No Rest for the Wicked is a brand new action RPG developed by Moon Studios (the team behind the critically acclaimed Ori series) and recently launched on Steam in Early Access. As such, the game only contains the first chapter of the story, so it’s far away from being complete, but just to give an understanding of the scale and ambition of this project, completing the first chapter requires at least 20-25 hours, which is impressive for a game still in development.

Welcome to Isola Sacra

While the top-down camera view might give you the idea of an ARPG similar to Diablo, No Rest for the Wicked is far more complex, as it mixes souliske combat with metroidvania mechanics and level design. You play as a holy warrior known as Cerim, who has sworn to defeat the Pestilence, an ancient plague that is infesting the lands of Isola Sacra and turning locals into dangerous creatures.

Meanwhile, the old King has died and the crown has passed to his arrogant son, Magnus. The Church takes this opportunity to show its power by fighting the Plague, while new factions and rebel groups arise and try to take control of the island. If you enjoyed watching Game of Thrones, then you will probably love the story narrated in No Rest for the Wicked, with all its memorable characters, political intrigues and beautiful cutscenes.

As mentioned earlier though, the game is unfinished, so it’s impossible to value the quality of the story at this moment. All I can say is that it looks really promising and I can’t wait to see where the events will bring me in the next chapter.

No Rest for the Wicked is a different soulslike experience

During the prologue, you find yourself shipwrecked on the beach of Isola Sacra and from there you must customize your protagonist through a pretty decent character editor. The game uses a soft class system, meaning there isn’t a specific build/class to pick from, but it’s based entirely on the weapons you want to use. Once you level up, you can increase stats like HP, stamina, strength, intelligence and dexterity, which affect also the gear you can use.

Combat is fast and responsive. While games like Diablo and Path of Exile force you to fight against a great number of enemies at the same time, here you will only be fighting small groups of enemies or just one, providing a more tactical combat experience.

Just like in any souls game, it’s important to dodge at the right time and counter-attack with your most powerful attacks. There are no healing potions, but you can recover health by finding recipes and preparing meals at fire pits, though you first need to find the required ingredients (you can also fish).

If you die in combat, you won’t lose your loot or experience, but your equipment will lose durability, until it breaks and become unusable without expensive repairs. Enemies don’t respawn after you die, so as you can see there are still some elements that make it different than a classic soulslike.

Once you reach Sacrament, the capital of Isola Sacra, you will also unlock new mechanics that allow you to purchase new properties and decorate them through a very addicting building system that requires you to find different type of resources, which can be used to craft home furniture but also new gear.

The island of Sacra is entirely interconnected and it slowly uncovers as you complete quests and find new ways of removing obstacles. There is some backtracking involved, meaning you need to return to previously explored areas to find something new or unlock a previously inaccessible path.

A promising work in progress

The first chapter of No Rest for the Wicked includes a few main quests, some boss fights and many side quests that will keep you busy for a considerable amount of time. If you plan to stream the game, keep in mind that completing the first part of the story might take around 10 hours, but doing everything else will easily double the time.

No Rest for the Wicked is particularly well suited for live streaming, because some of the developers might be watching you and make changes to the game according to your feedback. Moon Studios have been releasing a great number of updates after hearing the community opinions and streamers can be a big part of it.

You can also share your feedback with your audience, suggest what you would love to see in the next updates and hear your viewers opinions.

The next big update in the developers’ roadmap will include 4 players co-op and PvP, which will make the game even more enjoyable by streamers who will be able to play and stream together, experiencing the game in new and fun ways.

With the DLC for Elden Ring around the corner, it’s also a great time to stream soulslike games like this one and attract the attention of viewers who have recently discovered this genre. While still a work in progress, No Rest for the Wicked has an incredible potential and can be GOTY material once completed (just like Baldur’s Gate 3 last year).

No Rest for the Wicked

PC, PS5, Xbox Series (2024)

Performance

Streamability

Audience Engagement

Replayability

Summary

No Rest for the Wicked offers a very different soulslike experience with gorgeous art style and an epic narration. Moon Studios is crafting a really promising and ambitious game that becomes better after each update and will certainly become more attractive once the 4 players co-op and PvP modes are released.