Interview: Dungeon Fighter Online and Dark Souls with the First Berserker: Kazan’s Bridge

One of the big upcoming Souls-like games is The first berserker: Kazan. I got some hands-on time at Tokyo Game Show 2024. Dungeons & Fighters Onlinethe change in art style from 2D to 3D, and the game’s punishing difficulty.

Just like 2022 DNF duel, The first berserker: Kazan is a Dungeons and Fighters Franchise games. However, it’s not so much a 2D beat ’em up game as it is a How arc systems work 2D fighter, Kazan is a soullike 3D action game. “This is our first console game as developers. We’ve made mobile games in the past, but Kazan This is our attempt to expand our IP as a 3D action game to the console market,” said Junho Lee. “We’re all fans of action games, you know? So we looked at a lot of games and thought about how we could incorporate all of these great features into our game, Kazan“.

But what inspired the specific title? Kazan? “There are a lot of games, 3D action games – hunting games, for example monster hunter——is an inspiration. Lee Junho told me. “Fromsoft dark souls series, an ax, Nioh, bloodborne——You can tell. ghost of tsushima Also an inspiration.

Of course, the biggest inspiration isn’t the gameplay, but the lore. The first berserker: Kazan Not just a side story Dungeons & Fighters Online. “We wouldn’t just call it a simple ‘crossover.’ It’s more about digging into the story of the original game in more detail. Narrative concept Kazan The background of the story is 800 years ago [Dungeon Fighter Online]. The character of Kazan is a legendary figure, only talked about in the original game. “Under development Kazanwe had the opportunity to dive in and discuss in detail these untold stories and expand the world Dungeons and Fighters“.

Of course, going from 2D to 3D is not a simple task. “In a side-view game, you can only move from one side to the other. If you think about how the character moves, your safe space is limited, but in a 3D game, you’re using all three axes to do that. Movement and action,” Junho Lee continued. “The camera follows Khazan, allowing the player to see where Khazan is looking – a device that further immerses the player in the game. […] We also hope to create more advanced actions in the following areas: Kazan The project also hopes that the dodging and different actions in the game will be more realistic.

Visually, the 3D update is a love letter to the classic Dungeons & Fighters Online fan. “The original game was drawn with pixel art,” Kyuchul Lee explains. “Players have already seen the illustrations [of their favorite characters] But at the same time, players also have a high demand for 3D raids and battles in the game. This is a constant request from our existing players.

“We did a lot of testing to make this a reality,” Kyuchul Lee continued. “Our previous projects Kazan [DNF Duel]another attempt at creating 3D combat and 3D graphics [though presented on a 2D plain] We thought a lot about the tone and the way we would portray Dungeons and Fighters 3D franchise, but with the quality and detail our existing players demand.

That is to say, with its soullike Gameplay and recent successful games e.g. Eldon Ring and P’s lie, The first berserker: Kazan Attracted many fans besides those who played the game Dungeons and Fighters game. After industry events such as Gamescom, players tried the game for the first time, even veteran players source of soul Players are surprised by the difficulties they encounter. Junho Lee agrees that this is the case, but the demo may have painted an unfair picture.

“It’s a difficult game, but I believe the word and feeling of ‘difficult’ is relative, especially in the demo you’re playing,” the creative director explained. “It has limited gameplay. […] in full build Kazan We have a leveling system [equipment] A farming system, and a skill tree that players can use to overcome any difficulty or situation that would otherwise be a dead end. […] So without these things, the game would be pretty brutal, and in some ways the difficulty might not be entirely reasonable, or just less so.

However, Lee Junho and his team don’t want players to “get excited.” They are constantly balancing the game, looking for the perfect sweet spot. “We regularly monitor gameplay. We also receive a lot of feedback from players [at public events] We found that the difficulty of certain parts of the game might not be appropriate for our target players,” he continued. “Ultimately, some of our players will be used to playing action games. Some of them won’t. We need to make it challenging and challenging for all players. Feel the sense of accomplishment in overcoming these difficulties – we talk a lot about finding the right difficulty for every player you encounter Kazan“. Of course, this is easier said than done. The team is currently discussing internally whether to put a difficulty selector in the game.

Personally, I played the game for about 45 minutes. Although it took me about 25 minutes and a dozen attempts, I was able to defeat the boss (a giant white ape). Once I figured out that blocking was the key to combat, it was all about pattern recognition—I was steadily closer to victory every time I faced a boss. It feels like the only way to fight, as dodging and blocking often drains your stamina bar quickly, and once it’s depleted, you’re defenseless and unable to move for a few seconds.

“You need to find the right moment to parry. Timing is important. “But at the same time, we think this will be a good defensive starting point for players to learn how to defend. [boss] monster. […] That’s why we put it in a demo version. As you progress through the full version (the release version of the game), you’ll have different ways to defend yourself. You can choose to dodge, counterattack or find a suitable position to counterattack [to the attack]”. If that wasn’t enough, Lee Jun-ho assured me that there will be some ranged attack options in the final game – which should allow for some additional playstyles, if nothing else.

The first berserker: Kazan Scheduled for release game console 5. Xbox Series X/S and PC will be launched sometime in 2025.