Summary
The early access period on Steam is a great way for games to find their intended audience, all while allowing that same audience to contribute valuable feedback to the continued development process. It’s especially a boon for indie developers, but less common is larger studios utilizing early access as a way to iron out wrinkles and solicit player feedback ahead of a 1.0 launch. Moon Studios’No Rest for the Wickedis the latest example of a game making the most of its early access launch. WhileNo Rest for the Wicked’s developer is still an indie studio, its considerable resources from the successfulOrigames allow it to approach early access in a highly efficient manner.
Since thelaunch ofNo Rest for the Wickedlast week, the game has maintained considerable active player counts on Steam, albeit with a mixed reception to the title itself. Rather than take it as a sign of defeat, though, Moon Studios are addressing the challenge head-on to course-correct player perception of the title, using all the feedback gained from the early access launch to regularly patch the game via almost daily hotfixes and performance tweaks. With how much the title has improved in such a short time, it’s obvious thatNo Rest for the Wickedis an exemplar of how beneficial the early access period can be.
No Rest for the Wicked’s Reception Proves Early Access Was the Right Move
One of the most surprising aspects ofNo Rest for the Wicked’s launch into early accesswas how different player perceptions of the title are in comparison to the audience and critical scores for Moon Studios’Origames.No Rest for the Wicked’s reveal at The Game Awards 2023 carried with it a significant amount of hype given the near-universal acclaim of theOrititles and Moon Studios' track record of delivering visually arresting games that put unique spins on beloved genres. Though it’s worth pointing out that theOrititles andNo Rest for the Wickedbelong to completely different genres, there’s still a considerable gulf between their user ratings on Steam.
ThefirstOrigameand its sequel,Ori and the Will of the Wisps, sit at an “Overwhelmingly Positive” 95% and 96%, respectively. Compare that toNo Rest for the Wicked, which is currently at a “Mostly Positive” 74% since climbing its way back from the initial “Mixed” reception at 58%. The improvements to the game’s score are entirely thanks to the efforts on Moon Studios' part to make the most of the early access period and continually address player feedback, with CEO and Creative Director Thomas Mahler even acknowledging that the next few months will be focused on “turning a 58 into a 90”.
Moon Studios' Comments on Dark Souls Raise an Interesting Question
Speaking on Moon Studios' decision to launchNo Rest for the Wickedas an early access title, creative director Thomas Mahler defended the decision by using the example ofDark Soulsbenefitting from early access. According to Mahler, late-game sections from the originalDark Soulscome across as rushed or imbalanced in comparison to the beginning half of the legendary title, which is something that Miyazaki and his team could have addressed with valuable player feedback during an early access launch. While the gradual evolution and iteration of theDark Soulsformula is an important foundational aspect of the series that eventually paved the way forElden Ring, it still is an interesting point to consider.
The prospect of AAA studios utilizing the early access period to polish titles during development and hone them to a razor-sharp edge upon their 1.0 release is an enticing one, especially at a time when many players feel let down by full-release games launching in incomplete or broken states.Early accesscontinues to be primarily utilized by indie studios, butNo Rest for the Wicked’s upward trajectory since launch makes a strong case for the model to be more commonly adopted by major publishers and their teams.
No Rest for the Wicked
WHERE TO PLAY
From Moon Studios, the award-winning developers of Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps comes No Rest for the Wicked, a visceral, precision Action RPG set to reinvent the genre.The year is 841 – King Harol is dead. As word of his death echoes throughout the kingdom, the crown passes to his arrogant, yet untested son Magnus.Even worse, the Pestilence, an unholy plague not seen for a thousand years, has returned. It sweeps across the land, corrupting everything and everyone it touches. Madrigal Seline, a ruthlessly ambitious figure in the church, sees the Pestilence as a chance to prove herself in the eyes of her god.These forces converge on the backwater Isola Sacra, where rebel groups and the provincial government fight for control amid the isle’s crumbling ruins.You are a Cerim – a member of a group of mystical holy warriors imbued with remarkable powers and sworn to defeat the Pestilence at any cost. But the task will prove increasingly challenging as you become entangled in the people’s plight and the vast political struggle of this downtrodden land. Chaos will pull you in every direction as you seek to cleanse the land of wickedness and shape the kingdom’s fate.
