Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth - Book One Reviews

Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth - Book One is ranked in the 75th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
7 / 10
Aug 17, 2017

The Pillars of the Earth tells a gripping story of personal and political drama, but its slow pace may not make it a good fit for everyone.

Read full review

80 / 100
Sep 9, 2017

The Pillars of the Earth is a stupendous adaptation of Ken Follet's novel to videogames. A graphic adventure that captures our attention and immerse ourselves in an era of betrayals, desires to fulfill, misery and great ambitions. All of this in a Middle Ages recreated with fidelity.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

7 / 10
Aug 15, 2017

Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth sets a fantastic tone, and does an admirable job of capturing the era, setting and the characters of this iconic piece of fiction. It's a shame that at various points the game puts you off, whether through multiple loading screens, obtuse exploration, or a few other technical distractions. That being said, I can't wait to see how Book Two unfolds, and can only hope Daedalic find a way for the gameplay to match the presentation.

Read full review

7.8 / 10.0
Aug 10, 2017

Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth is a respectful game, a different way to live and expand the experience of the best seller and also a curious experience due to its easy puzzles and episodic style. Also, a relaxed and slow experience, a little different to other graphic adventures.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Aug 24, 2017

Not the most thrilling game, but a powerful, well-told story nonetheless

Read full review

Unscored
Aug 25, 2017

In terms of where this opening salvo of game leaves me, I'm interested to see how some of the characters progress and wary of others.

Read full review

Aug 26, 2017

The marriage of historical context, politics, intrigue, and tight adventure mechanics make The Pillars of the Earth an easy recommendation for fans of narrative-based games. It might even make you want to read the book!

Read full review

8 / 10.0
Sep 11, 2017

The Pillars of the Earth has its mechanical flaws, and it doesn't translate seamlessly from medium to medium due to technological constraints, but that aside it's a truly gorgeous experience. The art, music, and voice acting all come together as one to blend this story into one that transcends the pages upon which it was originally written, making it a very unique and interesting experience.

Read full review

8 / 10.0
Aug 24, 2017

Daedalic's adaptation of Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth is off to a strong start with retina stroking hand drawn visuals, deep characters and a refreshingly grounded setting.

Read full review

Aug 15, 2017

Only the first of three episodes has been released, and if the other two carry on in the same tune, there are more good things on the horizon for both diehard Pillars of the Earth fans and newcomers looking for a well-told tale.

Read full review

Chris Wray
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Aug 14, 2017

Ken Follet's The Pillars of the Earth is a surprisingly well grounded game. As mundane as the subject matter may seem at first, it's incredibly absorbing as you follow the lives of realistic people. While not perfect, suffering from general adventure game problems of backtracking and long-winded puzzles, the game more than makes up for it with compelling characters, a great script with fantastic voice acting and an aesthetic design that benefits the game greatly.

Read full review

80 / 100
Aug 21, 2017

Daedalic has a strong reputation, and they've maintained it with this release.

Read full review

69 / 100
Mar 1, 2018

It could be named as an interactive book. If you have read the novel, then it might be of your interest. Otherwise it could bore you. It has a slow gameplay and little action, but it has a compelling story that makes you care about the characters and their future.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

7 / 10.0
Aug 24, 2017

Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth Book 1 is successful at bringing the epic 12th Century story to a new audience, albeit with a few missteps. The title finds pacing issues in its story and gameplay early and the cadence of its dialogue regularly drags down the overall rhythm, but it brings more than expected in both interactivity and style. Bringing a story the scale of a thousand-page novel to the video game format could not have been an easy endeavor, but Deadalic Entertainment has brought the first act to us with plenty of appetite for more.

Read full review

9 / 10
Aug 11, 2017

The pillars of the Earh is a medieval ode. It is a true artistic and narrative success that captivates your attention and immerses you in a truly enchanting Middle Age era.

Review in French | Read full review

7.5 / 10.0
Sep 18, 2017

Pillars of the Earth is a great game for anyone who likes the slow process of constructing a cathedral—for anyone else, you might get bored.

Read full review

NZGamer
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Sep 11, 2017

One of the better examples of a book-to-game adaptation.

Read full review

3.5 / 5.0
Sep 2, 2017

I hope there will be an improvement with the interactive features of the game for the next instalment as I am really looking forward to seeing how the story unfolds. However, if not, then I may lose interest in completing the entire game and just read the original book instead.

Read full review

4 / 5.0
Aug 26, 2017

While the slow movement speed drags things out, Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth is a must-play for anyone wanting a game to tell a narrative that doesn't talk down to the player.

Read full review

GameSpace
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Aug 22, 2017

While the narrative takes a long time to really find its proper pacing and return on early character emotional investment, Ken Follett’s The Pillars of Earth delivers an immersive, enjoyable storytelling experience. The art and voice acting combines into a grim world that, despite an initially slow pace, pulls players in and does not let go as it has them putting on blankets to fight off the cold of 1135 England.

Read full review