Ken Follett’s novel The Pillars of the Earth has been turned into a trilogy of interactive novels by Daedalic Entertainment. The Pillars of the Earth‘s adaptation was set into motion in 2014 when Daedalic Entertainment was acquired by the same media conglomerate responsible for publishing the German editions of Follet’s novels. The original novel is a worldwide bestseller spanning over 1,000 pages; Daedalic’s adaptation fits that story into a twenty-one ‘chapter’ game, with seven chapters in each book. The first installment of the series, Book One: From The Ashes, is available now to play with the following two listed as available soon; more information about the next books in the series will be forthcoming.
The Pillars of the Earth features three playable characters – Jack, Aliena, and Philip – throughout the game’s intricate plot, with each character bringing a different perspective to the story. The game (and novel) takes place in a fictional English province called Shiring, during the 12th century. Centered around the construction of a grand cathedral in the small town of Kingsbridge, The Pillars of the Earth‘s narrative is one of survival, political machinations, and the intertwining destinies of three people trying to secure safety for their people. The Anarchy, an actual period of civil, military, and political unrest in at that time in England’s history, plays a major part in Kingsbridge’s turmoil throughout the game.
The game itself is a 2D point-and-click adventure that remains close to its source material and allows players to influence the events of the novel, though it offers more in terms of gameplay than an entirely text-based choose your own adventure novel. In addition to its three main playable characters, The Pillars of the Earth has two bonus playable characters that can be unlocked in the game.
The Pillars of the Earth season pass can be purchased now for $29.99, and players will automatically receive the next two novels when they become available for download. Book One: From the Ashes was released on August 15th, 2017 for PC, Mac, Xbox One and PlayStation 4.