A raging storm tosses your ship on the battering waves, as you, a Cerim – someone destined to take on the plague -, await your arrival at Isola Sacra. After your ship is attacked, you awaken on the shore, battered, bruised, and worse for wear. It is here that your journey in No Rest for the Wicked – a top-down soulslike experience – begins.
Being in early access, it is easy to write off No Rest for the Wicked as being an incomplete experience with little to do. Admittedly, the game’s trailers don’t do it much justice, but after giving it a try, I recognize that this game, which feels like a cross between Diablo or Path of Exile and Dark Souls, is more than worth checking out, thanks to its deep weapons system, numerous activities, and impressive combat mechanics.
More Diablo Than Dark Souls
No Rest for the Wicked is labeled as a Soulslike experience, and while I can see that, the game reminds me more of an ARPG. The top-down camera angle provides a birds-eye view of the map, much like you get in an isometric RPG, and the game is full of upgrade materials that provide various upgrades and enchantments. The main difference is that No Rest for the Wicked offers a more difficult experience with various “bonfires” called Whispers that you can use to rest.
These Whispers don’t reset the world state as they would in a standard Soulslike title, meaning the Soulslike comparison is only skin deep. While this was a slight disappointment going into a game that I expected to have more in comparison with one of my favorite types of games, it didn’t completely turn me off from it. I stuck around and found that the game’s combat system is really quite something. It features a plethora of weaponry, strong mechanics, and a stat-based progression system.
Shortly after my character awoke on the beach outside of Sacrament, I learned the ropes of dodging and parrying enemy attacks before making my way to the game’s first boss. Being fresh from a shipwreck, my skills were understandably lacking, but I stuck with it, found a few weapons, and managed to get my footing. My weapons of choice for my first character were two-handed greatswords, hammers, and greataxes, and no two of these felt the same.
Each weapon I picked up featured a unique attack pattern, randomized skills, and varying requirements, all of which enhanced my enjoyment of the game’s combat. One weapon I particularly enjoyed was an electrified sword with an ability that made my character spin around, dealing massive AOE damage to enemies unfortunate enough to be caught in it.
The way that elemental damage played a role in my builds is something I didn’t expect. Fire, ice, and lightning are all at your disposal, and when applied to a weapon, they can give you a major upgrade. Frost is by far my favorite element, as it stops enemies in their tracks, leaving them vulnerable for a brief period, allowing you to punish them greatly or retreat and heal before pressing another assault.
A Deep Upgrade System
Working hand-in-hand with the combat, No Rest for the Wicked features a deep upgrade system that went further than I expected. On the surface, the game allows you to upgrade your skills to further your character’s development, allowing them to use different types of weapons and armor, but this changes once you reach the main hub area of Sacrament.
Upon reaching the city, the game’s upgrade mechanics come out in full force, allowing you to enhance your weapons and armor via standard upgrades. During your journey, you collect various types of embers and materials, with each type allowing you to provide different upgrades. Some of the embers will allow you to create plagued items; gear that is powerful but comes with a drawback, while others will allow you to create enchanted gear. Other items help with providing specific enchantments, rerolling your equipped enchantments, and removing unwanted enchantments.
On top of this, there are various ways to upgrade the city of Sacrament as you play. Materials can be used to enhance the various vendors, granting them better inventories and unlocking additional abilities. You can also go out of your way to purchase a house – something I did almost immediately, allowing you to store items for safekeeping, and offering a place for workbenches so you can craft your own gear.
A Haunting, Atmospheric World and Unique Art Style
I will be honest, the art style of No Rest for the Wicked was something I didn’t like at first. When you create a character, you are met with a style of human with a condensed head, bulky upper body, and legs that look as though they have never seen a gym. As someone who loves creating a character, I wasn’t the biggest fan of this, but the art style grew on me as I explored the world.
Each enemy has a uniquely grotesque look about them that enhances the game’s atmosphere. Twisting limbs and plagued features lend credence to the story, which focuses on a world being consumed by the Pestilence. Enemies who become more monstrous as you make your way through the game further the feeling of despair.
Along with this, every NPC has a unique look about them. While some have that same strange look as the main character you create in the menu, there is a large variety of body shapes and looks that are all tied together by the same art style, which looks like a cross between gothic and comic book, mixed with an oil medium. The artists did a great job capturing the dark feel of a Soulslike game and made it unique to No Rest for the Wicked.
Speaking of the world, there is much to explore, with twisting pathways that loop over themselves, deep caverns, and massive mountains. It is easy to get lost while searching for your next objective, and there are countless times that I doubled back around and realized I completely overlooked something.
Shortcuts make things easier as you slowly progress through each segment of the map, and much like the traditional Dark Souls title, the main hub branches out in multiple directions, allowing you to explore at your leisure. Of course, not all pathways are created equal, and you can easily find yourself in an area with enemies who are far above your skill level, but with perseverance, you can overcome the challenges.
Pathing the Way to a Full Release
No Rest for the Wicked offers a deep upgrade system combined with a massively explorable world, a unique art style, and difficult yet enriching combat. I went into the title not thinking I would enjoy it much. After all, I am not the biggest fan of Diablo, but the Soulslike elements that exist in No Rest for the Wicked help elevate it to a new level that makes it more enjoyable than I ever thought. Now, it is a game that I play not out of obligation, but because I want to test my mettle against the plagued enemies of Isola Sacra.
