The Pillars of the Earth: Book One review
A blank canvas
History is one of the pinnacles of human civilisation, telling us of triumphs and failures, teaching lessons and resonating differently with each individual person and culture. For many, Ken Follett’s fictional take on 12th Century England in his 1989 novel The Pillars of the Earth is a gripping marriage between real historical people and events, and a captivating expression of Follett’s own imagination. The book has previously been adapted into a television mini-series, and Daedalic Entertainment has now given it the video game treatment; although The Pillars of the Earth: Book One tells a fantastic story, it is unfortunately marred with so many technical issues that it’s difficult to properly enjoy.
The Pillars of the Earth’s story primarily focuses on the construction of a cathedral in the fictional town of Kingsbridge. Players get the chance to experience the story through three different characters from all walks of medieval life, with each character’s vastly different concerns and experiences serving as a major storytelling device; while Tom Builder experiences the hardships of everyday life in medieval England, for instance, Prior Phillip focuses on the religious aspect. The characters still retain the personalities and motives that made them so captivating in the novel and television series, but they are unfortunately let down by gameplay that amounts to little more than a chore.
Taking a leaf out of Telltale Games’ immensely successful book, The Pillars of the Earth employs a primarily point-and-click storytelling formula with a focus on puzzle-solving, item interactions and building relationships. It’s a great formula to follow, especially over the past few years, but The Pillars of the Earth lacks in a far more important — and frustrating — area: stability. The first hour of the game struggled to maintain a solid framerate, so much so that it almost looked like a slideshow rather than a smooth game. Even after restarting the game and calibrating the graphics and display through the options menu, it still struggled through the five or so hours it took me to complete this first third of the game. Unless Daedalic Entertainment manages to patch the framerate issues before releasing the next two parts, the entire story will be rendered nigh-unplayable.
One positive thing the game has going for it is its art style. Looking like an oil painting does the game’s graphical quality wonders. Environments and the characters, when they’re not chugging along at a single-digit frame rate, move smoothly and are animated carefully enough to be quite stunning. Daedalic Entertainment has created a series of environments — highlighted by the snow-covered forest players encounter at the beginning of the game — that is teeming with life, and points of interest are easily discernable thanks to some careful signposting. It is enjoyable to look at when it isn’t isn’t struggling to run, and it is going to be great to see some of the future events in the novel getting the animated treatment — so long as the frame rate is addressed.
Although it looks stunning and tells the novel’s story faithfully, it is difficult — if not impossible — to recommend a game like The Pillars of the Earth that is ultimately flawed in its execution. Frame rate may appear to be quite a small issue, especially in a game that doesn’t rely on reflexes and fluid movement, but the game struggles so mightily that it becomes a chore to try and play through; one can only hope that the issue will be rectified in the next two instalments, as well as retroactively in the first one, because it’s the only thing holding The Pillars of the Earth back from being quite a good title.
Our verdict:
Although it’s a faithful retelling of its source material’s wonderful storyline, The Pillars of the Earth is shamefully tarnished with a chugging frame rate that makes the game almost impossible to play. Unfortunately, players looking to experience the story for the first time should read the novel or watch the TV mini-series instead.
The Pillars of the Earth: Book One was reviewed using a code provided by its publisher.
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