Collecting My Thought on The Pillars of the Earth—An Adaptation for the Ages

The Pillars of the Earth is a marvellous adaptation of Ken Follett's highly acclaimed novel. Admittedly, I had not read the novel at the time of playing, nor had I even been aware of its existence. However when I first heard of the game being described as revolving around the construction of a medieval English cathedral over a 30-year period, I knew that there was a good time to be had here. For boasting a most ambitious and cutting-edge premise for a video game, I had hoped that when I eventually got to play it I would find that the developers approached it with utmost boldness and earnestness. Thankfully, I did.

Starting with the seemingly unconnected introductions of three playable main characters, Philip, Tom and Jack (a fourth, Aliena, would join the fray much later on), you are taken deep into a dreary world on the brink of war. Then little by little it is revealed how connected these characters truly are, and how every word they utter and every situation they meddle with could gravely sway the fate of the war. In the centre of this delicate storm of politics and conspiracies stands Kingsbridge Cathedral. Once a revered place of worship, it now exists halfway between edifice and rubble due to catastrophe and neglect. As our characters attempt to rebuild the cathedral to inspire hope among those devastated by the war, it becomes a pivotal symbol of peace and steadfastness to the whole earldom of Shiring. This generation-spanning story is told through pleasantly painted scenes, delectably juicy dialogue and charmingly performed roles. Most importantly, it is told through diverse gameplay that allows the player to experience Follett's work in an engaging and often humorous new way (try using your dagger or slingshot on any- and everything interactable!). This game showcases how a story that was traditionally presented could still be strongly interpreted within our unconventional medium. It exemplifies what a good adaptation should be.

If you can look past the odd pause in the flow of dialogue and the minor cosmetic bugs, The Pillars of the Earth will delight you in every chapter of its story. You will find yourself caught fast in the characters' struggles for power, vengeance, righteousness and love, and getting unstuck is the last thing you'd ever want to do. I commend Daedalic Entertainment for tackling a deep and challenging subject matter like that of Follett's novel. As a result they have put out a successful game that serves to take video games one step closer to that ever-elusive "next level".

#FavouriteScene Alba's, right before Santiago de Compostella.

#FavouriteMechanic World map navigation. It provided a welcome change of pace, told of events during travel efficiently and reminded of Shiring's geography all at once.

#Cameo Follett lending his voice as the Cantor was a nice way to show his support.

#FavouriteHair Those maverick monks and their reverse bowl cuts. NYFW eat your heart out!