No Rest For The Wicked Launch Trailer Read More »

No Rest for the Wicked developer Moon Studios has released its first new content update for the early access release.

Known as The Crucible update, it brings a "whole new Crucible" (seems fitting), as well as a new fungal enemy faction known as the Gloam, a new Exalted item status, the promise of "more visceral" combat and more.

You can check out a little teaser for the update in the video below.

Read more

Grimdark hack-and-slasher No Rest For The Wicked has received its first major update - or the first that isn't focused on bug fixes and performance improvements, anyway. It focuses on revamping the Crucible, the endgame's repeatable roguelite, adding more randomisation to arenas and a new system of player buffs.

Read more

Grimdark hack-and-slasher No Rest For The Wicked has received its first major update - or the first that isn't focused on bug fixes and performance improvements, anyway. It focuses on revamping the Crucible, the endgame's repeatable roguelite, adding more randomisation to arenas and a new system of player buffs.

Read more

Limited Run Games has announced that 20 new-old games will be released in physical form, including Fear Effect, Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP, Starship Troopers: Extermination, and Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus.

As part of its LRG3 2024 showcase, the distributor confirmed not only the 20th anniversary edition of Beyond Good & Evil, but also physical releases of classic PS1 games Gex Trilogy, Tomba Special Edition and Tomba 2, Fear Effect, and more – much, much more.

In true LRG style, the Limited Run Games editions of the following games will be released in physical form only, including:

Read more

Tales Of The Shire unfolds in a world without shadow. There are shadows, technically, but they’re so mellow and fuzzy they might as well be stray pools of sunlight that have forgotten to glow. In this latest chunk of Lord Of The Rings memorabilia from developers Wētā Workshop and publisher Private Division, you are a custom-created hobbit who has just taken up residence in the charming Tellytubby town of Bywater, there to spend your days foraging, fishing, feasting and fraternizing with your fellow halfings, all of whom wear expressions of rosy-cheeked humour so intense in their winsome affability that your own face soon forms a merry rictus in response - like that terrible smile from Disco Elysium, but cosy. Oh god, no. Oh god, get it off me.

Read more

Tales Of The Shire unfolds in a world without shadow. There are shadows, technically, but they’re so mellow and fuzzy they might as well be stray pools of sunlight that have forgotten to glow. In this latest chunk of Lord Of The Rings memorabilia from developers Wētā Workshop and publisher Private Division, you are a custom-created hobbit who has just taken up residence in the charming Tellytubby town of Bywater, there to spend your days foraging, fishing, feasting and fraternizing with your fellow halfings, all of whom wear expressions of rosy-cheeked humour so intense in their winsome affability that your own face soon forms a merry rictus in response - like that terrible smile from Disco Elysium, but cosy. Oh god, no. Oh god, get it off me.

Read more

Podle zprávy zveřejněné na serveru IGN plánuje společnost Take-Two prodat nebo zavřít svou nezávislou vydavatelskou značku Private Division. Vydavatelství se sídlem v New Yorku bylo založeno v prosinci 2017, aby pomohlo uvést na trh hry od menších vývojářů.

Vydávalo hry jako Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey, The Outer Worlds, Disintegration a Rollerdrome. V dubnu však bylo většině zaměstnanců oznámeno, že budou propuštěni, protože Take-Two stahuje koberec pod Private Division. Na pokraji uzavření jsou také vývojářské společnosti Intercept Games, která vyvíjí Kerbal Space Program 2, a Roll7, která vyvíjí OlliOlli World.

Zatím zůstává na místě jen kostra týmu, která dodržuje dohody se společnostmi Moon Studios (pro hru No Rest for the Wicked, která byla spuštěna před třemi měsíci ve službě Steam Early Access), Wētā Workshop (pro hru Tales of the Shire, která by měla vyjít ještě letos) a vývojářem Pokémonů Game Freak, který v současné době pracuje na nové akční adventuře s kódovým označením Project Bloom. Mezitím začátkem tohoto týdne společnost Private Division odstoupila od partnerství s Bloober Team, které bylo oznámeno koncem roku 2022.

