No Rest for the Wicked

82%
Game Brain Score Based on 8,857 reviews
  • optimization
  • gameplay
  • graphics
No Rest for the Wicked Game Cover
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In "No Rest for the Wicked," players navigate a dark ARPG world from the developers of Ori, where King Harol's death and the return of the Pestilence set off a chain of events. The ambitious church figure, Madrigal Seline, seeks to take advantage of the chaos, leading to a tense power struggle in this action-packed game.

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Reviews

82%
Audience ScoreBased on 8,857 reviews
gameplay636 positive mentions
optimization368 negative mentions
  • Incredible art style and graphics that create a stunning atmosphere.
  • Engaging combat system that rewards skill and strategy, making fights feel satisfying.
  • Rich world-building with interesting characters and a compelling story.
  • Time-gated mechanics for crafting and town upgrades that feel frustrating and unnecessary.
  • Performance issues, including stuttering and low frame rates, especially on lower-end hardware.
  • Lack of clear direction and guidance for quests, making navigation and progression feel tedious.
  • optimization2,051 mentions

    The optimization of "No Rest for the Wicked" has received mixed feedback from players, with many citing significant performance issues, particularly during intense gameplay and in densely populated areas. While some users report stable performance on high-end rigs, others experience severe frame drops and stuttering, especially on lower-end systems or the Steam Deck. Despite recent updates aimed at improving performance, many players recommend waiting for further optimizations before purchasing, as the game is still in early access and requires substantial work to reach its full potential.

    • “With this latest update, performance has greatly improved making the game even more enjoyable.”
    • “Oh, and I am playing it on a Steam Deck, and the performance is very good out of the box; the patches that they added made the difference.”
    • “The game is perfectly optimized, offering smooth gameplay with stable frame rates even during the most intense sequences.”
    • “It's always been very badly optimized, stuttering, audio drops, hanging for long periods of time, but now it's completely unplayable.”
    • “Performance issues plague it, I play on lowest settings.”
    • “The performance is genuinely atrocious.”
  • gameplay1,920 mentions

    The gameplay of "No Rest for the Wicked" has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its blend of souls-like mechanics and ARPG elements, offering a challenging and engaging experience. However, criticisms focus on the clunky controls, frustrating durability mechanics, and performance issues that detract from the overall enjoyment. While the game showcases stunning visuals and a compelling world, players express a desire for more polish and refinement in its mechanics to enhance the gameplay experience.

    • “For being in such an early stage of release, this game is incredibly well made and mixes and matches mechanics from genres you would never expect to mesh so perfectly!”
    • “The sheer amount of secrets, hidden pathways, treasure, and lore tucked away in the map is very impressive and kept the gameplay fresh and rewarding.”
    • “The gameplay is a nice blend of survival-craft, an unforgiving take on souls-like combat, mixed with various RPG elements, it would need some improvement on the stamina consumption, move sets of various weapons, and some other various aspects.”
    • “The gameplay loop becomes mindless repetition, and not in the 'git gud' type of trying to learn mechanics, but more in the kmmo grind-fest mentality.”
    • “The durability mechanic really isn't a problem anymore, which is good, and having played the game more I think I've gotten a better grasp of the combat mechanics.”
    • “The mechanics that prevent enemies from immediately respawning after death does help relieve this point of annoyance a lot, but it still bothers me.”
  • graphics1,896 mentions

    The graphics of "No Rest for the Wicked" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning art style, which many reviewers describe as painterly and reminiscent of the Ori series. Players appreciate the vibrant visuals, intricate level design, and atmospheric environments that enhance the overall experience. However, some users have reported performance issues, including frame rate drops and limited graphical options, which detract from the otherwise impressive visual presentation.

    • “Simply stunning graphically as well as the storyline, a refreshing new RPG style game.”
    • “The visuals are striking and meticulously crafted, with a dark, atmospheric aesthetic that perfectly complements the game’s grim tone.”
    • “The art style is gorgeous, being simultaneously vivid and stylized, with truly stunning lighting; I could look at it all day honestly.”
    • “Graphics are very upsetting for the eyes; it's like playing on a painting canvas made with a waterbrush.”
    • “Anything above 30fps is shaky at best in performance, and trying to improve your graphics in the settings will probably result in it freezing or hard crashing.”
    • “The graphics are subpar, and I am having a lot of fps dips.”
  • story1,486 mentions

    The story of "No Rest for the Wicked" has received praise for its engaging narrative, compelling characters, and stunning visuals, with many players expressing eagerness for more content as the game is still in early access. While the initial chapters provide a solid foundation, players are looking for additional quests and deeper exploration of the storyline, as the current content is perceived as somewhat limited. Overall, the combination of rich storytelling, immersive world-building, and high-quality voice acting has captivated many, making them excited for future updates and expansions.

