Compare The First Berserker: Khazan vs Saros

Character development is criticized as lacking.

Arjun’s arc drew praise where reviewers felt his development became darker, more complex, and captivating.

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

Optional challenge-space design was praised as brutal but rewarding.

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

Lore depth was praised where reviewers enjoyed logs, mysteries, and hidden material that encouraged deeper digging.

Animation quality is praised for enemy animation and combat motion.

Animation comments were mostly negative, focused on stiff dialogue animation and odd or weak face animation outside stronger cinematic moments.

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

The learning curve was approachable for some but still initially demanding, with trial-and-error teaching and a tough early adjustment.

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

Replay value was strong, with reviewers saying they wanted to dive back in or keep running even after credits.

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

Navigation drew criticism from one reviewer who found objective direction poor despite liking the map.

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

Exploration was praised for hidden paths, secrets, and optional areas that reward revisiting biomes.

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

Onboarding was mixed: some reviewers said mechanics ramped up well, while one felt the many systems were poorly communicated.

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

Environmental detail was a frequent highlight, with reviewers praising Carcosa’s biomes, architecture, and alien spaces.

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

User interface design had limited mixed evidence, with one reviewer finding it good enough but imperfect.

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

Fast travel and biome teleporting were widely praised as major quality-of-life improvements that reduce tedium.

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

Originality was mixed, with praise for bold changes and criticism that Saros repeats Returnal-like beats with minimal variation.

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 was strongly praised for handcrafted chunks, biome structure, combat spaces, and a balance between freshness and mastery.

One review highlights a touching optional quest with emotional weight.

Emotional impact was mixed, with some reviewers admiring ideas but others saying the narrative and characters did not fully move them.

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

Writing quality was mixed, with praise for logs and media-literate storytelling but criticism of hollow or unclear themes.

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

Several reviews found the game rich in sections, weapons, collectibles, and sights, though the content variety was usually discussed through exploration and spectacle.

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 was the most mixed major attribute, ranging from gripping and coherent to underdeveloped, opaque, or overambitious.

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 split reviewers: many called it tough but fair and customizable, while some felt ganks, repetition, or modifiers could undermine balance.

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

Endgame content was a limited concern, with one reviewer specifically wishing for a dedicated post-game activity.

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

Reviewers repeatedly praised the unnerving, dread-soaked atmosphere, even when they disagreed about the story itself.

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

Loot drew mixed feedback: some liked risky artifacts and weapon discovery, while others disliked artifact droughts or limited replacement control.

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

Enemy variety was praised for diverse, escalating, and biome-changing threats that keep combat fresh.

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

Camera controls were specifically praised as quick enough for combat without becoming disorienting.

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

The core loop was usually seen as compelling and satisfying, though Polygon felt progression systems weakened the roguelike loop.

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

Protagonist appeal was mixed: several reviewers found Arjun compelling or well-acted, while one found him unpleasant by design.

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

The soundtrack was praised for oppressive, unnerving, and complex music that supports Carcosa’s tone.

Handheld suitability is praised where Steam Deck play is discussed.

Handheld or remote play suitability had limited evidence, but one reviewer said it looked and played beautifully on PlayStation Portal.

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

Save/run continuation quality was praised via suspend, leave-and-return, and day-one roguelite quality-of-life comments.

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

Side character depth was a common weakness, with reviewers describing the supporting cast as shallow, disposable, or stock.

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

Controls were heavily praised for responsiveness, tactile feel, and precise movement/shooting, with only rare complaints about input conflicts.

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

Saros’ checkpoint-like structure and biome restart options were praised for reducing repetition and respecting time.

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

Bosses were widely admired for spectacle, challenge, and memorability, though a few reviewers found some fights long or uneven.

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

Reviewers praised Saros for broad accessibility and difficulty-tuning options, including modifiers, visual recoloring, remapping, and ways to soften or intensify challenge.