Polský vývojář v oficiální zprávě uvedl:

Bloober Team sleduje situaci na světovém herním trhu, bere takový scénář v úvahu a je připraven na případná alternativní řešení. Ke dni zveřejnění této zprávy společnost pokračuje v práci na projektu C v souladu s plánovaným harmonogramem výroby a marketingu v modelu samovydávání. Současně tým Bloober nevylučuje možnost pokračování této výroby na základě spolupráce s novým vydavatelem. Současná situace společnosti umožňuje zachovat předpoklady strategického plánu přijatého společností na období 2023-2027. Tato situace může představovat významnou příležitost ke zvýšení potenciálních příjmů souvisejících s tímto titulem.

Private Division již zjevně není pro Take-Two rentabilní, a proto se údajně snaží IP Kerbal Space Program prodat, možná v balíku s vývojářským studiem Intercept Games. Navíc by mohlo dojít k prodeji celé značky soukromé kapitálové společnosti, ačkoli podle zprávy zatím k dohodě nedošlo.

Článek Private Division bude pravděpodobně prodáno nebo uzavřeno se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

A producer on Kerbal Space Program 2 has confirmed that those working on the space flight sim are being laid off en masse. We already knew that the developers at Intercept Games would be losing their jobs thanks to a closure announcement from Washington State. Until remarks from Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of Take-Two Interactive, muddied the waters. Zelnick refused to acknowledge that the studio was being closed when asked by a reporter, even going so far as to claim the opposite. "We didn't shutter those studios," he told IGN. But it seems clear from one producer's testimony that Zelnick's remarks are inaccurate.

Read more

It looks like Grand Theft Auto publisher Take-Two is trying to get rid of its indie label, Private Division. This is according to a new IGN report that details how the company’s recent studio closures and mismanagement have been “quietly killing” the indie publisher.

Read more...

Take-Two Interactive chief exexutive officer Strauss Zelnick has claimed the publisher has not shut down OlliOlli developer Roll7 and Kerbal Space Program 2 studio Intercept Games, despite reports and evidence to the contrary earlier this month.

Word of Intercept Games' demise - and the loss 70 jobs at the studio - came via a Washington state closure notice submitted by Take-Two itself, and was corroborated by affected employees on social media. Later, Bloomberg's Jason Schreier reported Roll7's closure after reviewing an internal email breaking the news to Take-Two staff.

It's somewhat surprising, then, that Take-Two Interactive boss Strauss Zelnick is claiming, in conversation with IGN's Rebekah Valentine, "We didn't shutter those studios."

Read more

Let's great straight to it - Penny's Big Breakaway is one of the best platform games I have ever played. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with this game to the point that even months on from its original release date, I still think about and play it regularly. It's the kind of game where within the first few minutes, you instantly know you'll be playing and replaying for years to come. Developed by Evening Star - the team behind Sonic Mania - what we're looking at here is a game that fully understands Sonic's momentum-based platforming on a level that is rarely observed, translated into 3D in a way that not even Sonic Team has truly managed.

In a sense, Penny's Big Breakaway is a game that feels as if it were built in 1995 during the rise of 3D graphics by time travellers from the modern era, bringing with them today's modern knowledge and know-how. It's a perfect blend of old-school sensibility and innovation: a rare treat in today's gaming industry. It's also a game built entirely using in-house, from-the-ground-up technology. This is not a Unity or Unreal project, it's entirely bespoke, running at native 4K at a full 120 frames per second on everything from Xbox Series S upwards - another rarity.

At its core, Penny's is a 3D platforming game. You play through a series of stages all based on different themes, you jump, you run and aim for the goal - with a twist - the Yo-Yo. Yo-Yo is Penny's personal multi-tool - harnessing its power, players can attack, fly and speed across the map - it's fast, it's original and it's fun. It's also the key to the game's momentum system: tap the Yo-Yo button and Penny hops on board, riding the Yo-Yo like a Razor scooter around the map. Even better, Evening Star has implemented a simple combo system allowing you to chain together moves as if you were playing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater - the Yo-Yo basically works like a manual in that game chaining together combos along the way. The thing is, like Sonic, while the controls feel simple enough, there is a lot of depth there and, as you play, you'll find yourself adapting, slowly mastering the controls while executing increasingly lengthy combos.

