BERSERK and the Band of the Hawk

BERSERK and the Band of the Hawk on PC is a third-person dark-fantasy musou action game from Omega Force and Koei Tecmo. The current PC storefront listing retains the original title, with no verified rebrand or replacement edition. It adapts major sections of Kentaro Miura’s Berserk story into large-scale battles built around Guts, the Band of the Hawk, and a roster of powerful allies and enemies.

This is a focused single-player experience rather than a co-op Warriors spin-off. Its main appeal is the contrast between Berserk’s grim setting and Omega Force’s familiar crowd-combat structure, where one warrior can cut through huge formations before facing a named commander, apostle, or other major threat.

A Musou Combat System Built Around Frenzy

The core loop is direct: enter a battlefield, follow objectives, defeat enemy groups, protect allies, and break through to the next encounter. Normal and strong attacks combine into character-specific combos, while sub-weapons add ranged pressure, crowd control, or utility depending on who you control.

Each fighter has a Health gauge, Frenzy gauge, and Death Blow gauge. Attacking enemies builds Frenzy, and activating Frenzy Mode increases offensive power while making ordinary soldiers easier to destroy. Defeated enemies can also leave Lost Souls, which help charge the Death Blow meter during Frenzy.

A full Death Blow gauge unlocks a character’s signature finisher, but the attack can only be used while Frenzy Mode remains active. This gives battles a clear escalation pattern: build momentum with regular attacks, trigger Frenzy at the right moment, then spend the temporary advantage on a devastating Death Blow.

Named enemies and bosses change the rhythm. They can withstand crowd-clearing attacks, use their own special abilities, and in some cases transform during the fight. The lock-on system is particularly useful against these targets because it keeps the camera focused on a commander or boss while you manage the surrounding army.

Guts, Griffith, and Distinct Character Tools

The playable roster includes familiar Berserk figures such as Guts, Griffith, Casca, Judeau, Serpico, Schierke, Nosferatu Zodd, and Wyald. They are not simple cosmetic variations. Each uses a different weapon, attack range, movement profile, and sub-weapon selection.

Guts is defined by the reach and impact of the Dragonslayer, while Griffith fights with a faster, more precise style. Judeau brings dual blades and ranged options, Casca emphasizes agile attacks, and Schierke uses magic from a distance. Zodd and Wyald add more unusual combat identities, including access to alternate forms.

Several characters can unlock transformations that replace their normal attacks with a more powerful moveset for a limited period. These forms are tied to the Frenzy and Death Blow systems, making them valuable against bosses or dense groups rather than being permanent stances that remove the need for normal combat.

Progression operates through levels, learned combat abilities, and equipment. Accessories affect attributes such as vitality, attack, defense, and technique, while unwanted equipment can be combined to improve useful items. The result is a modest build layer that rewards repeated play without turning the game into a full character-action RPG.

Story Coverage and Battlefield Objectives

Story Mode presents a broad selection of Berserk material, beginning with the Golden Age Arc and continuing through later events associated with the Hawk of the Millennium Empire Arc. The campaign uses battles, dialogue scenes, and animated or rendered story sequences to connect the missions.

The adaptation is designed for fans who want to control the major confrontations rather than experience a completely new Berserk narrative. It includes interactions between members of the Band of the Hawk and gives playable space to characters who receive less focus in film adaptations.

Mission objectives are not limited to defeating every enemy. Battles can ask you to protect an officer, escort an ally, reach a location, defeat a target before a transformation, or complete a condition under pressure. Optional objectives can unlock gallery material and provide reasons to replay completed stages.

The campaign’s combat remains intentionally accessible. It is about positioning, target priority, gauge management, and using the correct character tool at the right time, not about frame-perfect parries or stamina management. Players seeking a punishing action game should not mistake its dark subject matter for Souls-like combat design.

Free Mode and Endless Eclipse

After stages become available, Free Mode lets you replay cleared missions with characters you have unlocked. This is where the roster and equipment systems matter most, since familiar battles can feel different when approached with Guts, Griffith, Casca, Schierke, or one of the non-human fighters.

Endless Eclipse provides the main long-term challenge. It is structured as a sequence of floors with objectives, enemy encounters, and boss battles rather than a traditional story campaign. Progress can unlock rewards such as characters, costumes, horses, and starting points that make later attempts more manageable.

