Summary
- No Rest for the Wicked breaks ARPG norms by ditching class structure, focusing on gear loadouts for character customization.
- Moon Studios' game prioritizing weight class and gear variety offers unique combat experiences, allowing for player experimentation.
- However, changes in early access may impact builds in the long run, constantly challenging players to adapt to evolving weapon effectiveness.
Moon Studios is trying something different with No Rest for the Wicked, with both the game's genre and its early access launch representing uncharted territory for the team behind the stellar Ori games. In terms of its primary genre inspirations, No Rest for the Wicked is breaking new ground for ARPGs by refusing to adhere to the tried-and-true class structure of popular series like Diablo, instead offering players more freedom in how they build out their character based on the game's large loot pool and emphasis on equipment load and weight class. The system seems to work to players' advantage now, but that still raises the question of how it will evolve as the game reaches its full 1.0 release.
The definitive characteristics of a player's build in No Rest for the Wicked are their stats and their weight class, with different tiers of equipment load resulting in changes to dodge roll and attack animations. And, similar to how FromSoftware's Soulsborne games handle gear, each weapon has at least one or two stats that it scales with to increase its effectiveness upon leveling up. But with No Rest for the Wicked's regular hotfixes and patches to improve things like balance during early access, weapons that are a core component of a build now run the risk of becoming less effective once No Rest for the Wicked reaches 1.0.
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.
No Rest for the Wicked's Emphasis on Gear Gives it a Distinct Identity Among ARPGs
No Rest for the Wicked's lack of distinct classes with signature abilities and skill tree progression separates it from other contemporaries in the genre, drawing a virtual line in the sand between it and games like Diablo 4 or Last Epoch. Players still have a fair amount of freedom in how they build out their character, but careful stat allocation and gear loadouts make the biggest difference in how those characters perform in combat. It makes sense, too, as No Rest for the Wicked's combat is decidedly more weighty than the typical hack n' slash systems of other popular ARPGs.
And while the game provides a fairly large loot pool with items falling into one of four color-coded rarities, No Rest for the Wicked's degrading equipment and ability to repair or upgrade weapons gives players incentive to find a loadout they like and stick with it. Considering each weapon type has its own characteristic flow and weight class that changes how the player moves and manages their limited stamina pool, becoming familiar with a particular piece of equipment ends up being a crucial factor in player success. By not limiting players to a specific class or weapon type, experimentation is encouraged and helps to identify which weapon types fit a particular playstyle.
No Rest for the Wicked's Changes During Early Access Could Significantly Impact Builds Without Classes
While it does provide players more freedom than is customary in an ARPG, a lack of distinct classes in No Rest for the Wicked essentially amounts to there being no defined roadmap for how characters progress as they increase in level. Diablo 4 and Last Epoch's core classes represent a specific lane where characters can approach planned builds that, in turn, each branch off of the class' core abilities and role in battle. So, while heavy builds might offer high damage output in favor or high stamina consumption now, those attributes may change as the game reaches 1.0 thanks to various buffs or nerfs.
Further, the game's implementation of Soulslike elements makes any piece of gear fair game for receiving significant changes to its effectiveness over the coming months, especially considering how games like Elden Ring and Lords of the Fallen have implemented significant patches post-launch that nerf certain items while buffing others. Best-case, players will see their progress carry over in a positive light after No Rest for the Wicked reaches 1.0, while the worst case is players getting softlocked behind their build losing viability.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 73 /100 Critics Rec: 50%
- Released
- April 18, 2024
- ESRB
- M for Mature
- Developer(s)
- Moon Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Private Division
- Engine
- unity
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Number of Players
- 1-4
WHERE TO PLAY
From Moon Studios, the award-winning developers of Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps comes No Rest for the Wicked, a visceral, precision Action RPG set to reinvent the genre.
The year is 841 – King Harol is dead. As word of his death echoes throughout the kingdom, the crown passes to his arrogant, yet untested son Magnus.
Even worse, the Pestilence, an unholy plague not seen for a thousand years, has returned. It sweeps across the land, corrupting everything and everyone it touches. Madrigal Seline, a ruthlessly ambitious figure in the church, sees the Pestilence as a chance to prove herself in the eyes of her god.
These forces converge on the backwater Isola Sacra, where rebel groups and the provincial government fight for control amid the isle’s crumbling ruins.
You are a Cerim – a member of a group of mystical holy warriors imbued with remarkable powers and sworn to defeat the Pestilence at any cost. But the task will prove increasingly challenging as you become entangled in the people’s plight and the vast political struggle of this downtrodden land. Chaos will pull you in every direction as you seek to cleanse the land of wickedness and shape the kingdom’s fate.
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
