depth and expressive systems, especially once combos, rituals, and enemy responses opened up.

Graphics and visuals are viewed positively, with reviewers praising cel-shading, presentation, and attractive visual identity.

Graphics quality was praised for hand-drawn detail, strong locations, and appealing fantasy presentation.

Grind level is mildly criticized because skill-point acquisition can be time-consuming.

Grind level was one of the most common complaints, though a few reviewers felt it avoided becoming a total grindfest.

Handheld suitability is praised where Steam Deck play is discussed.

Handheld suitability was positive, especially for Steam Deck and Switch, despite small-text and co-op screen caveats.

Haptic feedback support received limited praise for selective controller jolts reinforcing hits.

Immersion is positive in one review that finds the experience engaging and brutal.

Immersion was praised when reviewers felt pulled into the magical world and its escapist atmosphere.

Innovation is praised in one review for meaningful twists on familiar mechanics.

Innovation was praised where reviewers felt Absolum advanced or changed expectations for the beat-em-up genre.

The learning curve is steep, with early difficulty spikes strong enough to make one reviewer consider stopping.

The learning curve can be frustrating early, but reviewers said mastery and focused builds make the game more rewarding.

Level design is highly divisive: some reviews praise memorable layouts and shortcuts, while others call the levels basic, boring, recycled, or even terrible.

Level design earned praise for criss-crossing paths and route variety rather than a purely linear brawler flow.

Live-service support looks uncertain in post-release coverage, with reports of a likely final patch and a murky future.

Load times receive explicit praise for being very fast.

Loot opinions are mixed: some call it manageable or streamlined, while others find the volume of gear chore-like or excessive.

Lore depth is limited in one review’s view, with little to learn beyond mechanical hub functions.

Map and navigation design is praised for clear mission information and segmentation.

Map and navigation design was praised for making routes and playthroughs feel meaningfully different.

Menu usability is mixed: one loot process is streamlined, but other reviewers find respec and gear menus annoying or time-consuming.

Menu usability received positive support for sleek, easy navigation.

Mission design is a weak spot in the harsher reviews, with complaints that missions can feel like formalities or use puzzling reset structures.

Mission structure worked best when story events and run transitions surfaced naturally during exploration.

Mission variety is mixed to weak: some remixed side content adds freshness, but boss reuse and recycled side missions are repeated complaints.

Movement feel was split: some found it exceptionally fluid, while others struggled with 2.5D positioning and precision.

Narrative quality is mixed: reviewers like the coherent revenge setup and some entertaining moments, but many call the story thin, generic, predictable, or underwhelming.

Narrative quality split reviewers: some enjoyed the world and evolving story, while others found the plot bland or slow.

Onboarding is uneven: tutorials can work, but some reviewers say the intro and early ramp fail to showcase or teach the best systems well.

Online stability had limited evidence, but one co-op review reported no crashes or bugs during Steam play.

Originality is mixed to weak: reviewers often call the game derivative, while still noting that it executes borrowed ideas well.

Originality received positive support for its fresh beat-em-up and roguelite hybrid approach.

Pacing splits opinion, with one review praising its momentum and another calling the campaign laborious and rehashed.

Pacing was praised by some for compact run lengths and momentum once the systems clicked.

Performance optimization is strongly praised, with multiple reviewers reporting pristine or highly optimized performance.

Performance optimization was positive overall, especially on Steam Deck and Switch 2, with some Switch caveats.

Polish is praised overall, though a few bugs and design caveats remain.

Polish was widely positive, with reviewers calling the game polished, crafted, and high-quality despite design caveats.

Progression is broadly praised, especially boss-attempt rewards, free skill respecs, and multiple growth systems that keep failures productive.

Progression was the most divisive system: some liked the steady growth, while others felt it over-relied on grinding and numbers.

Protagonist appeal is polarized, with one review calling Khazan ideal for the game and another finding him flat.

The playable leads were generally appealing, with reviewers highlighting fun fantasy archetypes and standout characters.

Quest design was divisive, with some side-quest gating and RNG requirements described as tedious.

Replay value is moderate: New Game+ and weapon experimentation help, but limited build variety and repeated playthrough fatigue are recurring concerns.

Replay value was highly divisive: many found it addictive and varied, while others felt repetition and forced replay hurt it.

Save reliability is praised because frequent saving prevents meaningful progress loss after crashes.

Side characters are a recurring weakness, often described as generic, shallow, or not meaningfully integrated.

Skill trees are usually praised for depth and experimentation, though some reviewers say build variety remains narrower than expected.

Sound design is praised for impact, weapon clashes, parry sounds, and matching the game’s brutal tone.

Sound design was praised for punchy hits, crunchy feedback, and strong audiovisual pairing.

The soundtrack is generally liked, especially for elevating boss fights and tension.

The soundtrack was a standout strength, repeatedly described as excellent, phenomenal, varied, or among the year’s best.

Tutorials receive positive notice for being clear and non-intrusive.

Upgrade systems offered build variety and experimentation, but reviewers split over random, temporary, or underwhelming upgrades.

User interface design earns praise for an encyclopedia that explains abilities and systems.

User interface design was mostly fine but received a handheld-specific caveat around small text and lack of font scaling.

Value is strongly positive in reviews that mention price or buy guidance, especially for action/Soulslike fans.

Value for money was positive in the limited evidence available, with reviewers calling it inexpensive or good value.

Visual effects are praised for making climactic moments more dramatic.

Visual effects were praised for making spells, explosions, and combat impacts engaging.

Voice acting is consistently praised, especially the English performances and lead voice work.

Voice acting was mixed, with several reviewers praising performances while others found some delivery weak or uneven.

Weapon balance is mostly positive because weapons feel distinct, though some reviews want more variety or deeper differences within weapon classes.

World-building gets positive notice for shaping factions, locations, and the Dungeon & Fighter setting.

World-building was widely praised for its magical setting, history, culture, and lore hooks even when the main plot lagged.

World interactivity stood out when player actions produced new dialogue, events, enemies, and persistent changes.

Writing quality ranges from edgy entertainment to predictable revenge-story criticism.