Video games have often drawn inspiration from other mediums, and often time’s movies and other popular culture release tie-ins to cash in. Novels tend to do this less than other mediums, and especially slower paced books that feature more talking and character work then action.
There has been some changes of late though in how adaptations are seen – and perhaps inspired by Telltale’s decision to adapt George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice (known as A Game of Thrones, the title of the first book in its HBO adaptation) – Daedalic has signed a deal to create a video game based on Ken Follet’s bestselling historical fiction The Pillars of the Earth.
Daedalic has said they are going to make the game an adventure one, the genre they are best known for working on, and likely the best for a book known for characters and intrigue. Adventure games tend to emphasize those parts of the game, along with puzzles that force the player to think and interact with the people and environment around them. The Pillars of the Earth focuses heavily on the intrigues set during The Anarchy in 12th century England and the fictional town of Kingsbridge, as well as that of the construction of a local priory.
The book was released originally in 1989, making it an older work to receive such an adaption, though a sequel – World Without End – was released in 2007. The Pillars of the Earth was critically acclaimed, and finished #33 on BBC’s Big Read which was aiming to find UK’s “most beloved book”.
In Daedalic’s press release on the game, Follet said the following, “I’m thrilled that ‘The Pillars of the Earth’ – which is probably my most famous book – is going to be turned into a computer game by Daedalic, now part of the Lübbe organisation. I believe this will bring my work to the attention of a new generation of readers.”
It will be coming out in 2017, in conjunction with the release of the third book in the series by Follet, for all major platforms including at least PC, Mac, Xbox One, Playstation 4, and iOS.
What are your thoughts on this news? Have you read Pillars of the Earth? What did you think of it?
