No Break for the Bad Preview: Similar to Diablo, but with Dark Souls Gameplay

No Rest for the Wicked is like a beautiful blend of Diablo and Dark Souls, with challenging battles and a rewarding sense of accomplishment. You're not a powerhouse here, but rather a survivor fighting against walking death machines. Every inch of progress is hard-earned, making victory incredibly satisfying. Get ready to dodge, parry, and fight for your life in a visually stunning and lived-in world. Can't wait for more! 💥🎮

Looks Like Diablo, Plays Like Dark Souls

🎮

I've played both ory games I survived the water tower in blind Forest so I knew that even though developer Moon Studios was changing genres for its next game no rest for the wicked I shouldn't expect to Breeze through it and sure enough after playing the first 90 minutes of an early build culminating in a punishing boss fight I had to earn every piece of New Gear every every bit of Loot and every inch of progress no rest for the wicked is beautiful it is challenging and it is rewarding you are not a walking death machine here like in Diablo instead your enemies are the walking death machines and you'll need to learn how to survive [Music] them as we'd already been told by Moon Studios in our recent IGN first exclusive cover cage no rest for the wicked isn't a highspeed slaughterfest like Diablo V instead it's much closer to Dark Souls you'll need to time your attacks parries Dodge rolls and enemy engagements just right in order to survive each fight but I'm getting ahead of myself after enjoying the opening cut scene and rolling your character you'll wash ashore and immediately notice wicked's beautiful painterly art style it has a family resemblance to ory visually speaking but it's much Bleaker where aie was vibrant Wicked is Sullen this isn't a complaint though its Beachside starting location and constant rain and wind swept foliage make it feel like a pirate story that's gone terribly wrong this is a good thing visually as it gives wicked's World character and makes it constantly feel alive it's a lived in place though what lives there doesn't seem too happen Happ about it wicked's gameplay starts like most action RPGs do by having you smash every barrel and kill every inconsequential crab in an effort to improve from the nothing you start with to something anything and while those initial Vermin pose no threat you'll soon be introduced to the enemies called the Risen that very much do it's here where your lessons begin the main lesson apply your Soul's like skills be very very deliberate in your attacks and movements because one wrong move can get you killed picking up ingredients and cooking Health restoring meals at various campfires ahead of time is crucial to surviving battles with multiple foes stamina Management in battle is also vital as too much Dodge rolling will result in you being unable to move or attack in short you'll be a momentary sitting duck the neat thing about the danger present in every bad guy though is that when you crush them into a bloody pulp it's incredibly satisfying and rewarding but if you do die check that when you die you'll respawn at the nearest serum whisper point with your health restored though not your weapon durability and with the dead enemies still dead and the wounded enemies still injured those same serum whisper points by the way also Al refill your health when you activate them sh there are NPCs to talk to of course and shopkeepers to do business with I really like how you can move around in the world too you can clamor up and down Vine covered walls Scurry up ladders hop up short walls and tiptoe across narrow planks that lead to Secrets all of it couples with the living painting art style to make it feel like it existed long before you started playing meanwhile a handy map helps guide you to the next objective while conveniently also showing you how thoroughly you've explored each region itemwise and when you level up you'll have skill points to distribute while the classic action RPG paper doll style inventory should make most players feel right at home I appreciate that every item clearly displays whether or not it would be an upgrade over what you have currently equipped in a sadistic tease my preview version ended just as I had gained a few levels and was starting to feel a bit powerful or I would have felt a little bit powerful if I weren't immediately beat down by the same boss monstrosity that we exclusively showed you at the start of our IGN first coverage a couple weeks ago all in all the first hour and a half of No Rest For The Wicked gave me a good sense of what to expect and it left me wanting more I suspect it's going to win over a lot of you when it lost launches into Early Access in the coming weeks it's been almost exactly 4 years since Moon studios's last game and what this first taste of wicked makes quite clear is that those four years have been well spent if Wicked isn't on your radar already it's about to be for more on no rest for the wicked check out our combat focused interview with the Moon Studios bosses as well as our chat with them about how they went from ay to Wick and for everything else in the world of video games you're already in the right place right here at IGN

Key Takeaways

Visuals and Setting 🎨

🌧️

A Lived-in Place

Deliberate Combat 🗡️

🦾

Crucial Lesson Learned

Explore and Progress 🗺️

🔍

Movement and Exploration

Gear and Progression ⚔️

📈

Classic Inventory Style

The first hour and a half of No Rest for the Wicked left me eager for more. The challenging and rewarding gameplay, combined with the visually striking world, sets the stage for an adventure that is not to be missed. As the game prepares to launch into early access, it's clear that Moon Studios has poured years of dedication into creating a compelling experience that will captivate players. For those looking for a new and engaging adventure, No Rest for the Wicked is set to make its mark in the world of video games.