Read more

Moon Studios has outlined the changes coming to the first patch for its early access dark fantasy action RPG, No Rest for the Wicked.

"This patch brings significant CPU and GPU performance improvements (especially when it comes to traversal and “heavy” areas), keyboard control remapping, a new mouse/keyboard control scheme, increased inventory stacks, chest inventory access at vendors / crafting, bows using stamina, earlier housing access, Quality of Life and 45+ bug fixes," the team explained in the patch notes, saying the patch "celebrates" the game's two-week anniversary.

Given the long, long list of performance improvements and optimisations, Moon Studios has now revised its recommended PC specs for the RPG, the updated version of which is available below:

Read more

Moon Studios has outlined the changes coming to the first patch for its early access dark fantasy action RPG, No Rest for the Wicked.

"This patch brings significant CPU and GPU performance improvements (especially when it comes to traversal and “heavy” areas), keyboard control remapping, a new mouse/keyboard control scheme, increased inventory stacks, chest inventory access at vendors / crafting, bows using stamina, earlier housing access, Quality of Life and 45+ bug fixes," the team explained in the patch notes, saying the patch "celebrates" the game's two-week anniversary.

Given the long, long list of performance improvements and optimisations, Moon Studios has now revised its recommended PC specs for the RPG, the updated version of which is available below:

Read more

Moon Studios has outlined the changes coming to the first patch for its early access dark fantasy action RPG, No Rest for the Wicked.

"This patch brings significant CPU and GPU performance improvements (especially when it comes to traversal and “heavy” areas), keyboard control remapping, a new mouse/keyboard control scheme, increased inventory stacks, chest inventory access at vendors / crafting, bows using stamina, earlier housing access, Quality of Life and 45+ bug fixes," the team explained in the patch notes, saying the patch "celebrates" the game's two-week anniversary.

Given the long, long list of performance improvements and optimisations, Moon Studios has now revised its recommended PC specs for the RPG, the updated version of which is available below:

Read more

After a bit of a bumpy landing on PC, it looks like No Rest for the Wicked is finally finding its feet. The early access action-RPG launched with notable performance problems that developers Moon Studios promised they’d address, starting with several hotfixes over the last few weeks that managed to claw back some frames. The game’s first big patch goes a step further, seemingly boosting the game’s performance to a degree that its minimum and recommended hardware specs have been lowered as a result.

Read more

Společnost Take-Two Interactive se nedávno připojila k neustále se rozšiřujícímu seznamu videoherních společností, které propouštějí, a oznámila, že v rámci širší úsporné iniciativy, která se týká i rušení projektů, snižuje počet svých zaměstnanců o 5 % (zhruba 600 pracovních míst). Bohužel se zdá, že nejhůře byla zasažena jedna vydavatelská značka, která pod společností působí.

Nedávné zprávy potvrdily, že v rámci hromadného propouštění společnosti Take-Two Interactive byla uzavřena studia Roll7 (OlliOlli, Rollerdrome) a Intercept Games (Kerbal Space Program 2), která vlastní Private Division. Zpráva agentury Bloomberg tvrdila, že propouštění se dotklo i samotné Private Division, což nyní potvrzuje i GamesIndustry.

Údajně byla propuštěna „drtivá většina“ zaměstnanců Private Division v kancelářích společnosti v Seattlu, New Yorku, Las Vegas a Mnichově. Jaký to má dopad na budoucí plány společnosti v oblasti připravovaných her, není jasné.

