Pilgrim Review

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            Pilgrim: Faith as a Weapon

Review by EnigmaFebruary 2002

You don’t know. You really don’t know what you’re in for with Pilgrim, Arxel Tribe’s mind-blowing 1997 release that disappeared for a few years and now is available again. I expected to really enjoy myself by wallowing in the Year of Our Lord 1208, and I did, but I never expected anything like the mysteries Pilgrim explores.  The game starts out as your standard point-and-click medieval adventure with lots of nice, logical puzzles, but it ends up as a surreal struggle against powerful forces that tempt the soul. It’s an adult game, not because of any salacious content, but because of the sophistication and depth of the ideas it tackles. You will need your thinking cap for this one.

Arxel Tribe based Pilgrim on Paulo Coelho’s Diary of a Magus, which should have given me a clue that the storyline eventually would depart from sweaty, earthly reality. Pilgrim fools you. Much of the game is exactly what you’d expect it to be: a traditional adventure set in the Middle Ages. Cross the broken bridge, evade the guard, escape from the dungeon, get the sword from the stone. That sort of thing. Well done for its time, fun and interesting, with some vexing puzzles, nice slideshow artwork, and nifty medieval tunes. Later, things turn weird.

If you’re expecting a simple battle between good heretics and bad inquisitors, you’re in for a surprise. The game goes far beyond that, eventually exploring questions for the human soul. Pilgrim will challenge you to examine your own beliefs about life, faith, and the “good fight.” I stand amazed that a simple adventure game can tackle such subjects, all the while integrating them into a point-and-click slideshow with inventory-style puzzles.

It’s stunning, outrageous, and constantly interesting. Pilgrim turns the adventure game into a visionary flight of imagination.

The Story

You are Simon, apparently an adolescent or young man, and your father is dying. His last wish is that you deliver a mysterious Coptic manuscript to a man called Petrus in Toulouse. Of course, as in all standard-issue adventures, you meet with obstacles. You have to get over that bridge and into the city. The plot thickens as you find yourself dumped, literally, into a dungeon, where you’ll solve a series of puzzles as part of a deviously trapped escape route. All the while you’ll learn about the political difficulties of the times. Remember that stuff. There will be a quiz at the end.

The game’s theme begins to emerge even in those early scenes, however.  A magician says that he’s careful not to do tricks that are too mysterious. He’s worried about the Inquisition. You’ll learn that the Cathars, a major heretical sect, operate powerfully in the area of Toulouse and that the local ruler, an astute politician, might be protecting them. Why is Petrus so hard to find? Why is an officer of the Inquisition visiting, and what do he and the Pope really want? Especially, what was your father up to?

I don’t want to give away the surprises you’ll encounter, except to say that they grow curiouser and curiouser, and you will not guess what’s coming. Toward the end of the game you’ll be into surrealistic territory. Sorry. Can’t say more than that. Play the game.

Gameplay

By today’s standards, movement in Pilgrim is primitive, anchored to a grid. The inventory-based puzzles range from simple to intriguing to well-nigh impossible, but they fully integrate with the plot and stick to logic, usually. You’ve got three inventories, all with different purposes. First comes your “bag,” into which you’ll place items to carry around and use, such as that manuscript and a notebook in which you can type your own notes. Next come icons of people you’ve met or heard about. Finally, you have an “item inventory” that contains images of items, but not necessarily usable stuff. That distinction confused me a bit. Early in the game I found a rope, and there it was in my item inventory. I couldn’t use that one, though. I had to find the rope again, and click on it again to put it in my “bag” before I could use it.

Actually the system works pretty well, despite the odd double icons.  The people and item inventories are there for use in conversations, as subjects for questions you’ll be asking. As you move on in the game, unnecessary stuff disappears. It’s a pretty good system and not at all unwieldy once you get used to it.

I mentioned that the puzzles stick to logic, usually. Because of that “usually,” I’m letting you know now that you’ll probably need a walkthrough for Pilgrim’s endgame, even though the game includes somewhat cryptic hints if you want them. Blundering your way through the thing will take gobs of time and cause far too much repetition, but I suppose it’s possible. I was too fascinated with the plot to bulldog through the more arcane mysteries, so occasionally I used a walkthrough because after a while I just had to find out what was going to happen next. Even in the endgame you can reason things out, but you’ll die plenty of times in the effort.

Yes, Pilgrim will kill you fairly often when you make a mistake, but once you die the game immediately returns you to an earlier point. However, especially in the dungeon and in the endgame, that “earlier point” is at the very beginning of the whole series of puzzles, so save, save, save your game. In the endgame, which has multiple, devious puzzles, every time you die you’ll have to listen to a long dialog before you can restore your game. That was the only feature of the game that I seriously disliked.

