Ori studio's new ARPG is a moody mix of Dark Souls and Diablo

Well, I bet you didn't see this coming from Ori And The Blind Forest developers Moon Studios, did you now? Then again, neither did I. Announced during tonight's Game Awards, No Rest For The Wicked is quite a different kettle of cursed fish compared to Moon's previous games, but I'm also quietly intrigued by it at the same time. For starters, this is an online ARPG that combines the top-down combat of games like Diablo 4 with the patient, weighty boss battles of your Elden Soulslikes. Come and watch its reveal trailer below to find out more.

It's No Rest For The Wicked's painterly art style that catches my eye the most. It sure does look lovely with its oil canvas visuals - and quite a bit easier to parse than, say, the equally broad brushstrokes of Square Enix's ill-fated Babylon's Fall. Its tone is quite a bit darker than Moon's two Ori games as well, even if it does have a somewhat similar penchant for unholy-looking forest creatures, and I'm looking forward to seeing what doomed beasts we'll be tasked with slaying on release.

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

More details are coming on March 1st, when Moon and publishers Private Division will be hosting a special digital showcase for it.

For now, though, this looks to be quite a bold new direction for the Ori studio, and we'll hopefully find out more about No Rest For The Wicked in the months to come. After that, it will be launching into early access sometime in 2024.

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