Společnost Take-Two Interactive se nedávno připojila k neustále se rozšiřujícímu seznamu videoherních společností, které propouštějí, a oznámila, že v rámci širší úsporné iniciativy, která se týká i rušení projektů, snižuje počet svých zaměstnanců o 5 % (zhruba 600 pracovních míst). Bohužel se zdá, že nejhůře byla zasažena jedna vydavatelská značka, která pod společností působí.

Nedávné zprávy potvrdily, že v rámci hromadného propouštění společnosti Take-Two Interactive byla uzavřena studia Roll7 (OlliOlli, Rollerdrome) a Intercept Games (Kerbal Space Program 2), která vlastní Private Division. Zpráva agentury Bloomberg tvrdila, že propouštění se dotklo i samotné Private Division, což nyní potvrzuje i GamesIndustry.

Údajně byla propuštěna „drtivá většina“ zaměstnanců Private Division v kancelářích společnosti v Seattlu, New Yorku, Las Vegas a Mnichově. Jaký to má dopad na budoucí plány společnosti v oblasti připravovaných her, není jasné.

Článek Společnost Take-Two Interactive údajně propustila „drtivou většinu“ zaměstnanců Private Division se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

One of the hallmarks of a great studio - I'm deciding this as I type it, but it definitely sounds legit - is that they can take on surprising themes and topics and genres and still feel like themselves. This week's game of the week had to be a Roll7 joint, and while I could have picked literally any of the team's games - they never made anything that was less than glorious - I've gone for Not a Hero, which was published by Devolver Digital back in the day.

For players expecting another skateboarding game after the first two OlliOllis, Not a Hero was both a genuine surprise and something that ultimately felt just right. It's an action game - there aren't many games that cram in more action - and it plays out in a side view as you race through various locations, smashing windows, taking cover, picking your moment and blasting enemies to pieces.

Yes, it's an action game, but it's also a sports game, of the same strain as the OlliOllis that preceded it. You're racing against the clock, but you're also following, or trying to uncover, that magical thread that will take you from the start of the level to the finish. The rules are very clear and the fail states are very obvious. Picking up ammo and stuff like that triggers a little timer, while your rechargeable health is there to separate a one-off mistake from an approach that is just a terrible idea. OlliOlli is yet another one of those action games - there are a lot of tactics games in this category too - that really reminds me of American Football. The full-ahead approach, but with a bit of thought to it. The precision use of non-precision aggression.

Read more

I was stunned this morning to read about the sudden closure of award-winning British studio Roll7 by parent company Take-Two, as I'm sure so many of you were. It hasn't been officially confirmed by either company yet but there are reports out there and people talking in all-but-confirmation tones on social media. It seems beyond doubt.

But it was barely a blink of an eye ago - November 2023 - when I was sitting with studio co-founder John Ribbins, and creative director Andreas Yiannikaris, to talk about 15 years of Roll7 and what was coming next. They were each excited about new games they were directing there, with Ribbins hopeful we'd learn more about his one this year. But those games, I expect, are now cancelled. To me at the time they looked as comfortable and content as anyone in game development could be. Belonging to a big company like Take-Two, via its publishing label Private Division, looked good on them.

It makes me cringe to think we even talked about the layoffs ravaging the games industry, which have evidently continued well into this year. I didn't put this quote in my piece but it's pertinent now: when asked about layoffs and whether they'd affected Roll7, Ribbins said, "I don't think anyone feels safe, but I feel very fortunate that we became part of the Take-Two family when we did, and also very fortunate that they still back what we want to do. Obviously there's stuff we're doing we can't really talk about at the moment, because it's early, but to be in a position where that is happening when lots of places around us are struggling - in a position to keep doing what we're doing with the people that were doing it with: we're really lucky to be in that position."

Read more

UPDATE 11.30pm: Following reports Kerbal Space Program 2 studio Intercept Games has been shut down as part of previously announced mass layoffs by parent company Take-Two, a fresh report has claimed renowned UK developer Roll7 - known for the acclaimed likes of OlliOlli World and Rollerdrome - has been closed down too.

