No Rest For The Wicked May Finally Push the ARPG Genre Forward

Moon Studios’ (makers of Ori) new game, the unfortunately-named No Rest For The Wicked, is dropping into Early Access on Steam April 18, 2024. Here’s what we know so far, and why I think this game, unlike some.. others.. may actually push this stagnant genre forward.

In No Rest For The Wicked, the most notable departure from standard ARPG-faire (think Diablo and Torchlight) is that you’re usually only fighting one or two enemies at a time. This is quite the difference when you look at something even as relatively high-brow as Diablo IV, where players slam their way through twenty times as many foes in literally half the time. NRFTW’s combat is slow, methodical, and much more Dark Souls than Diablo.

Furthering this point, there’s no point-and-click movement in NRFTW. You’ll control your character using a controller, or WASD. This means things will play out a lot more like a traditional “action” game, where you’re dueling enemies using dodges and carefully-planned attacks.

On the topic of “less is more,” loot also has a heftier impact due to its handcrafted nature, despite traditionally randomized stats. Each weapon has its own moveset, and rather than being direct upgrades correlated with rarity, things like “Cursed” weapons trade some pros for cons, while “Common” items are the “most customizable.” And of course, ultra-rare Unique weapons are yours for the farming as well.

During last week’s developer stream, we were shown a few surprising new systems. One was.. player housing? By purchasing one of several homes in the hub town of Sacrament, you’ll be able to customize it with craftable furniture that you’ll create using loot found out in the world.

To keep things from getting stale on re-treads of old lands, new enemies sometimes inhabit or “take over” familiar areas. This bit reminded me of S.T.A.L.K.E.R’s A-Life, which kept NPCs roaming around organically and always led to surprising encounters. I love the idea of revisiting an old zone and coming across late-game enemies by complete surprise.

And just in case that wasn’t enough to hook you, there’s fishing. Because of course there is.

No Rest For The Wicked is quickly becoming my most-anticipated game of 2024. After a somewhat disappointing Diablo IV season and less-than-great Last Epoch launch, it looks like just what ARPG fans have been craving for so long: something, anything new. Moon Studios left their impact on the Metroidvania genre, and I’m hoping NRFTW will revitalize the ARPG scene in much the same way.