I know, I know. Being excited about a soulslike is about as rare a sight as Assassins Creed Shadows stepping in controversy. Just about every year has seen one or two game of the year contenders in the ever popular genre. But even after playing so many games running from bonfire to bonfire and dying innumerable times to punishing bosses, I still came away pretty surprised by The First Berserker. This game is a soulslike through and through and theres no denying it. But its emphasis on cinematic storytelling and strong character development help distinguish itself from the crowd.The First Berserker is set in Korean developer Nexons Dungeon Fighter Online universe. But dont be too put off by its connection to an existing IP; after all, it takes place a whopping 800 years before the events of the successful side-scrolling beat-em-up RPG. But where DnG lives and breathes in the live service atmosphere, The First Berserker is a strictly offline single-player experience.If theres one thing I took away from all the preview coverage of the game, its the unexpected banger of a voice cast. The First Berserker managed to snatch up some of the busiest and most prolific voice actors in the action RPG space today. Ben Starr is the perfect match for the road-weary Khazan. Starr, who famously voiced Clive from FF 16, pulls off that rugged and beat-up warrior tone in an unmatched way. And thats exactly how Khazan should sound. Hes a vaunted hero turned prisoner; someone who should be basking in the glory of the kingdoms citizens, but is punished by that very kingdom instead. Betrayed and abandoned, Khazan really sounds as if hes been put through hell, and we have Ben Starrs signature voice to thank for that. Theres a distinctness to Khazans intonation so he doesnt just sound like another version of Clive too, which is good.Another key character well be hearing a lot of throughout the story is Blade Phantom, a unified collection of spirits that tries to possess Khazans body for itself. Anthony Howell, who played Margit from Elden Ring (you know, the foul tarnished boss), pulls off Blade Phantoms menacing and sinister aggression beautifully. The sound team designed a legion of overlapping voices utilizing distinct tones as a representation of Blade Phantoms splintered essence. Throughout the game, youll be interacting with a slew of other significant characters like the scholar Daphrona and the disgraced aristocrat Lantimos, each played by actors that plenty of players will recognize.And its apparent these characters arent just one-off interactions either. In the Unveil the Voice video, actor Wilf Scolding says his character has, loads of scenes with other characters who dont necessarily like [his] character. It seems likely well interact with these key characters repeatedly throughout the game central hub area called The Crevice. Itll be fun to check back on characters as the games narrative advances, getting a more complete glimpse at characters backstories.Dont take my word for it though. Go check out the Unveil The Voice video from Khazans official YouTube channel to see how great the acting is shaping up. The behind the scenes may not reach the pinnacle brilliance of KCD2s live action videos, but its a wonderful glimpse into the passion and enthusiasm the actors and sound team have put into the game.Another factor that elevates the characters of The First Berserker is the colorful cel-shaded art style. The game isnt shy about its visual anime leanings. Fortunately, this isnt some cheap attempt at capturing such a well-trod style. The lip syncing is impressive, matching English voice lines seamlessly, and characters move with mannerisms and quirks unique to their personality. What weve seen of the cinematography and scene direction is already impressive.Environments look nice and painterly as well, making good use of Unreal Engine 5. And if the demos first snow area is anything to go by, the game promises some impressive sights. One thing I noticed during my time in the demo is how linear and straightforward the levels are, at least in the start of the game. This is no Elden Ring. If anything, I found myself thinking back to Nioh and the kind of basic level pathing that game had. A side path here or there leads to treasure or the occasional mini-boss. And even though environmental design is pretty basic, theres still the good old fashioned looping shortcuts.If you havent caught on already, yes, The First Berserker wears its soulslike identity proudly. You heal and respawn at checkpoints resembling bonfires and level up by spending the required amount of souls, or Lacrima as its named here. I love how snappy and instant respawning is. Dying isnt nearly as punishing or irritating as it could be thanks to such instant respawns. Combat is just as fast as respawning, which is sure to please Bloodborne or Wukong fans. The fact that you can kill most early enemies in just three chained heavy attacks means backtracking to a boss youre stuck on doesnt need to be a laborious slog.Of course, we havent seen how spongy enemies might be past the early access parts. Even if enemies do have padded health in other sections, the break mechanic at least promises moments of vulnerability in opponents. Heavy attacks break enemies faster than normal attacks. Once an opponent is broken and their stamina is depleted, a brutal attack indicator pops up, allowing you to chop off a significant amount of their health bar. Brutal attacks arent the kind of crazy spectacle one might expect, but they still feel visceral and satisfying. The break system also encourages a mastery of parrying since parries heavily drain enemy stamina.The first significant boss of the game really impressed me with its diverse moveset. Yetugas attacks are telegraphed so parries and perfect dodges can be pulled off reliably, and the amount of cheap moments and awkward camera are pretty much non-existent. This boss kept me on my toes with its ramped up aggression halfway through its health bar. Theres no doubt in my mind The First Berserker will supply some of this years most engaging and thrilling boss fights.Like the simple level design, stats are streamlined to offer a more focused kind of progression. Theres only five attributes: Vitality, Endurance, Strength, Willpower, and Proficiency. Its probably a good thing the game doesnt bog us down with a complex character sheet because theres plenty of variety in the weapon types. Each weapon type has its own dedicated skill tree and mastery progression that you can explore. Duel swords feels quite different than the greatsword and the range of unique skills and passive buffs through each tree promises a wealth of build options. And lastly, you can fashion souls it up with tons of armor combinations. Complete armor sets apply buffs, rendering hoarding a worthwhile pursuit, and of course all armor shows on Khazans character model.Play the demo if youre at all on the fence about The First Berserker; progress carries over to the full game and its a lot of fun with its fast-paced action combat. Fans of soulslikes havent been starved for good games for the last decade, and The First Berserker looks to be one of the most promising ones of the 2025. Its unique focus on story and characters helps differentiate it enough from the more esoteric narratives of Elden Ring or half a dozen other similar titles. Like many of you, Im a complete newcomer to the Dungeon Fighter Online universe. I didnt know what to expect but came away intrigued to learn more about the games world and Khazans role in it, and Im looking forward trying my hand at some more boss fights come March 27ths full release.Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.