As reported by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, based on a note to Take-Two staff reviewed by the publication, Roll7 is the second of two subsidiaries closing as part of Take-Two's layoffs - the first being Intercept Games. Severance agreements will reportedly be offered to Roll7 employees.

Roll7 was purchased by Private Division, Take-Two's indie publishing label, in 2021. The studio released two well-received titles - OlliOlli World and Rollerdrome - the following year.

Read more

Source

Studio, které v roce 2021 získala společnost Private Division, je uzavíráno v rámci hromadného propouštění Take-Two Interactive.

Podle zprávy zveřejněné agenturou Bloomberg se soukromé studio Roll7 uzavírá. Studio, známé především díky sériím OlliOlli a Rollerdrome, bude brzy uzavřeno v rámci nedávno oznámeného hromadného propouštění mateřské společnosti Private Division Take-Two Interactive, v jehož rámci společnost zruší přibližně 5 % svých zaměstnanců, což představuje asi 600 pracovních míst. Společnost Roll7 získala Private Division v roce 2021.

Není to jediné studio, které kvůli propouštění v Take-Two zavírá své brány. Nedávno bylo oznámeno, že se zavírá i vývojářské studio Kerbal Space Program 2 Intercept Games, které rovněž patří Private Division, což potvrzuje i agentura Bloomberg. Podle zprávy se navíc propouštění dotklo i řady zaměstnanců samotné Private Division.

Začátkem tohoto měsíce společnost Take-Two Interactive uvedla, že v důsledku snižování nákladů očekává ztrátu ve výši přibližně 200 milionů dolarů, z čehož zhruba 140 milionů dolarů bude způsobeno zrušením projektů.

Článek OlliOlli, Rollerdrome Studio Roll7 se uzavírá se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

Bloober Team má spoustu želízek v ohni, v současné době se studio nejvíce soustředí na dlouho očekávaný remake Silent Hill 2, ale zdá se, že brzy začne mluvit i o dalších projektech.

V roce 2022 Bloober Team oznámil, že uzavřel partnerství s vydavatelstvím Take-Two Interactive Private Division na nové survival hororové hře, a podle vývojářů bude tato hra oficiálně představena někdy koncem tohoto roku. Jak si všiml @pl_evil na Twitteru, vývojář ve své nedávno zveřejněné výroční zprávě prozradil, že hra s kódovým označením Project C bude oznámena později v roce 2024.

Bloober Team uvádí, že projekt je v „pokročilé“ fázi a že je „velmi spokojen s aktuálním pokrokem“.

„Toto bude další velký krok Bloober Teamu k realizaci dlouhodobé strategie,“ uvedl vývojář. „Bude to také první originální projekt (IP patří Bloober Teamu) v rámci nové strategie. První oznámení hry proběhne ještě letos a my se nemůžeme dočkat, až ukážeme efekt naší práce na tomto jedinečném titulu.“

Kromě Silent Hillu 2 a Projektu C má Bloober Team ještě několik dalších projektů, na kterých v současné době pracuje. V loňském roce oznámila, že spolupracuje s vývojářem hry Serial Cleaners, společností Draw Distance, na novém projektu s kódovým označením Project M. Mezitím bylo v prosinci oznámeno, že Bloober Team spolupracuje s majitelem her The Walking Dead a Invincible, společností Skybound Entertainment, na novém projektu s kódovým označením R, který je založen na IP společnosti Skybound.

Článek Bloober Team a Private Division v tomto roce oznámí svou novou hororovou survival hru se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

Last month, Take-Two announced it was “rationalizing its pipeline” by cutting hundreds of jobs and cancelling $140 million worth of in-development projects. Today, it moved ahead with shutting down the studios behind Kerbal Space Program 2 and OlliOlli World, Bloomberg reports.

Read more...

Roll7, developers of bright skateboarding games OlliOlli World and dual-wielding bloodsport Rollerdrome, are being closed down as part of large scale layoffs by parent corp Take-Two Interactive, according to documents seen by Bloomberg. The British studio has been responsible for some great stuff over the years but the report says they'll be following the fate of Kerbal Space Program 2 developers in being laid off.

