The latest offering from Moon Studios, the same talented group of folks that gave us the roundly superb Ori games, No Rest for the Wicked is a massive departure from the Metroidvania gameplay of those earlier efforts as it presents players with a sprawling and opulent action RPG that takes ample influences from the likes of Dark Souls and Game of Thrones.
Be sure to keep this guide in your favourites as we cover everything you need to know about No Rest for the Wicked including the release date, early access details, gameplay details, latest trailer and more.
No Rest For The Wicked Release Date
No Rest for the Wicked is set to enter Steam Early Access on PC on April 18 2024, and will not be available on the Xbox Series S\X or PlayStation 5 consoles until the Early Access period concludes. When the Early Access period finishes, players who have bought No Rest for the Wicked during that time will get an upgrade to the full 1.0 version at no extra cost.
There is currently no fixed date for the full release of No Rest for the Wicked, instead, it will be released on PC via Steam, Xbox Series S/X and PlayStation 5 after the Early Access period has concluded. Though an eventual release of No Rest for the Wicked on the Epic Games Store seems likely, No Rest for the Wicked is currently not slated to release for the Xbox, PlayStation 4 or Nintendo Switch platforms.
No Rest For The Wicked Early Access Details
Like other Steam Early Access titles, No Rest for the Wicked will not only be available at a discount versus its eventual full release price point but so too will it also boast a constantly evolving set of features as development gathers pace towards that all-important 1.0 release milestone. On the first day of its Steam Early Access release, No Rest for the Wicked will boast the following features:
- The entire first chapter of the narrative campaign
- Additional quests that reveal more about the world and its inhabitants
- Highly challenging boss battles against plague-ridden creatures
- A large variety of weapons, armour, skills, and crafting options
- Gear that can be upgraded, enchanted, runed and socketed with gems to create your optimal character build
- Purchasing and furnishing of a modifiable home
- Daily and Weekly bounties and challenges
- Replayable Cerim Crucible dungeon
Looking beyond the initial features that will be available on the first day of Early Access, developer Moon Studios has also set out a high-level content roadmap. This roadmap gives players and potential buyers an idea of what will be coming to No Rest for the Wicked for the remainder of its stint in Steam Early Access.
- Multiplayer: 4-player Co-Op and PvP modes
- Expanded story content and chapters
- Additional map regions
- Farming
- More weapons, armour, rare items, and gear
- All-new enemies and bosses
- Additional Crucible Floors, Bounties and Challenges
No Rest For The Wicked Story
Unfurling a dark fantasy narrative that will prove familiar to fans of George R R Martin’s Game of Thrones books and television show, No Rest for the Wicked takes place in the lands of Isola Sacra in the year 841. With the beloved King Harol now detached from his mortal coil it falls to his pompous and arrogant heir, Magnus, to rule the kingdom. Knowing that Magnus is an inexperienced and untested regent, word soon spreads around the kingdom that the throne is imperilled. So factions from both the political and religious arenas begin to marshal their forces to take the throne for themselves.
In addition to the murderous and scheming political games being played across the kingdom, a dormant plague known as the Pestilence has re-emerged after a thousand years, tearing its way across Isola Sacra and befouling anything it touches. Unfolding against this rich tapestry of political discontent and fantastical danger, No Rest for the Wicked casts players as a member of the Cerim, a sacred conclave of holy warriors who possess incredible powers to tackle the Pestilence. However, while the destruction of the Pestilence is a seemingly straightforward goal (at least in terms of having to deal with a single foe), navigating the various political factions and power players that are looking to shape Isola Sacra in their own image will prove to be anything but.
No Rest For The Wicked Gameplay
While the influence of the Dark Souls series can be seen in the grim, ruined beauty of No Rest for the Wicked’s game world, From Software’s seminal franchise also reaches into the gameplay of Moon Studio’s latest work. With the action viewed from an elevated third-person perspective, No Rest for the Wicked is an action RPG that places a keen premium on precision combat where parsing the attack patterns of your enemies and knowing when to strike back is key to not ending up six feet under. There’s ample nuance to the combat in No Rest for the Wicked too. Not only do players need to concern themselves with counterattacks, evasion and defence in a manner that will prove warmly familiar to those who have long been initiated in Soulslike games, but other aspects such as the weight of your weapon, the stance that you are using and more besides all play a part too.
Indeed, even the humble dodge – which the combat of Soulslike games has long embraced – has been retooled here with a level of granularity that is simultaneously unexpected and welcome. Though dodging in No Rest for the Wicked boasts those all-important invincibility frames as it does in other genre staples, the fashion in which the dodges are executed can vary depending on your playstyle. For quicker players, dodging will result in a swift sidestep, while balanced players will get the traditional tumble and roll that we’ve all seen in the Dark Souls games. Most intriguing however is how dodges are performed by the larger and more heavier warrior types. Because the dodge animation is a touch slower than the other combat styles, these more bulky warriors can instead use a shoulder bash to swat enemies away and provide much-needed distance in battle.
Moon Studios’ experience in crafting the expertly designed environments that we saw in the Ori games isn’t left idle here either, as Isola Sacra is a fully realised three-dimensional world with all manner of crevices, cliffs, walkways and more that can be traversed. Essentially, if you can see it, you can probably traverse it, but you need to be aware of how to shift your weight and use natural aspects of the environment to conduct your exploration unscathed.
When you’re not tangling with the Pestilence, exploring the darkest corners of Isola Sacra or taking down towering bosses, you’ll be spending time in Sacrament, the capital of Isola Sacra. It’s here that No Rest for the Wicked opens up a surprising aspect of its design that is very much removed from its action RPG underpinnings. In Sacrament, you can make a slice of Isola Sacra uniquely yours by not just buying property, which can be jazzed up according to your own preferences, but by also gathering up resources from the local mines, lakes and forests to both craft new furnishings for your properties in Sacrament and shiny new gear for your adventures, should you so choose.
Where Can I Watch The Latest Trailer?
The latest trailer for No Rest for the Wicked is available to watch right now and you can catch it above. A comprehensive showcase video which goes into an impressive amount of detail on the world design, combat and early access details, all the while providing an extended and tantalising look at No Rest for the Wicked in action, the Wicked Inside Showcase video is a fantastic way for players to acquaint themselves with Moon Studios latest and most promising offering.
No Rest for the Wicked on PC
Now you know everything you need to know about Moon Studio’s next great adventure, why not head over to the Green Man Gaming store and check out No Rest for the Wicked.