Another warning: Pilgrim has a particularly nasty maze.  The thing looks gorgeous, with carved, golden walls, but it also has staircases that might have been designed by M.C. Escher. You’ll wind up going around in circles on those stairs before you realize what’s happening. Now, I normally don’t mind mazes. I either blunder my way through them or I take the time to map them, but not with this one. This one’s built in three, or possibly more, dimensions, so mapping would be quite a challenge. I blundered around for quite a while and then grabbed the walkthrough.

I mentioned that there would be a quiz at the end of the game.  Yup, really, there is. I got the impression that the quiz, along with the excellent in-game encyclopedia, was supposed to make Pilgrim into an edutainment game. Certainly, with the depth of the issues it explores, it would be difficult to play the game without learning something. The quiz reminded me of the one in Chateau d’Or, so if you hate that kind of thing, use a walkthrough.  The final question, however, is one that only you can answer.

Lights, Camera, Action!

Pilgrim looks good, despite its archaic slideshow and movement grid. I especially liked the interior scenes, with flaming torches and crackling fireplaces. Toulouse looks cleaner than I imagine it really would have looked in 1208, but the game recreates the time period quite convincingly. The marvelous medieval music helps a great deal, with plenty of haunting and catchy tunes in minor chords. Later in the game, the music becomes more modern, and it nicely heightens the menace while you’re battling for your soul.

The voice acting works well, although the lead actor consistently mispronounces some rather simple words, such as “faraway” (instead of “far away,” he says “fairway,” as though referring to a golf course). The characters come in 3D models that don’t move much. I disliked that aspect of Timescape, but I was able to forgive it easily in Pilgrim because I was so fascinated by the game and the intriguing dialogue, and because there’s so very much more to see and do in Pilgrim.

Bugs

Although Pilgrim is PC-only, it ran almost perfectly under Virtual PC 4.0 on my iMac. The game ran in a window with the VPC desktop showing in the background, which annoyed me until I got caught up in the game. After that I barely noticed it. I ran into only two problems. In the first scene, I couldn’t pick up a necessary object. Reloading solved the problem. Also, just once, the game froze as I tried to save. Fortunately only the game froze, not the VPC or the iMac, so I didn’t have to crash and restart. Other than that, the music, dialogue, ambient sounds and graphics worked perfectly.  I was not, however, able to play the “bonus” CD, an interview with Paulo Coelho. Most likely a real PC would have no difficulty with that.

My Verdict

Yes, the graphics are nice and the puzzles will challenge you, but the superiority of Pilgrim rests on the intellectual content of the game. It doesn’t pander to the lowest common denominator, that’s for sure. The human issues of faith, growth, and power it explores will have you thinking long after you tuck your computer in for the night. Yet throughout, it remains just a point-and-click adventure game, moving imperceptibly but surely toward temptations that may torture your soul but that always give you choices. I most certainly don’t regret the time I spent wrestling with its demons.

Just remember, as one character says, “Regrets are immortal.  Demons are not.” The End

The Verdict

The Lowdown

Developer: Arxel Tribe Publisher: Infogrames Release Date: 1997

Available for: Windows

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System Requirements

PC: Windows 95 Windows-compatible sound card 166 MMX processor 32 MB RAM 3X CD-ROM 256 colors 5 MB free hard disk space

Mac: VPC 4.0

Where to Find It

Links provided for informational purposes only.  FFC makes no warranty with regard to any transaction entered into by any party(ies).

      Copyright © Electric Eye Productions.  All rights reserved.  No reproduction in whole or in part without express written permission.

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14 Responses to Fear Factor

  • Fear Factor | Tap-Repeatedly.com | Reality Topics Blog

    […] nobody@flickr.com (graftedno1) wrote a very interesting post today.   Here’s a quick excerpt:My greatest fear is to be trapped alone in a confined space with a blind human, in total darkness. They have a heightened sense of smell and hearing, and. […]

  • Matt "Steerpike" Sakey

    Lewis, you made me think of the scariest moments I’ve experienced in gaming, and we’re very similar people.

    Bioshock had two moments – the dentist and the flooded room filled with mannequins.

    Thief had Return to the Cathedral, which was terrifying to me. Thief 3 had Shalebridge Cradle, which is so scary it ought to be fined.

    System Shock 2 kept me on the edge of my seat, but it was more lonely panic than true fear.

    Korsakovia was so scary that I uninstalled it.

    And STALKER. Oh, god, the haunted labs in STALKER. The latter two games don’t have scares like that. Few games do.

    It’s especially rare for a game to have more than mere “moments” – for a game to be scary from beginning to end, that’s a triumph.

    Wonderful article. As if Gregg’s review wasn’t enough to convince me that Penumbra is not something I have the courage to play!

  • DPenn

    I’m with you Lewis … I’m a bit of a puss. I just have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea of dread as entertainment.

    Still, I’m drawn to dark stories when they have something interesting to say, whether it’s a game like Thief or a film like, say, Gaspar Noe’s Irreversible. So I’ll push through, sometimes peering through my fingers.

