One of the most popular novels of all time has received many adaptations in the past, but it was never released as a video game. Originally announced back in 2014, The Pillars of the Earth will soon be getting released as a video game by Daedelic Entertainment, creators of The Night of the Rabbit, The Whispered World, and the Deponia series among others.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJYR1RI9SQQ
Like the novel, Ken Follet's The Pillars of the Earth will follow the story of Kingsbridge, a small town in 12th century England. The player follows three characters: Jack, Aliena, and Philip, all of whom can follow and change the story as the player sees fit through "exploration, decision-making, and dialogues."
Matt Kempke and Kevin Mentz, both author and game designer, stated, “We took the source material completely apart and reassembled it as a unique experience for the player. We kept the core story but of course a game gives us more freedom to add decision-making and interaction.”The game has over 200 'handpainted backgrounds', as well as a full voice over in English and German, a fully orchestrated soundtrack by the FILMharmonic Orchestra, Prague, and a 'special appearance' by Ken Follet himself as the voice of Cantor. It will be a point-and-click title that Deadelic is known for. For some now outdated gameplay, check out this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bVR6PC_kBk
The storyline is centered around the construction of a cathedral, which Jack, a monk, Philip, a stonemason, and Aliena, a disgraced noblewoman, a forced together in a bid to see their unlikely goal come to fruition.
The game will be released in three parts, with the first 'Book' releasing in August 2017. The other two are not yet dated.
Quick Take
While Deadelic Entertainment has been hit and miss for me personally, I'm thrilled with its announcement of Pillars' release date. The game looks gorgeous, and while I haven't watched the book or any of productions stemming from the book, The Pillars of the Earth doubtlessly has its sterling reputation for good reason. I'm really looking forward to this, and I hope it will be a good adaption of the novel. Even though its over a thousand pages, with three separate parts Daedelic should have all the time they need in order to make the best game possible.What do you think of this news? Have you ever read of watched Pillars of the Earth? Let us know in the comments!
