No Rest for the Wicked Guide: Everything We Know So Far

No Rest for the Wicked is an exciting new action role-playing game from Austrian developer Moon Studios, which has made a name for itself with the two Ori games. Our guide provides you with all the information you need about No Rest for the Wicked.

No Rest for the Wicked Release: When will the game be released?

After No Rest for the Wicked was officially announced at the Game Awards last December, a release date of 2024 had previously been rumored. On March 1, 2024, the developers held the Wicked Showcase, where, among other things, the release date was announced.

The No Rest for the Wicked release will take place on 18 April 2024 in Steam’s Early Access program. However, it is still unclear when the final game will be released.

On which platforms will the game be released?

No Rest for the Wicked will not only be released for PC. The current PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles can also look forward to a port. However, it is not yet clear when the console versions will be released. For the time being, the Viennese development studio is concentrating entirely on the PC version.

• View No Rest for the Wicked on Steam
• View No Rest for the Wicked on the PlayStation Store
• View No Rest for the Wicked in the Xbox Store

No Rest for the Wicked Co-op: Is there a multiplayer?

When the Early Access version of No Rest for the Wicked is released on 18.04.2024, the game will offer a purely single-player experience. However, the developers have already revealed that multiplayer modes are also planned for the final version 1.0.

Specifically, there will be a No Rest for the Wicked co-op mode for up to four players, as well as a PvP multiplayer mode. The multiplayer mode will be added in the first major update.

Who is behind No Rest for the Wicked?

No Rest for the Wicked is now the third game from the Austrian Moon Studios, which first caused a sensation in 2015 with the beautiful hand-drawn Metroidvania game Ori and the Blind Forest and won numerous awards.

In 2020, the team even went one better with the sequel Ori and the Will of the Wisps.

However, work on a dark action RPG began shortly after the release of the first Ori game. The team, which once comprised around 25 people, has since grown considerably, meaning that the ARPG project No Rest for the Wicked is running at full speed. Around 85 employees are said to be working on the game.

No Rest for the Wicked Story: What can you expect?

When it was announced in December, No Rest for the Wicked already impressed with its picturesque and dark graphic style. The developers have not yet revealed too many details about the story.

Just this much: the action role-playing game is set in a dark fantasy world and takes place in the year 841 after the unexpected death of King Harol. When rumors of the return of a devastating plague (the pestilence) start doing the rounds, the world begins to shake.

As a member of the Cerim, an ancient sect, it’s up to you in No Rest for the Wicked to eradicate the plague and make the world safe again. On board a merchant ship you sail towards Isola Sacra, but a rebel attack causes the cutter to capsize, leaving you shipwrecked and washed ashore on the coast.

Naked and unarmed, you have to find your way around the dangerous and mysterious island and fight for survival.

No Rest for the Wicked Gameplay: How does it play?

No Rest for the Wicked is an action role-playing game from an isometric perspective. At first glance, this is reminiscent of games such as Diablo 4 or Last Epoch – but you shouldn’t expect a simple loot slasher.

Instead, the combat system, which makes up a large part of the gaming experience alongside exploration, incorporates elements from Souls-like titles such as Elden Ring or Dark Souls. Blocks, parries and evasive maneuvers are your most important allies, but the difficulty level should not be quite as tough.

Most of the time, you will have to deal with just a few individual opponents. However, the game also features numerous boss battles.

The first boss opponent goes by the name of “Warrick The Torn” and is a tough one. Similar to the Souls titles, the attack patterns need to be learned and internalized in order to survive against the bosses.

Weapons and equipment

The different weapons and armor, with which you can adapt the gameplay to your preferences, provide variety. One-handed swords, for example, offer a balanced mix of speed and penetrating power, while double daggers allow you to move faster and dodge enemy attacks. When the powerful two-handed swords hit their target, nothing remains but rubble and ashes – but this comes at the expense of your agility.

In addition, the equipment in No Rest for the Wicked is available in four different rarity levels.

• White items are common, but highly customizable
• Blue items, on the other hand, are rare and come with positive enchantments
• Purple items are cursed and have very strong positive enchantments, but also negative effects at the same time
• Golden items are unique and particularly rare to find. They provide unique positive enchantments

In addition, each weapon has unique runes that affect the attacks with the respective item. These runes can also be extracted to incorporate the special moves into other weapons. The No Rest for the Wicked gameplay video also shows that weapons can be set on fire to cause additional fire damage.

According to developer Moon Studios, each player will be able to create their own individual fighting style.

The weight of the armor is also of crucial importance: heavier armor offers more protection, but makes you sluggish. Light armor, on the other hand, allows you to get behind your opponents with a quick dodge step and deal increased backstab damage from there.

Classes and RPG elements

No Rest for the Wicked does not rely on pre-made classes. Instead, the developers have opted for smooth transitions. The gameplay therefore changes based on the character’s equipment and attributes.

If you prefer to use a wand and magic instead of a sword and shield, you can go into battle with a two-handed staff, which comes with three spells in the Early Access version: a teleport, a fireball and the powerful fire nova, which deals AoE damage.

As is typical for role-playing games, you will of course collect experience points, which you can invest in new ability points when you level up. In addition to health, stamina, strength or intelligence, you can also improve your focus or equipment carrying capacity, for example.

Discovery and game world

Of course, the game is not just about fighting. The large, hand-drawn game world is also an important part of the gaming experience. The Isola Sacra presents itself as a dynamic and seamless environment that rewards those who explore it.

There are shortcuts, secret hiding places and much more to discover all over the island. At first glance, the game world appears to be quite compact, but it extends enormously vertically.

YouTuber ForceGaming, who has already been able to try out the game, notes in his video, for example, that the playable area of his version could be completed in around 10 minutes.

However, the world is so winding and horizontally built that secret paths can be found everywhere, with which you can easily play for 60-90 minutes. On the beach alone, where the game starts, there are several alternative paths with surprises and secrets.

The handcrafted game world also features day and night changes and a dynamic weather system.

Crafting and housing

On your journey through the world, you will eventually come to the capital of Isola Sacra, which goes by the name of Sacrament. This is in a pretty disastrous state on your first visit, but you can do something about it.

There are supposed to be a whole series of houses here that you can buy during the course of the game and decorate down to the smallest detail. You can also fish, cut down trees or mine ore to use these resources in a crafting system to produce new equipment, meals and furniture and further restore Sacrament.

With its hand-crafted game world, fresh ideas, beautiful graphics and fluid animations, No Rest for the Wicked aims to revolutionize the action RPG genre. The comments and reactions on YouTube are already extremely positive. We will find out in mid-April whether the game lives up to the high expectations.