NO REST FOR THE WICKED REVIEW: A GORGEOUS PAINTING THAT’S STILL WET
Ever wondered what would happen if Dark Souls and Diablo had a baby, but that baby was raised by a brilliant artist who was also a cruel, unforgiving Dungeon Master? Well, congratulations, you've just envisioned No Rest for the Wicked, an Early Access title that is simultaneously one of the most beautiful and most infuriating games I've played in years.
A Breathtaking World to Die In
Let's get the obvious out of the way: this game is gorgeous. It looks like a watercolor painting that decided to get up and punch you in the face. The art style is so unique and stunning that I often found myself just stopping to stare at the scenery before a grotesque monster promptly reminded me that this world is as deadly as it is beautiful. The level design is a labyrinthine masterpiece, full of secrets and shortcuts that reward a curious eye. It’s a world that begs you to explore every nook and cranny, which makes the pain of traversal all the more acute.
The Agony and Ecstasy of Combat
At its heart, Wicked is about visceral, deliberate combat. This isn't a brainless hack-and-slash where you wipe out mobs. Every encounter is a duel, a strategic dance of dodges, parries, and well-timed skills. When you land a perfect parry or devastate an enemy with a hefty claymore swing, it feels incredible. The weapons have weight, the animations are top-notch, and a hard-won victory is deeply satisfying.
That’s the ecstasy. The agony comes when the game fights you as much as the enemies do. The camera can feel like a boss in itself, swinging around to focus on anything but the hulking beast about to cave your skull in. The automatic jump mechanic has a mind of its own, frequently deciding that a leap into the abyss is a much better idea than grabbing the obvious ledge right in front of you. For a game made by the platforming geniuses behind Ori, it's a truly baffling choice.
The Grind Giveth, and the Grind Taketh Away
This game wants to be a lot of things at once, and one of them is a loot-driven ARPG. That means one thing: the grind. Be prepared to spend hours farming materials, praying to the RNG gods that the one specific gem you need will finally drop from a chest. It's a system that can feel deeply rewarding when you finally craft that perfect piece of gear, but utterly soul-crushing when you spend an entire evening farming and have nothing to show for it.
Then there are the truly bizarre design choices, like real-world timers for city upgrades. That's right, in my single-player game, I have to wait over an hour in real time for my blacksmith to finish an upgrade. It’s an artificial obstacle that feels less like a game mechanic and more like a mobile game's attempt to get me to log in tomorrow.
An Early Access Battlefield
It’s impossible to forget that this is an Early Access game, and it shows. Performance can be rocky, I've fallen through the world geometry, and game-breaking bugs can end a promising run in the endgame Crucible dungeon. But here’s the thing: you can also see the passion. The developers are clearly throwing everything they have at this, pushing out hotfixes and major updates at a frantic pace. They are actively listening, tweaking, and wrestling this ambitious beast into shape. It still has a long way to go, but the commitment to fixing its flaws and realizing its incredible potential is undeniable.
The Verdict
No Rest for the Wicked is a paradox. It’s a stunningly beautiful game with a deep, rewarding combat system at its core. It’s also a frustrating, grindy, and janky experience that often feels at war with itself. The potential here is off the charts—this could genuinely be a masterpiece when it hits 1.0. Buying it now is a bet on that potential. If you have the patience for the grind and the forgiveness for its EA shortcomings, you'll find a truly special and innovative game struggling to be born.
Score: 7.5/10 - A masterpiece in the making, currently held together with grit, potential, and a whole lot of prayer.
We at NLM received a key for this game for free, this however didn't impact our review in any way.