Who would have thought: After the jump’n’run Metroidvania “Ori”, Moon Studios from Austria is venturing into the hotly contested genre of action RPGs. Based on great role models, the development studio stages an enchanting fantasy world with tough fights and a high potential for frustration. The wealth of visual detail makes the competition green with envy even in the early access version.
Advertisement
There is no action RPG without a cliché plot: After a shipwreck, the players and their avatar land on an unknown coast. After a few fights against bandits and smaller creatures, the journey leads to the capital Sacrament. A war of the roses begins there between the individual rulers, in which our nameless hero will of course play an important role. We don’t know anything more after the opening hours. The early access version so far only contains the first chapter of the story and a few side missions.
Action RPG from an iso perspective
It’s still impressive. From an iso perspective, players move through deserted beaches, dense jungles and dark caves. Everything is alive here: grasses and leaves move in the wind, shadow plays create an atmospheric atmosphere and the movements of the figures are buttery soft and fluid. There is also a unique visual comic-like drawing style of the landscape and figures.
The gameplay is less original, as it’s mostly just about killing opponents. The fight follows a tried and tested pattern: attack, parry, dodge, counter. After successful actions, a focus bar fills up to use special abilities. If repeated hits succeed in throwing the opponent off balance, he becomes an easy victim. In some places, players can kill their enemies from ambushes in stealth mode.
Frustratingly beautiful
Similar to “Elden Ring” & Co., the boss fights offer a high potential for frustration. If you don’t pay attention once, the adventure is over for the time being. Fights against giant knights or monsters become a test of patience, with players having to memorize attack patterns in order to counter perfectly. Since the camera perspective does not adapt to the movements, there is a bit of a lack of overview, especially in critical moments. The development studio has to come up with something here so as not to unnecessarily frustrate the players.
In addition to the battles, players can improve their equipment at a blacksmith or even expand the city to unlock new paths or optimize the work of the craftsmen. There are also bounty hunts and a war room for special challenges. A touch of “Metroid” should not be missing, because the players always discover ways to shorten the journey. Sparsely distributed fast travel points also serve as reset points, making the adventure a little easier.
“No Rest for the Wicked” already makes a mature impression in this early Early Access phase. However, the development studio has not yet given a release date for the final version. In the coming months, the game will be expanded to include the remaining story chapters, new enemies, equipment and regions. A multiplayer mode will come in the first update. The players will thank you because “No Rest for the Wicked” will leave you wanting more in the early access version.
Interim conclusion
“No Rest for the Wicked” combines an outstanding visual concept with proven game mechanics that appeal to fans of “Elden Ring” or “Diablo”. The controls are simple, but the combat is a real challenge. There is already a lot to discover in the early access version. The only major point of criticism is the lack of overview, which increases the level of difficulty unnecessarily.
Of course, the early access version only offers a small preview of the finished game. Story, gameplay variety and especially the multiplayer are likely to determine the success of the game in the next few months. The early access version already offers a fully developed gaming experience in many areas and raises hopes of a new star in the gaming sky.
“No Rest for the Wicked” has been released as an early access version for Windows. It costs around €40. USK not checked.
(there)