The studio behind Ori and the Blind Forest is making a gorgeous action RPG

08.12.2023 - 02:35 / theverge.com / Andrew Webster

By Andrew Webster, an entertainment editor covering streaming, virtual worlds, and every single Pokémon video game. Andrew joined The Verge in 2012, writing over 4,000 stories.

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Moon Studios, the team behind the beautiful and incredibly hard Ori games, has announced its next project. It’s called No Rest for the Wicked and is described as “a mature, precision action role-playing game.” The game is launching in early access on PC in early 2024, with a full release on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X / S planned for sometime afterward. And, of course, it looks absolutely stunning. Here’s the age-gated trailer.

It’ll be Moon’s first title outside of the Ori series, and it sounds like there is a very large focus on combat. In a press release, the studio says that “fights in the game are animation-driven, direct, and tactile, allowing skilled players to combine visceral strikes and deadly moves.” It also features co-op for up to four players, with players able to “share their world and progress.”

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And as for the premise, here’s the fantasy world the game takes place in:

In the year 841, a pivotal moment dawns upon the kingdom, marked by the passing of King Harol Bolein. A devastating conflict arises when a peaceful transition of power devolves into chaos. In addition to this political turmoil, a deadly plague has reemerged on the remote island of Sacra, twisting the land and its inhabitants. Players must brandish their arms in an effort to quell both the grotesque beasts and the Kingdom’s invading army throughout a turbulent atmosphere where they are pulled in every direction

The game is being published by Take-Two’s label Private Division, which is also working with Pokémon studio Game Freak on an action-adventure game with the codename “Project Bloom.”

As for No Rest for the Wicked, more details are expected during a livestream event taking place on March 1st.

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