Info about Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth:

Official game description:
Special Offer
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About the Game
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Based on Ken Follett's world-bestseller, ‘The Pillars of the Earth’ retells the story of the village of Kingsbridge in a whole new interactive way. Play as Jack, Aliena and Philip and change the events of the book through exploration, decision-making and dialogues.  
12th century, England: In a time of great poverty and war, a small town begins the construction of a cathedral to claim wealth and security for its people. In their struggle to survive, lives and destinies intertwine. Philip the monk becomes prior of the small abbey of Kingsbridge. At the same time, a boy called Jack is raised in the woods by his outlawed mother. His apprenticeship as a stonemason paves his way to become a gifted master builder. Together with the disgraced noblewoman Aliena, Jack and Philip begin the construction of one of the greatest cathedrals England will ever see.  
*   One of the most successful novels of all time, now adapted as a three-part videogame series  
*   Change events from the novel and influence the fates of its characters  
*   Follow an epic of war, conspiracies and romance spanning over 30 years  
*   Three different playable characters: Jack the outsider, Aliena the noblewoman and Philip the monk  
*   Brings the 12th century to life with over 200 handpainted backgrounds  
*   Fully animated in a unique 2D style  
*   Optimized for use with controller and mouse  
*   Orchestral Soundtrack by the FILMharmonic Orchestra, Prague  
*   Full voice over in English and German, featuring Glen McCready as Philip, Naomi Sheldon as Aliena and Cody Molko and Alex Jordan as the young and adult Jack  
*   With a special appearance by Ken Follett as the voice of the Cantor

Release date: Aug 15, 2017

Categories: Point-and-click Adventure, Narrative-driven Gameplay, Choice-based Narrative, Historical Setting, Dialogue-based Gameplay, Character-driven Interactions and Dialogue, Story-driven Gameplay

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 20; verdict: Good with Minor Issues; summary: The game generally works well on the Steam Deck with controller support being a highlight. However, there are some minor issues with controller setup that need to be addressed.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $5.00 - $15.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence suggests that while the game is often purchased on sale, users frequently mention that it is worth the full price. The sale prices mentioned range from €1.99 to $2, indicating that the community finds significant value at these lower price points. However, several users also state that the game is worth the full price, suggesting that the fair price range is somewhat higher than the sale prices but still reasonable.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 15.0h
  - Story completion: 15.0h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provided includes several reviews that mention the time it took to complete the game and the story campaign. One user explicitly states that it took around 15 hours to finish the game, which aligns with the typical total time to finish the game. Another user mentions completing the full story campaign, which supports the typical time to finish the main story. The evidence also suggests that the game can be completed in a single session or over multiple sessions, but specific session lengths are not explicitly mentioned. There is no direct evidence provided for the typical post-story or endgame hours.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game has a slow start but becomes compelling and fun once the story picks up, typically after the initial slow-paced chapters.
  - Stance: Fun after initial slow start
  - Anchor: The story picks up and becomes compelling.
  - Time to anchor: 1h 0m
  - Friction: Slow pacing at the start; Long chapters at the beginning
  - Unlock drivers: Story progression; Character development
  - Conditions: Patience with slow pacing; Interest in narrative-driven games; Appreciation for story immersion
- Player Archetypes:
  - Story-First Explorer (buy)
    - Motivation: Engaging with a rich, emotional narrative.
    - Playstyle: Interactive and decision-driven, focusing on story progression.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: Story lover; Emotional journey seeker
    - Reference games: Telltale games; Visual novels
  - History Enthusiast (sale)
    - Motivation: Exploring and learning about historical settings and events.
    - Playstyle: Immersive and detail-oriented, focusing on historical accuracy and context.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: History buff; Historical fiction fan
    - Reference games: Assassin's Creed; Civilization
  - Achievement Hunter (sale)
    - Motivation: Unlocking achievements and enjoying a relaxed yet challenging gameplay experience.
    - Playstyle: Balanced between story progression and achievement hunting, with a focus on completing all possible tasks.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: Achievement hunter; Completionist
    - Reference games: Telltale games; Life is Strange