Read more

Last month, GTA 6 publishers Take-Two Interactive announced plans to "rationalize" their "pipeline" by laying off five per cent of their workforce - around 580 people - and cancelling various games. As part of that, they're reportedly now doing away with 70 positions at their Seattle offices - Seattle being the home of the Take-Two-owned Intercept Games, the current developers of space sim Kerbal Space Program 2.

Read more

If you’re holding out hope for another Ori and the Blind Forest sequel after Will of the Wisps, bad news: it’s probably going to be a while. Developers Moon Studios have said they’re all-in on Soulslike action-RPG No Rest for the Wicked, suggesting that their “magnum opus” will be their focus for up to a decade.

Read more

Following a brief tease in September, the first trailer for Tales of the Shire - the cosy Hobbit game from Wētā Workshop and Private Division - is here.

The trailer gives a quick look at some of the things we can expect on the game's release, including the ability to customise our Hobbit holes to just the way we like them. There will also be the chance to partake in a spot of fishing, go off to gather mushrooms and then cook everything up into a meal worthy of Bilbo Baggins.

You can check out the trailer for Tales of the Shire below.

Read more

No Rest for the Wicked's first early access hotfix has been rolled out, and a second patch is "already in progress".

As Victoria summarised for us yesterday, the Diablo-like game from Ori and the Blind Forest developer Moon Studios released to mixed reviews on Steam, but already the team is on the case in a bid to address "balance, durability, stamina, loot, stability, and immediate Quality of Life".

In a lengthy update on the game's social media accounts, the team said: "Thank you again to all of you for making our Early Access launch so amazing. Today's hotfix is the first of many upcoming patches and updates to improve No Rest for the Wicked on the road to our 1.0 release.

Read more

No Rest For the Wicked launched in early access yesterday, but has unfortunately hit a few bumps on its debut.

The Diablo-like game from Ori and the Blind Forest developer Moon Studios currently holds a mixed review average on Steam, with the top comment stating that while there are definitely the bones of a good release here, its developer "still needs to cook".

"I want to like this, but the performance is just not in a good enough place for me to recommend it right now," one player wrote, while another adds: "Wait till further development/release if you have any self control."

Read more

No Rest for the Wicked is out now on early access, giving us our first glimpse at Moon Studios' latest project. The developer's prior offering - Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and The Will of the Wisps - turned the Metroidvania style of game on its head, offering a powerful, fresh experience that is difficult to forget. And now, four years later, Moon looks set to do the same for action RPGs with No Rest for the Wicked. Simply put, No Rest for the Wicked couples a stunning visual design with elements inspired by From Software's Souls titles, Blizzard's Diablo and even Animal Crossing - and yet the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

At its core, Wicked remains a game rooted in the Unity Engine but with a vast range of customisations transforming it into its own thing, hence the nickname - Moonity. This, however, is used only for the game's presentation layer - the graphics you see on-screen. Moon has also built a new simulation engine - built on top of Exit Games' Quantum Engine - to handle game logic, including a fully deterministic 3D physics system for networking, which No Rest for the Wicked will feature at a later date.

What makes this setup work well is the division between rendering and simulation - basically, input responsiveness is separate from frame-rate so, if you're playing on a lower end platform, like a Steam Deck, at 30fps, the game will still feel as responsive as a game running at a higher frame-rate. The visuals, however, are striking. First and foremost, Wicked supports HDR on day one - this is important as we have largely considered Ori and the Will of the Wisps to stand out as one of the best examples of HDR in any game released to date. The HDR implementation is superb and just as intense and engaging as Ori. It makes a gigantic difference if you use an HDR display.

Read more

Perhaps you are fatigued by orcs and swords. Maybe you yearn for a simple life of bucolic betterment to recover from your addiction to spicy wedding bands but still fear to stray too far from your beloved fantasy franchise. Oh look, it's Tales of the Shire, a game set in Middle-earth which features not a single ounce of stabbing nor - as far as I can tell - any gigantic spiders at all. It's a life sim about building a home in Hobbiton and keeping up with the Proudfeet. Maybe you will also get to lie around getting totally blazed on halfling reefer. Although I did not spot that in this hearthful new trailer.

