Sacrifice your defenses to temporarily turn yourself into an unstoppable killing machine.
Berserk Mode Meaning in Games
Sometimes you need some extra power to defeat a powerful foe. Imagine an ability that could drastically improve your damage for a short period of time. Sounds great, right? And that’s what usually berserk mode does in video games.
A berserk mode, or berserker mode (also known as rage mode, enrage, battle cry, frenzy, and some other names, depending on the game), is a mode that allows the character to temporarily turn into a powerhouse focused on dishing out enormous amounts of damage.
Usually, it comes with a significant drawback, which is a penalty to defensive abilities while the mode is active; it means you’ll be dealing more damage but you’ll be also more prone to damage dealt by the enemies. It’s not a rule, though; sometimes berserk mode can make you tougher, too. It can also cause the character to lose control, making them more unpredictable or even causing them to attack their allies.
In some games, berserk mode can also be used by non-player enemy characters, especially bosses.
How to Enter Berserk Mode
Depending on the game, berserk mode can be activated in different ways but most of the time it comes in either one of the two forms: manual activation and automatic trigger.
When berserk mode is an active ability, you can choose when to activate it to maximize its value. Once you have enough mana or its equivalent in the chosen game, and all the other conditions are met, you can choose to enter the berserk mode to temporarily increase your offensive power, which often – but not always – comes at the cost of your defenses.
In some games, berserk mode activates automatically when specific conditions are met. It could activate once you drop below a certain percentage of health or kill a number of enemies, for example.
Here’s how berserk mode works in some video games.
God of War Series
In God of War Ragnarök, you can find pieces of Berserker armor that grant Kratos access to a classic form of berserk mode. Using a Relic while wearing Berserker Cuirass temporarily increases Kratos’ melee damage but makes him more vulnerable. The game also features Berserker warriors, who are extremely agile and strong.
Doom Series
In DOOM, berserk mode can be activated by picking up a specific power-up. Doing so will turn the screen red and force the character to switch to melee while also providing a significant damage boost and making it possible to Glory Kill powerful demons. There’s no penalty on damage received, so you can go full mayhem.
Diablo Series
In Diablo games, there’s a Berserk ability that makes you stronger for a duration. Traditionally, only Barbarians could use it. In Diablo 4, Berserk is more of a status effect than an ability and it can’t be activated manually; it will trigger itself once specific conditions are met and you’ll be able to shred through hordes of enemies with ease.