Ori developer Moon Studios has revealed action RPG No Rest for the Wicked

08.12.2023 - 12:11 / videogameschronicle.com / Thomas Mahler / Gennadiy Korol

Take-Two publishing label Private Division has announced No Rest for the Wicked, an upcoming action RPG from Ori developer Moon Studios.

The debut trailer for the game, which is viewable below, premiered during the Game Awards on Thursday night.

Releasing in Early Access on PC (via Steam) in the first quarter of 2024, followed by a full release on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC at a later date, Private Division claimed the title is “poised to reinvent the genre”.

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It said: “Players explore an intricate and vast island called Isola Sacra that allows them to experience verticality in a way that is unmatched in other ARPGs with spelunking depths of crypts, lush forests, and treacherous mountain passes.

“Each location is home to complex protagonists with their own problems, hidden treasures, ferocious creatures, and secrets to discover.

“With No Rest for the Wicked’s brutal, precision-based combat system, Moon Studios is pushing the envelope on the art of combat. Fights in the game are animation-driven, direct, and tactile, allowing skilled players to combine visceral strikes and deadly moves.

“This innovative combat system results in a highly satisfying gameplay experience that is unique in isometric ARPGs, where skill and timing is required over simple ‘button-mashing.’”

The game’s multiplayer mode will let players share their world and progress with up to three friends in online co-op.

Moon was founded in 2010 by CEO and creative director Thomas Mahler (a former cinematic artist at Blizzard Entertainment) and technology and production director Gennadiy Korol (a former senior graphics engineer at Animation Lab).

No Rest for the Wicked is the studio’s third game, following 2015’s Ori and the Blind Forest and 2020’s Ori and the Will of the Wisps.

“We have been dreaming of being able to contribute to the ARPG genre that we all grew up with and love,” said Mahler. “After the success of Ori, it was clear to us that Moon was now mature enough to finally realize those dreams. We can’t wait to see how players will react to this entirely new take on the genre.”

“For the past six years we’ve been hard at work on our dream passion project – a next-level ARPG, fueled by our love and ambition for tight gameplay mechanics and world building,” said Korol. “We are excited to reveal our own take on what we’ve always envisioned as the core canons of the ARPG genre, while taking the next steps to reimagine the elements we consider ripe for innovation.”