The Pillars of the Earth's Second Book - Sowing the Wind PlayStation 4 Review

Pillars of the Earth Book Two: Sowing the Wind is the second entry in the series based on Kevin Follert’s eponymous novel, which is expected to become a three part series. For anyone who played Book One, Book Two will be a satisfying continuation of the story, as well as a refreshing visit to this universe.

Having sorted the events of Book One, the three main characters have grown and evolved, this, of course, without sacrificing their essence or their goals. As a matter of fact, the characters in Book Two are presented far more fleshed out than before, with the inclusion of much needed time with characters like Aliena who was somewhat alienated in the first part of the story.

The development team took notice of the strengths and the weaknesses of the first entry and, among other things, gave a more prominent presence to their more relatable and likable characters, while leaving some of the least entertaining ones to the background. This translates into a better gaming experience without sacrificing storytelling and, to be fair, this is a welcome change in a narrative-driven game, especially when you have three main playable characters to relate to and a complex story developing at all times.

Although done before in other games, even within the genre, the three character narrative structure is flawlessly executed, as the game provides you with plenty of time with each character in order to further develop your connection with them and make you care about their hopes and dreams. Even more, the three stories intertwine marvellously when the characters finally are present in the same location, and even provide with dialogue options and decisions that have to be made when one main character interacts with the others. This allows for a sense of intimacy and joint narrative as few other games can provide. It is not the same to interact with a random NPC and make decisions solely thinking about how the outcome may affect a single character, than make decisions when you know personally and deeply the thoughts and feelings of the character you’re interacting with. The stakes raise stratospherically and you can even feel at times like a parent asking to choose your favourite child. A simple conversation can become a potent vehicle for full immersion and that’s something you will not find in every game.

Artistically, the game is still astonishing. Just like its predecessor, or Cuphead more recently, the artistic choice of hand-drawn backgrounds really do make for a vivid and colourful world. The artistic style sets the tone to perfection and really makes you feel like living a story set in 12^th Century England. Partially based on games like Broken Sword, medieval portrayals of the common folk in paintings and even some traces of anime, the unique style of the game and the way it is presented via gameplay amount to a feeling more of a graphic novel than a videogame at times.

Pillars of the Earth Book Two: Sowing the Wind, however, also has some downsides and some of them really affect the experience. The constant loading screens when entering a new area, the frustration of moving characters around vast areas and the fast pacing of the narrative are three of the most important problems one has to face. Actually, the last one is very significant. It is understandable that the adaptation of a 1000+ pages novel into a videogame will be challenging and Book Two is a victim of this situation. A lot of heavy plot points take place one after the other without enough time to let everything sink in completely. The game’s timeline spans across several years and, because of that, the story has to be quick, in detriment of the experience. Instead of focusing on a couple important twist and turns or pivotal points in the story, the timeline feels more like a cliff-notes version of a bigger story, like bullet points in a textbook.

Despite its downsides, Pillars of the Earth Book Two: Sowing the Wind still presents a compelling story that will leave you wanting to know more about the characters and the world they live in. You will be left waiting for the conclusion of the story and watching how your decisions carry on. As in any good adventure game, decisions and specially mistakes, will chase after and come back to haunt you even when you think they’re done for. If you haven’t played Book One, it is highly recommended you do so before entering Book Two, for obvious narrative reasons, but if you’re already committed to start in media res, you’re still in for a treat. Pillars of the Earth Book Two: Sowing the Wind is a beautifully crafted game that will remind you of the likes of a Telltale game and the crude realism of stories as A Song of Ice and Fire, minus the fantastic elements.

Also Check the first entry of this series Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth PlayStation 4 Review.

Sarwar Ron, NoobFeed
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