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

Performance optimization was praised overall, especially on PS5/PS5 Pro, with only minor dips or loading-related hitches noted.

Visual effects are praised for making climactic moments more dramatic.

Visual effects were a major highlight, especially the particle-heavy combat fireworks and colorful VFX.

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

Skill-tree depth was mixed, from exhaustive and satisfying to more of a limited trunk than a deep build system.

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

Progression was usually praised for meaningful permanent upgrades, though one reviewer felt it overemphasized numbers over skill.

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

World-building was praised through Carcosa’s mysteries, logs, lore, and thematic environmental storytelling.

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

Graphics quality was praised across reviews for visual flair, PS5 showcase value, and striking Unreal Engine 5 presentation.

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

Tutorial quality had limited but positive evidence, with reviewers noting trial-and-error teaching and encounter design that prepares players for bosses.

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

Art direction was a clear strength, with reviewers highlighting Carcosa’s strong, alien visual identity and memorable environmental design.

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

Innovation centered on the shield, bullet-as-resource design, haptic implementation, and a more flexible challenge structure.

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

Sound design and 3D audio were praised for intensity, dread, positional clarity, and haunting effects.

Load times receive explicit praise for being very fast.

Load times had limited but strong evidence, with Digital Foundry praising nearly instant transitions.

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

Menu usability had limited negative evidence, focused on hidden information and unclear equipment-screen navigation.

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

Pacing drew mixed responses, from tighter run pacing to complaints that story, repetition, or traversal could drag.

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

Immersion was praised through tactile feedback, 3D audio, and audiovisual design that pulled reviewers into Carcosa.

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, with reviewers repeatedly describing the act of playing, replaying, and mastering Saros as joyful or addictive.

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

Weapon balance was mostly positive for variety and viability, though some weapons or no-autohit variants frustrated reviewers.

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

Grind and repetition drew mixed-to-negative comments, especially around repeated boss attempts and artifact droughts.

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

Frame rate was generally strong, with most reviewers reporting near-locked or rock-solid 60fps and only occasional dips.

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

Polish was praised frequently, with reviewers calling Saros smooth, refined, and consistently excellent.

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

Voice acting was widely praised, especially Rahul Kohli’s performance, with the broader cast also receiving positive notes.

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 strongest consensus point, described as thrilling, precise, tactile, and among Housemarque’s best work.

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

Value for money had limited but explicit support from one reviewer who said they would pay full price.

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

Aiming was generally considered forgiving and readable thanks to auto-aim and tracking, though some no-auto-aim weapons were harder to master.

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

The cast received mixed reactions, with some reviews praising performances while others wanted more depth beyond Arjun.

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

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.

Dialogue quality was mixed to weak, with several reviewers noting stilted conversations, unnatural backlog delivery, or long quiet stretches.

Resource balance drew limited but mixed evidence, with one review noting balance concerns and another criticizing excess currency gains.

Facial animations were a repeated weakness, especially outside cutscenes where faces could not match the vocal performances.

Reviewers generally felt Saros honors Housemarque and Returnal’s lineage while refining or expanding the studio’s formula.

Gameplay mechanics, especially the shield, parry, eclipse, and modifier systems, were praised, though one review felt the systems could overprotect players.

DualSense haptics and adaptive triggers were a standout, repeatedly praised as tactile, innovative, and deeply integrated.

Horror tension was supported through praise for dread, anxiety, cosmic horror, and the unsettling eclipse-driven world.

HUD/readability comments were positive but limited, emphasizing that the intense spectacle remained coherent and not visually confusing.

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

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 praised as smooth, nimble, precise, and joyful across several reviews.

Platform-specific support was praised through PS5 showcase features, Pro upscaling, DualSense use, and 3D audio.

Platforming precision had limited but positive evidence around precise jumping, dodging, and reduced geometry snagging.

The upgrade system was praised for making attempts feel worthwhile and improving approachability.

World interactivity had limited evidence, mostly around movement-reactive effects and environmental destruction.