Highlights
- No Rest for the Wicked is a unique ARPG with a Soulslike twist, offering players a blank slate for character building and customization.
- Combat in the game is slower-paced and methodical, focusing on observation, parrying, and dodging rather than overwhelming the player with enemies.
- The game features a crafting system integral to gameplay, requiring players to scavenge for resources for basic functions like healing, setting it apart from other ARPGs.
After wowing Metroidvania fans with two of the most beloved modern titles in the subgenre, Moon Studios' newest game No Rest for the Wicked is charting new territory for the developer as its first foray into the realm of ARPGs. In just the short time since No Rest for the Wicked's early access period began on Steam, the title is already racking up impressive player counts and plenty of feedback (both positive and negative) to contribute to the title's continued evolution as it marches toward its eventual 1.0 release date. And while early impressions of the title drew some comparison to Blizzard's Diablo 4, No Rest for the Wicked definitively charts its own course as an ARPG.
There are some obvious similarities between Diablo 4 and No Rest for the Wicked as both games are ARPGs utilizing an isometric perspective and plenty of collectible loot to enhance player builds. Beyond those surface-level comparisons, though, No Rest for the Wicked separates itself from other genre contemporaries via its incorporation of some Soulslike elements and emphasis on a surprising integration of survival gameplay and crafting. Much like the Ori games before it, Moon Studios is putting a decidedly unique spin on a classic subgenre with No Rest for the Wicked.
No Rest for the Wicked’s Lack of Classes May Be What Sets It Apart Most
Moon Studios' No Rest for the Wicked has the trappings of many action-RPGs before it but subverts classes in a brilliant yet subtle way.
Stat Allocation and No Distinct Classes Create a Gulf Between Diablo 4 and No Rest for the Wicked
Although both Diablo 4 and No Rest for the Wicked fit squarely within the ARPG subgenre, the way the two games go about handling classes and character progression couldn't be more different. Since its inception, the Diablo series has traditionally hinged on selecting one of several distinct classes that each have pros and cons in terms of their progression, balance, and abilities, resulting in a fairly complex meta in the series' best entries that gives way to a wide variety of powerful builds and skill trees. Conversely, No Rest for the Wicked gives players a blank slate after creating their character to do with them as they please.
Similar to classic CRPGs or even FromSoftware's Souls games, players work with purely raw stats and gear in No Rest for the Wicked, which ultimately gives them more freedom in how they build out a character. Leveling up provides three stat points that can be allocated into one of eight different attributes, and these attributes affect both the character's composition and how weapons and armor scale. Interestingly, No Rest for the Wicked differentiates itself from almost every other ARPG by not including an option for a purely magic-focused build and instead places an emphasis on melee, at least in the early game and depending on what RNG loot players find.
Combat and Crafting Give No Rest for the Wicked a Unique Place Among ARPGs
Combat is another area where No Rest for the Wicked stakes out a unique niche within the ARPG subgenre, as it's much slower-paced and more methodical in comparison to the occasionally frantic hack-'n-slash action of Diablo. Where Diablo games rely on trying to overwhelm the player through the sheer volume of threats on screen, No Rest for the Wicked's encounters most often boil down to encounters where observation of enemy movements, parrying, and dodging are paramount.
While it's not technically a Soulslike, No Rest for the Wicked 's combat shares many similarities with its precision-oriented gameplay.
Another surprising addition to proceedings is No Rest for the Wicked's crafting and upgrade systems, which results in resource collection and scavenging becoming as integral to the experience as it is in many survival games. Diablo 4 features plenty of collectible resources that are essential to the endgame grind and min-maxing builds, but No Rest for the Wicked's crafting and resource collection are a systematic part of each of its gameplay mechanics, to where even basic functions like healing are governed by them. Even in its early access period, No Rest for the Wicked shows plenty of promise in how it will stand out from its contemporaries.
No Rest for the Wicked
From Moon Studios, creators of the Ori franchise, is an ARPG-style game called No Rest for the Wicked. The plague Pestilence has swept over the land and King Harol has died, leaving the land in turmoil. Players become a Cerim, a member of a group of holy warriors sworn to take up arms against Pestilence and cleanse the land.
- Platform(s)
- PC , PS5 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S
- Developer(s)
- Moon Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Private Division
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- Number of Players
- 1-4
