Ori's Moon Studio Jumping to Action RPG with No Rest for…

Summary

Moon Studios' new game, No Rest for the Wicked, has a stark contrast to their previous Ori series with its violent combat and darker narrative.
The shift in development for No Rest for the Wicked represents a more mature direction for the studio, potentially risking estranging fans gained from the Ori games.
No Rest for the Wicked aims to distance itself from the reputation of the Ori games by offering a broad scope of gameplay and a more mature tone, appealing to older players.

The recent reveal of Moon Studios' new game No Rest for the Wicked at The Game Awards 2023 has caught the gaming community's interest, especially since the studio is known for its fantastical Ori series. Given Moon Studios' debut game Ori and the Blind Forest and its sequel, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, were story-led mystical Metroidvania games, No Rest for the Wicked's violent, precision-based combat and darker interwoven narrative comes as a stark contrast. The game's trailer demonstrated this best after it showcased visceral fighting and malformed monsters underscored by No Rest for the Wicked's haunting theme music.

However, the sudden shift in tone, style, and gameplay isn't a total shock, as Moon Studios confirmed it was working on new projects away from the Ori series. In particular, founder and CEO Thomas Mahler even suggested via social media that the studio's next game could be a make-or-break moment, which could have been the first clue to how different No Rest for the Wicked would be. But whether Moon Studios' shift in development for No Rest for the Wicked proves successful or not, the studio's new, more mature direction could potentially pose a risk of estranging fans gained across the Ori games.

Why There Hasn't Been a Third Ori Game Yet

Despite its popularity and success, fans never saw a third game after Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and there are some big reasons why.

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By Martin Wood

Moon Studios' Journey From Ori to No Rest for the Wicked

While many players will think about Hollow Knight or Axiom Verge when discussing successful Metroidvania games by indie developers, Ori and the Blind Forest is invariably included among these. The game proved so popular that it received a direct sequel with Ori and the Will of the Wisps, featured its titular character in fellow indie games like Rivals of Aether, and even led to Microsoft looking into making the Ori series Xbox and PC exclusive. But even after the sequel received similar acclaim, Moon Studios' next game was something completely different despite fans hoping for a threequel.

Ori and Moon Studios Hit a Setback

When Moon Studios' confirmed it was working on an all-new action RPG shortly after the release of Ori and the Will of the Wisps, it did suggest that it might someday revisit the Ori series if given the opportunity. But when it was confirmed that Microsoft wouldn't be publishing Moon Studios' then-unnamed No Rest for the Wicked due to allegations of oppressive workplace conditions, it seemed that the Ori series no longer had a future with ties between the two companies cut. The absence of Microsoft's backing may have prompted Moon Studios' to take a bolder approach midway through developing its third game.

No Rest for the Wicked Might Be Moon Studios' Redemption

Though Moon Studios' was already aiming to expand its work into other genres, stories, and styles, it's possible that a damaged reputation associated with the well-known Ori games meant that No Rest for the Wicked needed to put distance between the two. For example, while the stories of both Ori games were bittersweet and fairytale-like, No Rest for the Wicked has teased violent combat, medieval coups, and monstrous plagues. In doing so, Moon Studios' could be hoping for a redeeming fresh start, especially when it has already successfully diverted attention onto how different its new game is and away from its history.

No Rest for the Wicked is arguably so different from Moon Studios' earlier Ori games that players might not even realize it. Beyond transitioning from 2D platformers to a 3D top-down RPG, No Rest for the Wicked appears to offer more with homeownership, crafting, farming, fishing, multiplayer, and more. Even its Steam page confirms the game will be far more mature with warnings of possible gore, strong language, and nudity. The broad scope of No Rest for the Wicked's gameplay might help balance its focus on older players, but it will remain to be seen if it's enough to make Moon Studios and not break it.

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