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Beautiful and unique art style (weight 0.91): The game's art style is consistently praised for its beauty and uniqueness. It features hand-drawn illustrations, detailed animations, and a visually appealing design that captures the essence of the medieval period.
- Compelling and well-written story (weight 0.84): The game features an interesting and emotionally rich story with well-developed characters and themes. Players have praised the narrative for being engaging, diverse, and beautifully told.
- Excellent voice acting and music (weight 0.7): The game features top-notch voice acting and a beautiful soundtrack. The music and sound design enhance the atmosphere and immersion, contributing to the overall high production quality.
- Atmospheric and immersive setting (weight 0.63): The game's atmosphere is dark, immersive, and well-developed, capturing the essence of the medieval period. The setting and historical context add depth to the story and enhance the overall experience.
- Impactful player choices (weight 0.53): Players appreciate that their choices significantly impact the story and ending. The game offers meaningful decisions that affect the narrative and relationships, providing a sense of agency.
- Faithful adaptation of the book (weight 0.3): The game successfully adapts the story and characters from the original novel. Players who are fans of the book appreciate the faithful representation and the engaging narrative.
- Suitable for various audiences (weight 0.25): The game is enjoyable for both fans of the book and those who prefer interactive stories. It has a decent PC requirement and is suitable for teens and adults, offering a complex and engaging story set in a historical context.
- High production quality (weight 0.23): The game boasts high-quality visuals, animations, voice acting, and sound design. The attention to detail and rich production values contribute to an engaging and immersive experience.

Common complaints:
- Poor translation quality (weight 0.5): The game suffers from poor translation, especially in Chinese. There are many errors and inconsistencies affecting the understanding and enjoyment.
- Slow pacing issues (weight 0.5): The game's pacing is often criticized for being too slow, particularly in the story and character movements.
- Excessive unskippable cutscenes (weight 0.31): There are too many unskippable cutscenes, leading to a lack of interactivity and frustration among players.
- Animation and dialogue issues (weight 0.26): Animations are slow and cannot be skipped. There are also issues with dialogue flow and mismatches between mouth animations and character emotions.
- Puzzle problems (weight 0.19): Puzzles in the game are either confusing, time-consuming, or non-existent, leading to a lack of engaging gameplay.
- QTE criticisms (weight 0.16): Quick Time Events (QTEs) are disliked for being repetitive and uninspiring, with no option to disable them.
- Limited point-and-click elements (weight 0.14): The game is more of a visual story with limited point-and-click elements, which may not appeal to everyone.
- Historical inaccuracies (weight 0.1): The game contains historical inaccuracies that can be distracting and disappointing for players.
- Lack of game features (weight 0.1): The game lacks basic features such as pause, fast-forward, and auto-save options, which can be inconvenient for players.

Gameplay feedback:
- Point-and-click adventure gameplay (weight 0.89): The game primarily features point-and-click mechanics, focusing on interactive elements and narrative-driven gameplay. Players engage with the environment and make choices that influence the story.
- Dialogue and choices system (weight 0.73): The game includes a robust dialogue system where player choices can affect the story and character interactions. However, some choices may have limited impact on the overall narrative.
- Interactive and narrative-driven experience (weight 0.44): The game offers an interactive storytelling experience with elements of interactive cinema. It is heavily focused on narrative and character development.
- Multiple protagonists and storylines (weight 0.27): The game features multiple playable characters, each with their own storylines that intertwine. This approach allows for a rich and varied narrative experience.
- Puzzle-solving elements (weight 0.25): Players encounter various puzzles and mini-games throughout the game. These puzzles are generally simple and not overly challenging.
- Exploration and interaction (weight 0.25): Players can explore the game world and interact with various characters and items. This adds depth to the gameplay and narrative.
- Slow-paced and meditative (weight 0.1): The game features a slow-paced and meditative gameplay style, allowing players to immerse themselves in the story and environment.
- Chapter-based structure (weight 0.1): The game is structured in chapters, each with independent titles. This format helps to organize the narrative and gameplay into distinct sections.

