Ori gives way to souls-like sensibilities — Moon Studio's newest game looks absolutely breath-taking, and it's coming soon

Image from No Rest For The Wicked
No Rest ror the Wicked looks to be just as beautiful as Ori. (Image credit: Moon Studios)

What you need to know

  • Moon Studios recently aired the Wicked Inside Showcase, giving new details about its newest game and announcing Early Access. 
  • No Rest for the Wicked hits Early Access on Steam on Thursday, April 18, 2024.
  • The game is an ARPG and has a deep lore with impressive-looking combat
  • Moon Studios also released an Early Access Road Map. 

One of the standout announcements from the 2023 game awards was Moon Studio's logo coming up on an ARPG game that was dripping in atmosphere and mood. I watched several reaction videos to the Game Awards and the overall reactions to No Rest for the Wicked were extremely positive, even more so once people realized it was Moon Studios working on the game.

Moon Studios recently held a Wicked Inside Showcase to announce the studio's plans for the game. The game is set to launch in Early Access soon, as well as partner with Twitch for exclusive in-game drops. But how does the game actually play? Let's take a look at all of the information we have about No Rest For the Wicked. 

No rest for the ARPG fan.

Several ARPGs have been released to a great reception over the last year or so. From Diablo 4 to the recent The Last Epoch, and ARPG fans are all waiting patiently for Path of Exile 2, No Rest for the Wicked might be catching the perfect wave of ARPG hype. The screenshots above should adequately showcase the look, atmosphere, and feel the developers are trying to portray, and I personally can't wait to give it a try. 

If you haven't had a chance to watch the Wicked Inside Showcase, head on over and catch it on YouTube

If this showcase got you as hyped for the game as it did for me, you can go ahead and wishlist the game on Steam, which is a huge boost to these independent game studios.

The game is full of dark, difficult-looking combat, regions to explore, and even has housing, gathering, and crafting for survival game fans. 

Here is a synopsis of the game from Moon Studios, and while I could write it in my own words, it might take away from the pathos the original words might be able to invoke. 

"You are a Cerim – a member of a group of mystical holy warriors imbued with remarkable powers and sworn to defeat the Pestilence at any cost. But the task will prove increasingly challenging as you become entangled in the people’s plight and the vast political struggle of this downtrodden land. Chaos will pull you in every direction as you seek to cleanse the land of wickedness and shape the kingdom’s fate."

The game takes place in the city of Sacrament, the capital of Isola Sacra and honestly, I can't wait to jump in and give it a try. From all of the gameplay shown, this looks like a blend of Elden Ring and Diablo but with the beauty and environmental storytelling of Ori. 

When does No Rest for the Wicked hit Early Access?

Moon Studios announced, "No Rest for the Wicked, the precision Action Role-Playing Game from Moon Studios and Private Division, launches on Thursday, April 18, 2024 in Early Access on PC (via Steam).

Moon Studios has even gone as far as to include a road map for Early Access and promises that once the game is ready and hits 1.0 it will be released on console as well. 

The road map breaks down into 4 sections. Let's take a look at it. 

The No Rest for the Wicked Early Access road map is a great sign showing the developer's commitment to the game. (Image credit: Moon Studios)

The road map starts with the early access launch in April, then an update for multiplayer. Moon Studios then will have an update called 'The Breach' and finally they promise more updates after that to make the game ready for its 1.0 release. 

How is No Rest for the Wicked's endgame? 

Moon Studios is giving No Rest for the Wicked's endgame a bespoke name, ALIVE. They briefly review this in the Wicked Inside showcase linked above, but it seems that the world is ever-changing and growing to present a new challenge and threat to the player even as they gain power. 

No Rest for the Wicked's developers promise that each time you visit a region, even if you've been there before, you will face a 'drastically different experience.' 

The world of No Rest for the Wicked is constantly changing around you, It's ALIVE.

Moon Studios

Once you reach the endgame, you can enter what is called the Cerim Crucible, where you can go face to face with the toughest enemies in the game in what I'm assuming is a gauntlet-like challenge. 

Overall, the game launching into Early Access is probably a good sign, and we have seen early access success stories like Baldur's Gate 3 that allowed the community to forge that into one of the greatest games ever. Hopefully, No Rest for the Wicked is good enough out of the game to get a good following of fans that can help shape the game and make it amazing in time for its 1.0 release on consoles. 

Colton Stradling
Contributor

Colton is a seasoned cybersecurity professional that wants to share his love of technology with the Windows Central audience. When he isn’t assisting in defending companies from the newest zero-days or sharing his thoughts through his articles, he loves to spend time with his family and play video games on PC and Xbox. Colton focuses on buying guides, PCs, and devices and is always happy to have a conversation about emerging tech and gaming news.