08-05-2025
No Rest for the Wicked's The Breach Update Feels Like a Whole New Game
No Rest for the Wicked is a title that has been near and dear to my heart since I first previewed Moon Studios' Souls-like ARPG hybrid a year ago. At the time, I was baffled and ultimately impressed by the merger of two distinctly different genres, and completely enamoured with the beautiful world Moon Studios was creating. A year later, the launch of its first content update, The Breach, continues to enrich the world of No Rest for the Wicked.
I've spent the past couple of nights wading my way through the new content and areas that come with the patch and have a few takeaways to share. While there is an incredibly long list of improvements and quality of life updates that come with this introduction of The Breach update, all of which can be found on the official site, I'm most impressed with how much care and investment Moon Studio has put into this Patch.
The term 'patch' is a bit of a misnomer, as the content, quality-of-life improvements, performance refinements and reworks help The Breach feel more like a full DLC than a simple update. While there are far too many changes to cover here, a few notable items stand out.
One of the most endearing elements of No Rest for the Wicked is its handcrafted level design. This has been a pillar of the title and a point of pride for the developers. While the original elements of Sacrament and its world were already intricate, The Breach introduces two new zones—Lowland Meadows and Marin Woods—that elevate the world design to a whole new level. Each zone is distinct and beautifully constructed, offering mysterious areas to explore.
The majority of my time with the preview build was spent in the former, where I was greeted by a horde of new enemies bent on my destruction. These fresh opponents offered unique and engaging combat encounters, and—like in my original playthrough—required patience to learn and master. It was fun to encounter brand-new mobs instead of a simple refresh of existing enemy types.
Alongside the new enemies, Moon Studios has also added some incredibly fun and difficult new bosses for players to contend with. One of the most engaging during my preview was the Lost Huntress, a mutated mammoth-dog-like creature. The encounter took a few tries to overcome and offered a rewarding challenge without ever crossing the line into frustration—a delicate balance to manage, but one Moon Studios seems to have mastered.
The zones also feel distinct aesthetically and continue the trend of leveraging verticality in level design, resulting in creative world navigation and breathtaking landscapes. Each is beautiful in its own right and offers unique challenges and puzzle-solving opportunities to traverse. In this regard, Moon Studios has done an excellent job evolving the level-building without departing from its core design philosophy.
As for narrative, The Breach picks up right after the events of the original preview release and continues several story arcs introduced last year. The cinematic cutscenes have received welcome polish, featuring beautiful new music and strong voice acting. Likewise, the in-game cutscenes are well-constructed and well-placed, never slowing down the gameplay and always advancing the story naturally. As someone who usually struggles not to skip every cutscene, I never felt the urge to push ahead—instead, I enjoyed the brief reprieves to take in each new piece of the narrative.
Combat has seen a few refinements since the original Early Access release, most notably with the target-lock system. It feels better and more precise when switching targets, which is a welcome update. For a title where every encounter could be your last, this targeting refinement has made managing multiple enemies less frustrating.
On the note of combat, Moon Studios has introduced two new weapon archetypes and reworked the gear system. The former includes the addition of gauntlets and wands, while the latter fundamentally changes how gear is collected and upgraded. During my time with the preview, I focused on gauntlet combat and found it to be a lot of fun. Darting in and out of combat is a personal favourite playstyle, and this weapon archetype excels at it. Add a coat of flame to the gauntlet, and you've got a recipe for a seriously good time.
While I didn't get to fully experience the long-term impact of the new dynamic gearing system, from what I understand, it will improve weapon drops even at lower levels. This represents a shift from the previous tiered system, which, although easy to understand, often left me feeling stuck, constantly grinding for materials. I hope the dynamic system will reduce this frustration and make loot drops feel more empowering.
There is still much more to explore with The Breach patch for No Rest for the Wicked, including new endgame systems and a host of quality-of-life improvements. While I plan to spend many more sleepless nights uncovering everything The Breach has to offer, this latest content update reaffirms Moon Studios' commitment to making No Rest for the Wicked the best title it can be.
The care Moon Studio has for No Rest for the Wicked is evident in every aspect of both the base content and The Breach patch. With many more promising updates coming soon, I look forward to seeing everything No Rest for the Wicked has to offer. Currently in Early Access, No Rest for the Wicked is a title I highly recommend.