Performance notes:
- Stable and fluid gameplay (weight 0.21): Many players have experienced a stable and fluid gameplay experience, indicating good overall performance.
- Missing dialogue text (weight 0.12): Some players have encountered issues where dialogue text is missing, impacting the story comprehension.
- Minor bugs and crashes (weight 0.11): There are various minor bugs and occasional crashes reported by players, though they seem to be infrequent.
- Frame rate instability (weight 0.09): Some players have reported occasional or noticeable frame drops during gameplay, affecting the smoothness of the experience.
- Clicking and freezing issues (weight 0.09): Some players have reported issues with clicking and game freezing, which can disrupt gameplay.
- Animation performance issues (weight 0.09): Animations in the game can feel slow or stiff, detracting from the overall fluidity of the gameplay experience.
- Save game issues (weight 0.05): There are reports of problems with saving the game, which can lead to progress loss.
- GPU usage bug with Alt+Tab (weight 0.05): There is a specific bug related to GPU usage when players alt-tab out of the game, which can cause performance issues.
- Audio issues in fullscreen (weight 0.05): Audio may not work properly when the game is in fullscreen mode, affecting the immersive experience.
- Compatibility with Steam Deck (weight 0.05): The game works well on the Steam Deck, indicating good compatibility with this platform.
- Controller setup issues (weight 0.05): Some players have encountered difficulties with setting up their controllers, affecting their ability to play the game comfortably.
- Launch response issues (weight 0.05): The game may not respond when launching, causing delays or difficulties in starting the game.
- Excellent audio quality (weight 0.04): The audio in the game is reported to be excellent, enhancing the overall gaming experience.

Recommendations:
- Ideal for narrative adventure fans (weight 0.49): This game is highly recommended for players who enjoy narrative-driven adventures, point-and-click games, and interactive storytelling. It is praised for its storytelling, atmosphere, and meaningful choices.
- Perfect for visual novel fans (weight 0.46): This game is highly recommended for fans of reading, visual novels, and interactive novels. It is praised for its narrative quality and immersive world.
- Great for history enthusiasts (weight 0.35): The game is recommended for those interested in the medieval period, historical dramas, and societal themes. It offers a memorable medieval tale and is ideal for history buffs.
- Highly recommended overall (weight 0.23): Many reviewers highly recommend playing this game without specifying particular aspects. It is generally praised for its overall quality.
- Fans of the book/series (weight 0.18): The game is recommended for fans of the book or series it is based on. It is praised for staying true to the source material and offering a well-crafted story.
- Complex character development (weight 0.12): This game is recommended for those who enjoy complex character backgrounds and well-developed characters. It is praised for its detailed story adaptations.
- Unique meditative experience (weight 0.12): The game is recommended for those who appreciate a unique and meditative experience, beautiful art, and sound design. It offers a visually impressive and emotionally engaging story.
- Patient players seeking depth (weight 0.09): The game is recommended for patient players seeking a great story and historical depth. It offers a special experience for those who appreciate an immersive world.
- Worth for story and characters (weight 0.09): The game is worth playing for its story and character development. It is praised for its engaging and emotional storytelling.
- Recommended on discount (weight 0.08): The game is highly recommended, especially when purchased at a discount. It is praised for its value for money.
- Engaging religious and political themes (weight 0.08): The game is recommended for fans of religious and political themes. It is praised for its well-crafted story and thought-provoking themes.
- Not for those with disabilities (weight 0.08): The game is not recommended for people with reading or processing disabilities due to translation and gameplay speed issues.