Read more

Source

No Rest for the Wicked's first early access hotfix has been rolled out, and a second patch is "already in progress".

As Victoria summarised for us yesterday, the Diablo-like game from Ori and the Blind Forest developer Moon Studios released to mixed reviews on Steam, but already the team is on the case in a bid to address "balance, durability, stamina, loot, stability, and immediate Quality of Life".

In a lengthy update on the game's social media accounts, the team said: "Thank you again to all of you for making our Early Access launch so amazing. Today's hotfix is the first of many upcoming patches and updates to improve No Rest for the Wicked on the road to our 1.0 release.

Read more

No Rest For the Wicked launched in early access yesterday, but has unfortunately hit a few bumps on its debut.

The Diablo-like game from Ori and the Blind Forest developer Moon Studios currently holds a mixed review average on Steam, with the top comment stating that while there are definitely the bones of a good release here, its developer "still needs to cook".

"I want to like this, but the performance is just not in a good enough place for me to recommend it right now," one player wrote, while another adds: "Wait till further development/release if you have any self control."

Read more

No Rest for the Wicked is out now on early access, giving us our first glimpse at Moon Studios' latest project. The developer's prior offering - Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and The Will of the Wisps - turned the Metroidvania style of game on its head, offering a powerful, fresh experience that is difficult to forget. And now, four years later, Moon looks set to do the same for action RPGs with No Rest for the Wicked. Simply put, No Rest for the Wicked couples a stunning visual design with elements inspired by From Software's Souls titles, Blizzard's Diablo and even Animal Crossing - and yet the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

At its core, Wicked remains a game rooted in the Unity Engine but with a vast range of customisations transforming it into its own thing, hence the nickname - Moonity. This, however, is used only for the game's presentation layer - the graphics you see on-screen. Moon has also built a new simulation engine - built on top of Exit Games' Quantum Engine - to handle game logic, including a fully deterministic 3D physics system for networking, which No Rest for the Wicked will feature at a later date.

What makes this setup work well is the division between rendering and simulation - basically, input responsiveness is separate from frame-rate so, if you're playing on a lower end platform, like a Steam Deck, at 30fps, the game will still feel as responsive as a game running at a higher frame-rate. The visuals, however, are striking. First and foremost, Wicked supports HDR on day one - this is important as we have largely considered Ori and the Will of the Wisps to stand out as one of the best examples of HDR in any game released to date. The HDR implementation is superb and just as intense and engaging as Ori. It makes a gigantic difference if you use an HDR display.

Read more

No rest for No Rest For The Wicked's developers, it seems. The punishing action-RPG launched in Steam Early Access last week with performance issues, among other issues, and Moon Studios have now deployed their first hotfix.

Read more

Lured like an unsatisfied sailor by the siren song of alleged performance woes, I’ve been giving No Rest for the Wicked a cursory benchmarkin’, and yes! The isometric ARPG does suffer from all the early access wonkiness you’ve likely heard about already today.

Read more

No Rest For The Wicked, the top-down soulslike that released yesterday in Steam early access, is already seeing its fair share of performance and QOL issues, including instability, lack of keybinding options, and players losing their progress. In response, developer Moon Studios have put out a blog saying that, yes, they’re aware of the problems and, yes, they’re actively looking to address the most common hiccups.

Read more

Nowadays, I'm more than happy to sacrifice high frames and a big screen for the comforts of the Steam Deck. I like lounging on the couch, the light forearm workout, and heating my room in only a few minutes. So it's good news that Moon Studios' upcoming ARPG No Rest For The Wicked will be playable on launch for Deck, the ROG Ally and other handhelds. Minimum PC specs also don't look too taxing, but those after the shiniest-looking game on recommended hardware may be in for a shock.