    • “Simply stunning graphically as well as the storyline, a refreshing new RPG style game.”
    • “The story is engaging and the level design is spectacular.”
    • “The story so far is compelling, you start on a ship, you get stranded, you make way to the local city, and discover an intricate net of Machiavellian politics, factions, and NPCs - which have amazing voice overs to top with the game art that really makes you dive into a painting.”
    • “The story feels quite short and has a sudden abrupt 'end' - remember it is in early access and still very new and the story seems to reach an 'open-ended' roadblock which I can see expanding into a much longer campaign with incredible possibilities.”
    • “The story doesn't reinvent the wheel.”
    • “The story is decent so far.”
  • grinding574 mentions

    The grinding aspect of "No Rest for the Wicked" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it excessively tedious and frustrating. Critics highlight the burdensome resource gathering, lengthy crafting processes, and the need to frequently backtrack for upgrades and repairs, which detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game. While some players appreciate the challenge and depth that grinding can provide, the overwhelming sentiment is that the current system feels more like a chore than a rewarding gameplay loop.

    • “The resource gathering and building aspect of the game is also something I love because it is not grindy; it actually blends in very well with the exploration and quests.”
    • “I usually avoid games with crafting, but in this game it's not tedious. While you are out, you collect materials, turn them into NPCs, and move on.”
    • “Love the resource grind as it forces you to go out into the world to upgrade, but it isn't too grindy.”
    • “The game can be rewarding, but this is far outweighed by the grindy, repetitive, and ultimately overly, almost purposely frustrating experience the game currently provides.”
    • “The need to spend time mastering boss encounters without the benefit of respawning healing items makes the gameplay feel more tedious than engaging.”
    • “I don't want to spend hours grinding stuff for essential items like food, just to run out of it soon again and having to do it all over again by running through the same dull routes.”
  • atmosphere267 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its striking visuals, dark aesthetic, and immersive sound design, creating a haunting and engaging experience that draws players into its richly crafted world. Reviewers highlight the meticulous art direction and dynamic weather effects, which enhance the overall mood and complement the challenging gameplay. Many describe the atmosphere as both beautiful and eerie, effectively capturing the essence of dark fantasy and providing a compelling backdrop for exploration and combat.

    • “The visuals are striking and meticulously crafted, with a dark, atmospheric aesthetic that perfectly complements the game’s grim tone.”
    • “The world is beautifully realized, with stunning visuals and a haunting atmosphere that immerses players in the struggle between light and darkness.”
    • “The atmosphere is dark, yet gorgeous.”
    • “I could list a ton of more things that I hate about this game, like the cringe story and lore, that is also just an embarrassing caricature of the atmosphere you would find in a From Software game, or several specific bugs and flaws in game design, but I have wasted enough time with it already.”
    • “Yes, I get it, the storm building the dark atmosphere, and that's fine, but combined with trying to learn basic movement, targeting controls and game feedback it's too much for casual players.”
    • “The pervasive darkness enhances the atmosphere, but it's excessively harsh when you cannot identify key elements like ladders or entries, which can be very annoying.”
  • music196 mentions

    The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its quality and atmospheric fit, particularly during key moments like boss fights and cutscenes. However, several players expressed disappointment over the lack of consistent background music, feeling that it detracts from immersion and engagement during exploration. Overall, while the soundtrack is often described as beautiful and evocative, some players wish for more frequent and memorable musical themes throughout the gameplay.

    • “The setting, art, music, and voice acting are all top notch.”
    • “The music, while subtle, stands out during key moments and perfectly accompanies cinematics and boss battles, enhancing the overall player experience.”
    • “The soundtrack is equally impressive, with an evocative score that perfectly complements the game's dark fantasy setting.”
    • “My only complaint is the lack of music, and it needs more RPG immersion elements to do in the cities like getting drunk, sitting down, or mini-games maybe like fist-fighting or some dice rolling to earn gold differently.”
    • “Some parts of the game can feel uncomfortably absent of music at times.”
    • “I don't even remember anything of the soundtrack, so I'll just say it's... not memorable.”
  • stability139 mentions

    The stability of the game has received mixed feedback, with many players noting significant bugs, crashes, and performance issues typical of early access titles. While some users report that the game runs smoothly on high-end systems, others experience frequent freezes and graphical glitches, leading to frustration. Overall, while there are promising aspects, the game still requires substantial optimization and bug fixes to enhance stability.

    • “The game runs great on my upper-end gaming PC.”
    • “This game may be in early access, but it's relatively bug-free.”
    • “No stutters, no black screens, the game runs great.”
    • “The game is such a buggy mess, kind of a shame.”
    • “Game has unacceptably terrible performance and glitches.”
    • “There are stutters and freezes during gameplay and scene transitions.”
  • replayability41 mentions

    The game offers significant replayability through diverse character builds, randomized upgrades, and engaging endgame content, with many players appreciating the variety in gameplay styles and exploration. However, some users feel that the current replay value is limited, particularly due to the lack of respec options and repetitive environments, suggesting that future updates could enhance this aspect further. Overall, the combination of immersive combat and evolving gameplay mechanics positions the game as a promising title for replayability, especially in its early access state.

