No Rest for the Wicked

83%
Game Brain Score Based on 11,193 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.

  • PC
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Cloud
  • NVIDIA GeForce NOW
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

83%
Audience ScoreBased on 11,193 reviews
gameplay827 positive mentions
optimization472 negative mentions
  • optimization2,593 mentions

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting severe performance issues, including stuttering, frame drops, and crashes, even on high-end systems. While some users have noted improvements following recent patches, the overall consensus is that the game still requires substantial optimization to provide a smoother experience, particularly on lower-end hardware and the Steam Deck. Many reviewers express hope that ongoing updates will address these performance concerns, but caution potential buyers to wait for further improvements before purchasing.

    • “Despite significant improvements to the game performance (the game has over doubled in performance for me, not even including upscaling that was added... previously it would barely run on a top-end PC), it still has a long way to go.”
    • “With this latest update, performance has greatly improved making the game even more enjoyable.”
    • “The game is beautifully crafted, and I get consistent 45-60 fps with occasional drops to 30 fps on a 4 years old gaming laptop (geforce rtx 3070), so although the performance could be better, I can't complain really, is not that bad.”
    • “However, the game is poorly optimized; it was a nightmare at the very beginning.”
    • “The art style, voice acting, story, tone, the direction, the potential of the combat are all fantastic, but the performance - non-stop stuttering and frame drops - currently for early access is immersion breaking.”
    • “The performance is truly terrible and overall the game still needs a lot of polish.”
  • gameplay2,425 mentions

    The gameplay of "No Rest for the Wicked" has garnered mixed feedback, with many praising its beautiful art style and engaging combat mechanics reminiscent of souls-like games. Players appreciate the depth of gameplay, including resource gathering, crafting, and town-building elements, but express frustration over certain mechanics such as durability, time-gated crafting, and clunky controls that can detract from the overall experience. While the core gameplay loop is seen as promising and addictive, there are calls for improvements in performance and quality of life features to enhance the player experience.

    • “The gameplay is where No Rest for the Wicked truly stands out.”
    • “The developers have introduced innovative mechanics that keep you engaged and constantly strategizing.”
    • “The gameplay loop is satisfying and addicting.”
    • “Gameplay gets muddled unnecessarily with crafting mechanics.”
    • “The durability mechanic is a stupid mechanic that should have been left in the early 2000s.”
    • “The gameplay is a mixture of souls game with some traditional arpg elements.”
  • graphics2,401 mentions

    The graphics of "No Rest for the Wicked" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning, painterly art style that evokes a unique and immersive atmosphere, reminiscent of the Ori series. Players appreciate the intricate level design and vibrant environments, although some have noted performance issues and a lack of detailed graphical options. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal despite some technical shortcomings.

    • “Even in its early access phase, the game shines with breathtaking graphics and a captivating aesthetic that immerses you in its dark, atmospheric world.”
    • “The graphics are dark and cartoonish, which seems like a hard thing to achieve, but they've done a fantastic job with it.”
    • “The art style is gorgeous, being simultaneously vivid and stylized, with truly stunning lighting; I could look at it all day honestly.”
    • “The performance - non-stop stuttering and frame drops - currently for early access is immersion breaking.”
    • “Graphics are very upsetting for the eyes, it's like playing in a painting canvas made with a waterbrush.”
    • “The graphics are subpar and I am having a lot of fps dips.”
  • story1,848 mentions

    The story of "No Rest for the Wicked" has received generally positive feedback, with many players praising its engaging narrative, rich character development, and high-quality voice acting. While the game is currently in early access and only offers a limited amount of story content, players find the plot intriguing and well-presented through cinematic cutscenes. However, some reviewers express a desire for more substantial content and story progression, as the current offerings feel short and incomplete, leaving them eager for future updates. Overall, the combination of compelling storytelling and beautiful visuals has captivated many players, setting high expectations for the game's full release.

    • “The story is engaging and the level design is spectacular.”
    • “The story is presented well, and the characters are rich with great voice acting and dialogue.”
    • “The story so far is intriguing, with a captivating plot and well-developed characters.”
    • “The story is not complete just yet; if that is something you want to see in its entirety, I would recommend holding off until 1.0 launches. If the gameplay looks fun to you and you are okay with not having the story finished just yet, then I think you will have a fun time with this game.”
    • “The story content is currently limited as expected for an early access game.”
    • “The story feels and sounds weighty and naturally grounded in the world.”
  • grinding713 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 repetitive nature of resource gathering, the lack of enemy respawns, and the cumbersome inventory management as significant drawbacks that detract from the overall enjoyment of the game. While some players appreciate the challenge and the satisfaction of crafting and upgrading, the overwhelming sentiment is that the grind can feel like a chore, often overshadowing the game's otherwise engaging combat and exploration elements.

    • “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.”
    • “Love the resource grind as it forces you to go out into the world to upgrade, but it isn't too grindy.”
    • “I like how you are not farming 'souls' for upgrades.”
    • “I am tired of tediously using tools for items, them breaking, going to get more of those tools or repairing them, then repeating over and over again.”
    • “The game can be rewarding, but this is far outweighed by the grindy, repetitive, and ultimately overly frustrating experience the game currently provides.”
    • “The resource grind for town and vendor upgrades feels tedious and artificial, like progression for progression's sake.”
  • atmosphere335 mentions

    The atmosphere of "No Rest for the Wicked" is widely praised for its stunning graphics, immersive sound design, and captivating art direction, creating a dark and engaging world that draws players in. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke a sense of tension and exploration, with dynamic weather and environmental storytelling enhancing the overall experience. Despite some minor gameplay frustrations, the atmospheric elements are considered one of the game's strongest features, making it a must-play for fans of atmospheric and stylistic design.