Death and checkpoint progression are important parts of the mode’s design. Endless Eclipse is best understood as an endurance and mastery loop: improve equipment, learn how each character handles pressure, complete objectives, and push farther through the Eclipse. It is not a separate open-world activity or a conventional multiplayer survival mode.

Who Should Play It?

This PC version fits Berserk fans who want a playable retelling with Japanese voice acting, English subtitles, recognizable characters, and large battles that match the scale of the source material. It also suits Warriors players who prefer a darker fantasy setting over historical China or Japan.

Players who enjoy the battlefield rhythm of third-person musou action like Dynasty Warriors 9 will understand the basic structure immediately: clear formations, capture momentum, answer mission alerts, and prioritize officers before the map slips out of control.

The weaker match is anyone looking for a deeply technical combat system, flexible online co-op, or a wide range of competitive modes. The game is strictly single-player on its Steam listing, and its replay value comes from character growth, optional objectives, equipment improvement, and Endless Eclipse rather than shared progression with another player.

PC Features, Controls, and Localization

The PC release is distributed through Steam and lists full controller support, Steam Cloud, Steam Achievements, and Family Sharing. Keyboard controls are available, but the game’s combat layout is naturally suited to a gamepad because attacks, sub-weapons, lock-on, movement, and camera control are all mapped around direct action inputs.

The storefront lists 40 Steam Achievements and requires agreement to a third-party EULA. No anti-cheat system is identified in the storefront information, and the game is presented as a standalone single-player title rather than a live-service application with an additional launcher ecosystem.

Localization is limited but clear: English interface text and subtitles are available, while the full voice track is Japanese. There is no English dubbing listed for the PC storefront version, so players should expect to follow the story through English subtitles during voiced scenes.

For another Omega Force-style PC experience with character switching and large-scale melee battles, crossover hack-and-slash combat in Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate provides a useful comparison. Its roster and setting are very different, but the emphasis on repeated stages, distinct movesets, and crowd control comes from the same musou design tradition.

Content Model and DLC

The base game is sold as a complete single-player title, while the Steam DLC listing shows eight add-on items. The additional content is focused on optional scenarios, warhorses, and costumes rather than a separate campaign expansion or a new multiplayer mode.

The scenario pack adds missions including the Battle of the Eclipse against the Band of the Hawk Reborn and other additional battles. The remaining add-ons include horse sets and character costumes for Guts, Casca, and Schierke, plus an exclusive costume collection. These extras expand customization and replay options, but they are not required to access the principal story and Endless Eclipse modes.

That structure makes the PC edition relatively easy to evaluate. Buy the base game for the Berserk campaign, musou combat, roster progression, and Eclipse challenges; treat the DLC as optional material for players who want extra scenarios, mounts, or cosmetic variations.

BERSERK and the Band of the Hawk FAQ

Is the PC game still called BERSERK and the Band of the Hawk?

Yes. The current Steam listing continues to use BERSERK and the Band of the Hawk. No verified storefront rebrand or replacement PC edition was found.

Is BERSERK and the Band of the Hawk multiplayer?

No. The PC storefront lists the game as single-player. It does not provide online co-op, local co-op, or split-screen multiplayer.

What modes are included?

The main structure consists of Story Mode, Free Mode for replaying cleared stages, and Endless Eclipse, an objective-based endurance mode with progression and unlockable rewards.

Does the PC version support controllers?

Yes. Steam lists full controller support, making a gamepad the most natural choice for combat, lock-on targeting, camera control, and character abilities.

Does the game have English voice acting?

No English full-audio track is listed. The PC version provides Japanese voices with English interface text and subtitles.

How much DLC is available?

The Steam DLC page lists eight add-on items, including an additional scenario set, an additional warhorse set, several costumes, and an exclusive costume pack. The DLC is optional and does not replace the base game’s story campaign.

Is Endless Eclipse a normal survival mode?

It is closer to a structured endurance challenge than a simple wave-survival mode. You progress through floors, complete objectives, fight bosses, and earn rewards that support further attempts with different characters.

Players who want a more historically grounded Omega Force campaign can also compare it with character-driven samurai battles in Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada. BERSERK remains the more specialized choice when the priority is dark fantasy, Japanese voice acting, and brutal manga-inspired crowd combat.