    • “This game has a ton of replayability, end game farming, daily/weekly quests, exploration of the likes I've never seen in an isometric ARPG, a story that doesn't treat the audience like idiots... there is a lot to say here.”
    • “The build variety, precise combat, and the nature of how the RNG works for drops makes this game almost infinitely replayable, even in an early access state.”
    • “Very good soulslike that captures the verticality and interconnectedness of the Dark Souls world, while radically improving replayability with randomized equipment and enemy placement.”
    • “After discovering how the RNG system works with enchanting items as well as randomized legendary drops from bosses - I can already tell that the replayability of this game is going to revolve around grinding enemies for favorable drops, which I am personally not a fan of.”
    • “Not much replay value as of yet.”
    • “For me, the game is exhausting, tedious, and feels like work to play - I do not enjoy it as it makes progression and replayability feel like a massive boring chore.”
  • character development36 mentions

    Character development in the game is a mixed bag, with many praising the stunning character designs and immersive environments that enhance the overall experience. However, some players criticize the character design as grotesque or unappealing, suggesting a lack of balance in character development systems. While the combat mechanics and story integration are noted as strong points, there is a call for deeper character development to fully realize the potential of the game's rich visual and narrative elements.

    • “The attention to detail with the story, the character design, and the environments is amazing.”
    • “The combat mechanics are solid, requiring strategic thinking to adapt to enemy moves and attack patterns, and each weapon adds a unique flavor to gameplay, influencing your playstyle and character development.”
    • “It's a really cool combination of deep rewarding combat (soulslike vibes) and exploration, with a bit less of the punishing gameplay systems and more emphasis on character development and story.”
    • “This game has no direction, the character design is bad and they look grotesque, the art style is meh and barely looks decent in HDR mode.”
    • “On a more subjective note: the character design is just ugly.”
    • “Long and short of it: the combat lacks any satisfying impact, the exploration is unrewarding and frustrating due to contextual movement controls, and the game is... technically proficient in terms of art production but the character design is seemingly intentionally hideous which is... fine I guess?”
  • humor36 mentions

    The humor in the game is often described as unintentional, stemming from various bugs, awkward animations, and quirky character designs that lead to amusing moments. Players find the game's mechanics and balance issues, such as ineffective stats and over-the-top ragdoll physics, to be comically frustrating rather than challenging. Additionally, some dialogue and NPC interactions provide genuine laughs, contributing to an overall lighthearted, albeit flawed, experience.

    • “It's kind of funny when I first got this game because I think back to games like Path of Exile or Diablo and realize the game is only really a challenge when you reach ultra hell hardcore nightmare mode.”
    • “Also, my current favorite line is 'the wood remembers the shape of my ass' from a drunk regular at the bar.”
    • “So, often as not, when I'm going home instead of opening the door, hilariously my character will just slam up against it flat like something startled him silly.”
    • “The game has huge potential, and the combat is very good, but almost everything is broken at this point. The bosses are extremely difficult, especially at the beginning. I died to the first boss 40 times; it's not funny. Don't buy early access, wait, unless you enjoy suffering.”
    • “The humor in the game falls flat, making the experience feel more frustrating than entertaining.”
    • “I expected some laughs, but the jokes are stale and the comedic timing is off, which just adds to the overall disappointment.”
  • monetization31 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has garnered mixed reactions, with many players appreciating the absence of microtransactions and viewing it as a genuine effort rather than a cash grab. However, concerns have been raised about potential future monetization schemes, particularly regarding time-based upgrades that could lead to pay-to-speed-up mechanics. Overall, while the game currently avoids predatory practices, players remain wary of possible changes as it progresses through early access.

    • “I have been enjoying the game very much and I'm glad that there are no in-game purchases like there are commonly in other games of this type.”
    • “And all of this from a studio that has no shareholders, no microtransactions, who when asked how players can support them more says in response, 'buy one of our previous games.'”
    • “You can tell things have been well thought out to be engaging and not cash grabs.”
    • “What takes this game from a positive into a negative review, however, is the obvious mobile-themed monetization scheme that the developers are preparing the game for, seen already in the early stages of the game.”
    • “Looks like the game is made to have microtransactions in the future.”
    • “If you dare to try and put microtransactions in to speed things up in the 40 dollar Canadian single player game, I will push Steam for a refund and call this game complete trash.”
  • emotional19 mentions

    Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, highlighting its intense gameplay, beautiful art style, and impactful music that evoke feelings of both joy and frustration. Many reviewers note the emotional investment in the story and character designs, while also acknowledging the challenges and improvements in gameplay mechanics that enhance their overall experience. Despite some performance issues, the emotional depth and engagement of the game resonate deeply with players, making it a memorable experience.

    • “The art style, story, intensity, gameplay, and emotional roller coaster that is the two Ori games just gives us a peek at the potential we have in No Rest for the Wicked.”
    • “It's been a couple of years since a game has made me feel this way.”
    • “The voice acting is emotional, and the character designs are beautiful.”
    • “Could be fun if it weren't for the terrible performance, sloppy combat, boring story, and the ham-fisted diversity box checking.”
    • “You don't need a very long and boring story to explain the world.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy No Rest for the Wicked

Play time

11hMedian play time
19hAverage play time
5-30hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 109 analyzed playthroughs

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