    • “Even in its early access phase, the game shines with breathtaking graphics and a captivating aesthetic that immerses you in its dark, atmospheric world.”
    • “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.”
  • music275 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its beauty and ability to enhance the atmosphere, particularly during key moments like boss fights. However, several players express disappointment over the lack of consistent background music, noting that it can feel sparse or forgettable compared to other titles like Ori. Overall, while the soundtrack is appreciated for its quality, many players feel it needs to be more prominent and engaging throughout the gameplay experience.

    • “The music is pretty great with the main hub's soundtrack being the most memorable for me.”
    • “The beautiful soundtrack and excellent voice acting give the game an authentic atmosphere.”
    • “The music, while subtle, stands out during key moments and perfectly accompanies cinematics and boss battles, enhancing the overall player experience.”
    • “With no rest for the wicked, music is unfortunately absent; perhaps this is an early access issue, who knows, but it leaves the game sonically sounding empty, lifeless, and dull.”
    • “I was disappointed in the lack of music while generally exploring.”
    • “If you are playing the game for the music, you will be sorely disappointed.”
  • stability172 mentions

    The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with many players noting it is somewhat buggy, experiencing random freezes, crashes, and graphical glitches, particularly on lower-end hardware. However, some users report that it runs smoothly on higher-end systems and the Steam Deck, indicating that performance can vary significantly based on hardware. Overall, while the game shows promise, it is still in early access and requires further optimization and bug fixes.

    • “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 blackscreens, game runs great.”
    • “Please fix the game, it's buggy and unbalanced, and all the need to support older hardware is pointless when it destroys the game...”
    • “Too buggy to be playable for me.”
    • “The game is such a buggy mess, kind of a shame.”
  • replayability57 mentions

    Overall, the game exhibits high replayability due to its diverse character builds, challenging combat, and engaging exploration mechanics, with many players eager for future content updates. While some users appreciate the randomization in dungeons and loot, others express concerns about the current lack of content and the potential for grinding to diminish enjoyment. The developers' commitment to enhancing replayability through updates and multiplayer features is noted as a positive aspect for the game's future.

    • “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.”
    • “I really love the fog of war system, the enemies moving into previous areas, the daily/weekly quests resetting the areas, etc. so many wonderful ideas in this game that I think work very well for both solo play for just progression's sake as well as replayability, and multiplayer when it comes out.”
    • “The only thing I'm missing is more playable content and more places to go.”
    • “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.”
    • “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.”
  • humor48 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as a mix of dark comedy and absurdity, with players finding amusement in quirky character designs, unexpected dialogue, and the game's various glitches and mechanics. Many reviewers noted that the humor often stems from the game's challenges and design choices, such as the exaggerated rag-doll physics and the comical ineffectiveness of certain stats and items. Overall, while the game has potential, its humor is frequently highlighted as a redeeming quality amidst its flaws.

    • “With characters that have more secrets than a grandmother at a family gathering and a pace that doesn't let you breathe (not even for a sip of water), this story is a whirlwind of action and dark humor.”
    • “Also, my current favorite line is: 'The wood remembers the shape of my ass' from a drunk regular at the bar.”
    • “The NPCs and player character look kind of weird and funny, but all NPC characters are fully voiced, which I really appreciate and like.”
    • “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 instead, I just found myself groaning at the poorly executed jokes.”
    • “While the game tries to inject humor into its dialogue, it often misses the mark, leaving players feeling more annoyed than amused. It's a shame because the concept had promise.”
  • character development47 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. While some players appreciate the unique and memorable character aesthetics, others criticize certain designs as grotesque or unappealing. Overall, the character development system appears to lack balance and depth, leaving players wanting more in terms of narrative and character growth.

    • “The attention to detail with the story, the character design, and the environments is amazing.”
    • “The character designs and writing are fantastic so far.”
    • “The biggest draw for me so far for 'No Rest for the Wicked' is the immersion given to the player through the world atmosphere, story building, and character design.”
    • “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.”
    • “The character designs are laughably bad.”
    • “On a more subjective note: the character design is just ugly.”
  • monetization38 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has elicited mixed reactions from users. While some praise the absence of microtransactions and view the developers as respectful and community-oriented, others express concerns about potential future monetization schemes and mobile-themed mechanics that could detract from the experience. Overall, the game is currently free of predatory monetization practices, but skepticism remains regarding its long-term approach.

    • “Moon Studios is also a group of very passionate gamers who respect the community and are not greedy; their monetization model is one of the best I've seen in a decade.”
    • “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.”
    • “Presently, there are no microtransactions or pay-to-win elements.”
    • “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.”
    • “All this stuff is normally used to halt progress, kill the fun and get people to buy microtransactions to skip wait time, or reroll bad weapon stats.”
  • emotional22 mentions

    Players express a mix of emotional engagement and frustration with the game, highlighting its potential through beautiful art, intense gameplay, and emotional voice acting. While some feel deeply invested in the story and character designs, others struggle with performance issues and gameplay mechanics that detract from their experience, leading to feelings of disappointment. Overall, the emotional responses range from excitement and nostalgia to frustration and longing for improvement.

    • “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.”
    • “I'm emotionally invested in this because I know how great you can do.”
    • “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

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Play time

11hMedian play time
18hAverage play time
5-26hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 140 analyzed playthroughs

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