Was Ken Follett’s Pillars of the Earth Worth It?

We’re building a cathedral…almost a thousand years ago. Was Ken Follett’s Pillars of the Earth worth it?

Full disclosure: We received a review code for the Nintendo Switch version of this game. Rest assured that this will not affect the quality or candor of our review.

Background

Ken Follet’s Pillars of the Earth is an adventure game based on the titular novel. I hadn’t heard of this series before, but it’s gotten a lot of attention over the years: I was surprised to see that it was an Oprah book of the month, it had a tv series, and almost 730k ratings on Goodreads. This title has also seen a board game and a trivia game, so this isn’t the IP’s first foray into the gaming territory.

The story is fundamentally about building a cathedral, and the lives and stories of the people and town around it. This is not Dragon Quest, so don’t picture an idyllic tale. Fair warning, you can expect a death within the first twenty minutes of gameplay to help set the tone.

What does Pillars of the Earth do well?

As mentioned, the story is predicated upon the construction of a fictional cathedral in medieval England. The characters are interesting and the game looks great. There’s a large emphasis on conversation and the consequences of fumbling an important social interaction. Characters feel like real people with motivations, goals, and desires.

What could Pillars of the Earth do better?

The nature of this format means that progress is somewhat slower than say, reading the book. It can feel plodding at times.

Was Pillars of the Earth fun?

The operative word here is interesting, instead of fun. This is an adventure game, so it’s not like you’re here for the gameplay loop, which mostly consists of timed QTE-style challenges.

Is Pillars of the Earth good value?

Fans of Ken Follett or adventure games will find the value here; $19.99 isn’t bad. It has also gone on sale for slightly less. Granted, that’s on the eShop, it’s only $1.99 on Steam at the time of writing. If storage space is at a premium for you on the Switch, then keep in mind that this game clocks in at 9 gb. If you’re really into the story, there are some light replayability options in revisiting situations to see how they would play out differently, but I suspect most gamers will opt for a one-and-done playthrough.

Who is this game for?

If you’re into very story-driven games with a high emphasis on dialogue, not combat, then this will appeal to you. Keep in mind that this is essentially a story interspersed with puzzles; those looking for gameplay will be left wanting more.

Was Ken Follett’s Pillars of the Earth worth it?

If you have the patience for this kind of game, then I recommend it. If you enjoy the game, you should also consider checking out the book for some more insight into the characters and story.

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