Read more

As a big fan of Ori And The Blind Forest, I am very excited for Moon Studios' new venture No Rest For The Wicked, an online ARPG which swaps the cutesyness of Ori and that ickle wickle forest for top-down fights against abominations slathered in muck and entrails. A new early access release trailer highlights said fights, alongside the devs saying that there's going to be no microtransactions, no always-online requirement, and no anti-cheat software bundled in. I don't want to speak too soon, but so far, it looks like we're onto something pretty darn good here.

Read more

Ori and the Blind Forest is well known for its tear-jerker of an intro cutscene so for developer Moon Studios, the dark and damp, gore-soaked world of its next game No Rest for the Wicked, seems like a radical change in direction.

But how well has the studio managed the switch from magical Metroidvania to a swords and sorcery Soulsborne-like? Well, I went in blind and you can join me in my journey of discovery as I learn the ropes in the gameplay video below, where I play through the first 90 minutes of the game.

In No Rest for the Wicked, you play as a Cerim, a holy warrior imbued with remarkable powers (that you have to earn back before you can use them it seems) and, after a tragic accident at sea, you wash up on the backwaters of a land called Isola Sacra which is awash with something called 'the Pestilence'.

Read more

Source

Ori and the Blind Forest developer Moon Studios has announced its dark action-RPG No Rest for the Wicked will launch into Steam early access on 18th April.

No Rest for the Wicked, which was unveiled during last year's The Game Awards, is described by Moon Studios as an "expansive" and "visceral" action-RPG that's "set to reinvent the genre". It casts players as a Cerim - a holy warrior "imbued with remarkable powers" - who embarks on a journey across the harsh Isola Sacra to defeat an unholy plague.

Its campaign promises a "mature, dark" narrative, as well as "brutal, precision-based" combat, and a hand-crafted world, with players can take on No Rest for the Wicked's challenges, quests, and bosses either solo or with up to three friends by their side.

Read more

The two Ori games were gorgeous platformers that challenged your dexterity while tugging on your heartstrings. The next game from developers Moon Studios seems more likely to do the former than the latter. No Rest For The Wicked is a Souls-ish action RPG that apparently thinks you're extremely wicked.

It also got a release date today during a showcase stream: April 18th.

Read more

When Ori And The Blind Forest developers Moon Studios announced that their next game would be a top-down, online action RPG, my initial reaction was, 'Heck yes, sign me the hell up for this Souls-y, Diablo-y hack and slash.' Having now played the opening 90 minutes of the game ahead of tonight's Wicked Inside showcase, that initial excitement has settled into more of a 'Hoo boy, this thing is hard as nails. Folks who like Elden Ring and Dark Souls are going to go absolutely bananas for it.' It's definitely verging on the edge of being just a teensy bit too punishing for my personal taste, but even though my arse got thoroughly whomped time and time again during this initial prologue section, there's still something about No Rest For The Wicked that's left me quietly captivated.

Read more

Yesterday's Nintendo Direct got rather overshadowed by a certain trailer for Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree, but there were still plenty of good news nuggets to be had in there for us PC folks - which I've summarised for you below. The long and short of it is: more release dates! Loads of 'em! And they're all coming in the first half of 2024 as well. I love it when a schedule comes together.

Read more

Sony has unveiled its PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium game catalogue additions for February, which this month include Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Need for Speed Unbound, The Outer Worlds, Tales of Arise, and more.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla is arguably the biggest biggie in there, whisking players away for a Viking adventure set against an open-world backdrop of Anglo-Saxon England at the end of the ninth century. A lavishly designed "saga for the ages", is what Eurogamer called it back in 2020.

Valhalla is joined by the developer Criterion's equally recommended arcade racer Need for Speed Unbound - the "best Need for Speed in a generation" we said when it released in 2022 - as well as Obsidian Entertainment's slightly less gripping 2019 satirical adventure The Outer Worlds, a "conventional, easygoing scifi RPG...that fades very quickly from the mind." And here's the full list of February's PlayStation Plus Extra games.

Read more