Other player notes:
- Gifted copy mentions (weight 0.04): Some reviews mention receiving the game as a gift. This could indicate promotional activity or giveaways.
- Non-English feedback (weight 0.04): There is feedback in Chinese, which may require translation to fully understand the context or issue being discussed.

Emotions:
- Enjoyment (weight 0.12): Players enjoy the game primarily due to its compelling story, beautiful art style, and engaging music. The experience is enhanced by playing with family members and the unique blend of visual novel and adventure game mechanics.
- Excitement (weight 0.12): The game's engaging plot, high replayability, and emotional investment in characters keep players on the edge. The atmospheric scene design, exciting story twists, and the ability to influence the story contribute to this excitement.
- Frustration (weight 0.1): Players experience frustration due to technical issues such as poor translation, slow pacing, and unclear character motivations. The lack of meaningful choices, limited gameplay mechanics, and difficulty with quick-time events (QTEs) also contribute to this frustration.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.1): Players feel satisfied with the game's high-quality plot, excellent visuals, and good value for money. The seamless storyline progression, realistic choices, and enjoyable characters add to the overall positive experience.
- Joy (weight 0.06): The game brings joy through its beautiful art style, music, and engaging story. Players appreciate the emotional impact of the story, the immersive narrative, and the vivid characters.
- Disappointment (weight 0.06): Disappointment stems from the game's poor gameplay mechanics, lack of puzzles, and historical inaccuracies. Players also feel let down by the weak quest gameplay, character stereotypes, and the lack of substantial gameplay.
- Admiration (weight 0.04): Players admire the game's excellent visual style, attention to detail, and humanistic interpretation of faith. The high-quality story, presentation, and faithful adaptation of the book contribute to this admiration.
- Engagement (weight 0.03): The game's engaging storyline, interesting story, and emotional impact keep players engaged. The historical storytelling and realistic portrayal of characters add to the overall engagement.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Players appreciate the game's well-written characters, high-quality visuals, and faithful adaptation of the original material. The beautiful illustrations, graphics, and music are also highly praised.
- Boredom (weight 0.03): Boredom is caused by the game's slow pacing, lack of dynamic gameplay, and uninteresting story developments. Some parts of the game are perceived as dull and not engaging enough.
- Engaged (weight 0.03): Players feel engaged due to the detailed narrative structure, complex character backgrounds, and the feeling that their decisions shape the narrative. The emotional rollercoaster story and engaging plot keep them hooked.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.02): Nostalgia is evoked by memories of playing the game, the emotional attachment to characters, and the game's faithful adaptation of the book. The immersive experience and reflection on choices made contribute to this feeling.
- Surprise (weight 0.02): Players are surprised by the depth of the story, its connection to the novel, and the engaging narrative. The differences between the game, book, and TV series also contribute to this surprise.
- Sadness (weight 0.01): Sadness is felt due to emotional payoffs, character deaths, and the ending of the game. The story's emotional depth and impactful moments contribute to this feeling.
- Immersion (weight 0.01): The game's atmosphere, narrative, and deep soundtrack create an immersive experience. The engaging story and characters, along with the historical setting, enhance this immersion.
- Positive (weight 0.01): Players have an overall positive experience due to the emotional impact, enjoyment of the story, characters, and art design. The visual beauty and engaging soundtrack contribute to this positivity.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.01): Players like the game for its plot and character development, medieval setting, and worldview. The strong story and its variability are also appreciated.
- Invested (weight 0.01): Players feel invested in the characters and their stories, showing genuine interest in their life stories and relationships. The intertwining plots and character backgrounds enhance this investment.
- Awe (weight 0.01): Players are in awe of the game's deep and meaningful themes, beautiful story, and masterful delivery. The beautiful graphics and sound design also contribute to this sense of awe.
- Immersed (weight 0.01): The beautiful graphical style, excellent music, and sound design create an immersive experience. The engaging story and characters further enhance this immersion.}