While the enemies here may not have much in terms of move varieties, the game can still be decently challenging on Hard mode by imposing self-restrictions like no Stimpack and Koo Bloom Arts usage. Been having a blast with Boss combats this way!
Let me preface by saying I love Soulslike. Sekiro, Lies of P, Wuchang, Black Myth Wukong, Nioh series, Elden Ring, all that good stuff. I also love other challenging games like Armored Core 6 and Hollow Knight Silksong.
They all have their pros and cons. Some excel in lore, stage design, environments, OST, combat, boss design. But to me, combat is king and what I prioritise above anything else.
Meet Khazan. I will admit, when I first saw videos of it back then, I wasn't impressed with how it looked. The camera distance looked weird, combat looked chunky with micro-pauses between each move and whatnot, but I brushed off my skepticism thinking "It'll probably look and feel better when I actually play and experience it for myself on my PC".
So I put it off until I'm done with all the Soulslike I wanted to play, coming fresh off Wuchang, another game many Soulslike enthusiasts have been recommending. Immediately after booting up, my suspicion was true, the game looked better on my PC than watching videos of it (no kidding right?).
But more importantly since I love Lies of P, Sekiro and Nioh 3 for their parry system (I generally prefer parrying to dodging), Khazan immediately felt like home. The brink guard is crisp, so is the brink dodge. I knew this was what I liked.
Now, having just won >!Viper!< and going into >!Volbaino!< fight next, I wanted to praise what Khazan did well with their combat system that stands out from other Soulslike. Since I'm still in the relatively early stages of the game, some opinions may change later.
Khazan features 4 defensive mechanics that can turn the tide of the battle, as the bosses here are tanky and relentless. They are Brink Guard: which is deflect/parry, Brink Dodge: i.e. perfect dodge, Reflection: timing your attack as the enemy's attack is about to connect to stagger them, and Counterattack: the equivalent of Burst Counter in Nioh 2, to counter enemy's burst attack.
Sekiro, Lies of P and Nioh 3 feature global parries, and once they are mastered, you will feel mostly invincible. Developers of Wuchang tried to keep it fresh by making melee attacks unparryable and hard hitting, and bosses will weave them in between their weapon attacks. Khazan does this by making Brink Guard consume some stamina and status effect buildup still occurs, so brink dodging may be the better answer for some attacks. Human bosses recover stamina fast, so Reflection with its different timing could be a better answer to staggering and exhausting them, leading up to a brutal attack.
While red attacks in Lies of P can be parried or dodged the same way with normal attacks, Burst Attacks in Khazan must be answered with Dodging or a Counterattack with perfect timing. The latter is preferred if possible because you will deal significant damage to the enemy and fully recover your stamina, allowing you to chain more attacks. Brutal attacks also don't damage as much percentage of boss' HP relative to other games, you're expected to manage your stamina and deal follow-up attacks before ending with a brutal attack throughout the exhaustion duration, which varies depending on bosses.
Since bosses' HPs are thick in NG, you'll be forced to interact with almost all of their moveset, picking the best answer out of the 4 plays above for incoming attacks on the fly. There's also a plethora of passive and active skills using skill and spirit points which can assist in controlling the battle pacing.
Overall, I'm very amazed by the depth Khazan has to offer in terms of the combat mechanics. I'm really enjoying my time here so far, and looking forward to continuing playing and experimenting with the things the game can offer.
Also, feel free to leave me your best tips for enjoying this game down the line, I don't mind spoilers!
EDIT: Just beat >!Rangkus!<. Holy hell what an insane fight and the technical demand is crazy fun lmao
I try not to overthink it and just listing what games have stayed in my memories most vividly as an avid gamer for the past 30 years. There are probably more masterpieces I've omitted or lacking space to fill in.
My main gaming consoles were the PS1, PS3, GBA, PSP, PS Vita and Nintendo 3DS before becoming a full time PC gamer now. Let me know if you share any games from my list!
...bro is literally Walmart Safer Sephiroth.
And hence my journey in Wuchang comes to an end. Game was fun and has its ups and downs, overall a pretty satisfying experience!
Full unga bunga my beloved. Never let up, even if the enemy is yourself 😆
You gave me a good rush of adrenaline like first Honglan did. Rest in peace, Gramps.
Just did my Vermilion Feathers Honglan fight and... Man she melted Honglan so much faster versus the first fight at the lake. Kinda insane how much damage Wuchang is outputting with a glass cannon build 😵
Bosses with mostly fair tells.
Strict parry timings, but makes you feel invincible when mastered.
Attack and defense animations where you can feel the heft behind each blocks and retaliations.
Great graphics, voice lines, sound effects and OST upping the stakes and immersion.
What's your favourite aspect of this game, and where does it stand in your personal list of Soulslike?
...and instantly got hooked on the 1st Chapter remake. The depth of combat system is something I absolutely loved as a long time JRPG enjoyer, that I finished NG+ Nightmare LV+50 just to learn and play more with the mechanics that I didn't get to on my first run. Here's such a run I did with Loewe :D Can't wait for the 2nd Chapter remake!