Summary
- Moon Studios' latest game, No Rest for the Wicked, has been accruing negative reviews on Steam recently, many of them intended as feedback.
- According to Moon Studios' founder, this player reception threatens both No Rest for the Wicked's full release and the studio's existence.
- More recent reviews for No Rest for the Wicked have helped boost its overall rating to "Mostly Positive."
Ori developer Moon Studios has raised concerns about its future following mixed early access reviews of its latest game, No Rest for the Wicked. Despite Moon Studios' pedigree, No Rest for the Wicked's current player reception on Steam has triggered a stark warning from founder Thomas Mahler.
Moon Studios garnered loads of acclaim during the Xbox One generation with 2015's Ori and the Blind Forest and 2020's Ori and the Will of the Wisps, thanks to the excellent art direction, music, and gameplay of both games. The studio's newest title, No Rest for the Wicked, launched last year as its first foray into action RPG territory. No Rest for the Wicked is available only in Steam Early Access for now, but recent events shook some confidence in both the game and Moon Studios.
No Rest for the Wicked: How to Find Rare Merchant Finley
Players can get rare items from Finley if they manage to free him from his jail cell in No Rest for the Wicked.
No Rest for the Wicked had "Mixed" reviews on Steam recently, with players citing the action RPG's high difficulty, certain opaque mechanics, and grind-heavy progression as key frustrations. In response to the reception, Moon Studios head Thomas Mahler remarked on No Rest for the Wicked's Discord server that continued negative reviews could jeopardize not only the game's chances of a full release, but also the studio's existence. "If you want to see us actually finish [No Rest for the Wicked], it's detrimental that we get that review score back up," Mahler said, adding that review bombing might lead to Moon Studios' closure within months.
Moon Studios Founder Believes No Rest for the Wicked's Negative Reviews May Be Politically Motivated
Mahler later clarified on Twitter that Moon Studios is in "no immediate financial danger" and said his comments were intended to push back against what he described as politically motivated reviews. Still, his prior Discord post acknowledged that the early access model can be damaging if player expectations aren't met. "We had to take enormous risks to buy the publishing rights back," Mahler said, referencing Moon Studios acquiring full control of No Rest for the Wicked from prior publisher Take-Two Interactive earlier this year. He added that players are posting negative reviews for No Rest of the Wicked as a form of feedback, which ends up doing more harm than good and isn't necessary as Moon Studios closely monitors feedback anyway.
After these events transpired yesterday, No Rest for the Wicked's overall Steam rating has increased to "Mostly Positive," with over 6,900 recent reviews adding up to a total of more than 34,400, clearly indicating that Mahler's comments encouraged fans to post positive impressions of the game. Last month, No Rest for the Wicked also received its largest update since release, dubbed The Breach, which nearly doubled the size of the game's world and introduced over 11,000 changes.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 73 /100 Critics Rec: 50%
- Released
- April 18, 2024
- ESRB
- M for Mature
- Developer(s)
- Moon Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Private Division
- Engine
- unity
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Number of Players
- 1-4
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
