We all know Moon Studios from the critically acclaimed Ori games. With No Rest for the Wicked they are now also trying to put their unique stamp on the ARPG genre. The game has been in Early Access since last week and we took a look at where the game already stands.
No Rest for the Wicked is an action RPG played from a top-down perspective. Comparisons can immediately be made with genre peers such as Diablo and Path of Exile, but No Rest for the Wicked still manages to distinguish itself through the combat system that is more reminiscent of a soulslike.
As Cerim and a member of a group of holy warriors, you are sent to the island of Sacra to tackle the plague. You soon become embroiled in a political battle and help determine the fate of the kingdom. This story comes to life through visually interesting cutscenes supported by very impressive voice work. Every NPC interaction also features excellent voice acting, which adds to the experience. For the time being, the story will end soon, but we are already curious about the sequel upon the final release.
Visually everything looks fantastic. After the beautiful Ori games, Moon Studios also shows here that they can create a beautiful and interesting world. The way in which grass and plants respond in particular deserves praise. Rain looks beautiful and the atmosphere is of a high standard. The beautiful soundtrack also certainly contributes to this.
You explore the map all by yourself and we really liked that feeling of exploration. Occasionally the camera angle causes some problems where it is sometimes unclear which ledge you can walk on or climb on. Loot is plentiful in the form of treasure chests, weapons, food and other resources. Managing your inventory is something that still needs some work. It is quite small at the start (can be expanded later) and is still somewhat confusing.
The soulslike combat feels good with a generous dodge roll and tight parries. When fighting multiple enemies at the same time, some problems can sometimes arise with little room for attacks. Dying is not really punished here because killed enemies do not respawn and apart from the lifespan of your weapons you lose nothing else. You can restore health by crafting your own food at a campfire. A mechanic that we would like to see change, because it will therefore not be replenished when you die. You can suddenly run out of food, meaning you have to put everything aside to look for the right resources and start cooking.
Eventually you arrive in the city of Sacrament which serves as a kind of hub. Here you will find various traders where you can sell or upgrade your collected loot. A nice change here is that you can help expand the city by collecting resources and you can even buy and furnish your own home. After completing all the story missions, we also get a taste of the endgame content in the form of Cerim Crucible. This is a kind of roguelike mode where you have to fight through rooms full of enemies to ultimately defeat a boss. A nice addition in which the skills already acquired are tested to the limit.
There is still some technical work to be done. Even on a very powerful PC, the game often stutters and the FPS in the city sometimes takes a big dip. Unfortunately, there is currently no option to pause the game and you cannot yet adjust keyboard or controller input. No insurmountable problems and the makers are already working on tackling them, as evidenced by the four updates that have already been released.
Tags: #4Gamers HANDSON PREVIEW Rest Wicked beautiful mix ARPG soulslike