    The trouble with games, though, is that if you look through your fingers, you’re probably just going to have to play through the scenario again. :~)

  • Mike "Scout" Gust

    I wanted to play this game. I downloaded the demo but the controls were just too wonky for me to get my head around. I liked the atmospheric vibe a lot. I think I’m a bit desensitized from an overdose of horror movies in my youth so I don’t so much get the dread thing from these games as a nice creepy vibration. If only the controls were better…

  • Lewis B

    @ Mike, what’s wrong with the controls bud? As someone who despises poor control schemes, Penumbra’s is just like any other FPS, except to examine things you right click on them.  To use things you left click.  I’m not sure that can be considered difficult 🙂

  • Gregg B

    @Steerpike: Yeah my greatest shit-scared moments were with those games too. A few spoilers below people, so beware.

    Bioshock – Haha, I remember the dentist. I didn’t really find the game that scary overall but the bit where you go into the wine cellar and notice a mannequin facing the wall and after upgrading your weapon it’s stood directly behind you motionless and quiet just for a moment before attacking you. I shat a brick. I also missed that bit originally until Lew told me about it.

    System Shock 2 – same as you really, more unremitting tension all the way through rather than specific terrifying moments. Oh actually, theres a bit where you call a lift and it breaks then you realise a service droid is coming to fix it… I do remember having sleep issues after my first encounter with the cyborg ninjas though.

    Thief: The Dark Project – The Sword and Return to the Cathedral and Down in the Bonehoard and well, loads of them. The Sword made me break out into goosebumps though because there was a bit where you could hear this creepy giggling which seemed like it was following me about then it suddenly changed to this horrible throaty noise. What made matters worse was that the EAX (bless you Creative) made my foot steps sound like somebody else was there with me. That level was incredible, a bit too incredible as it seems I missed great chunks of it because I was so eager to leave.

    Thief II: The Metal Age – Trail of Blood where you end up in that opening with those damn tree beasts. God the first time I saw one of those hurtling towards me I actually died shortly afterward. Do you remember that Mechanist child walking around on one of the levels? That was a little creepy.

    Then there’s Penumbra: Overture – quite a few bits but I’m not mentioning them here.

    Oh and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. – The brain scorcher lab just because it was so damn quiet. My imagination seriously got the better of me there. Those stuffed animals and heads I’d seen in various buildings led me to believe that those creatures were lurking somewhere in the Zone, specifically that lab.

    @Mike: My control setup was perfect after some tweaking (as well as the simple weapon swing fix). If you ever fancy giving it another go, give me a shout and I’ll let you know my setup.

  • Lewis B

    I’m not sure why guys, but one of my starting paragraphs had gone missing, even though I copied it straight from the original source, and It was fine earlier. 

    Incase you missed it due to some technical issue you might want to re-read just after “Well no she wouldn’t in truth, but in Penumbra: Overture you don’t want to move anyway.” at the very start for those who’ve already read the article. Apologies 🙂

  • Mike "Scout" Gust

    Lewis, it was the weapon swing. It had this terrible, unresponsive feel to it, like trying to hit through molasses. I couldn’t stand using it. I tried the .ini fix as mentioned in the review but it didn’t seem to help. Of course this was the demo…but that shouldn’t have made any difference. I might try the second game instead as I guess they did away with the weapons thing.

    I’m see your first paragraph just fine. It’s the dialogue, right?

  • jdeuel

    I like the argument that weapons can remove fear, but even loaded to the teeth with ammo in AVP’99 the Marine missions were frightful because the enemy was anywhere at any time.

    As for Penumbra Overture, if the controls are anything like the original Penumbra they need to hack in some Wii-Remote 3d controls. I did not like using my mouse for 3d movements.

  • Gregg B

    @Mike: I’ve read that many people avoided conflict altogether in Overture which incidentally is something forced upon you in Black Plague. As somebody who has been renovating a house over the last 6 months with no DIY experience I can safely say that swinging a hammer is significantly easier in real life than it is in Overture without the fix. The fix balanced that for me.

    I’d highly recommend completing the first Penumbra because it’s one big build up to Black Plague which spoils the ending to Overture in the intro. And it’s a great ending too. Just so you know!

  • Lewis B

    @ Steerpike, those moments you mention are all my worst too!!  Do you remember the Robot labs in SS2? Absolutely terrifying, waiting for robots to burst out on you! 🙁 oh and have you ever player Condemned?

    @ Mike, The use of weapons in Penumbra is different to say HL2, where the player is physically holding the weapon, as in Penumbra it floats slightly infront of you.  However, if you change the control method to normal weapon swing, it’s no different!  Speak to Greggi and he’ll tell you what to do 🙂

    @ jdeuel, AVP the original and its sequal were scary however what type of fear do you think it is? I don’t think it’s anything more than sheer tension.  Having a Smart Gun makes you feel incredibly powerful.  I can honestly say in Penumbra the fear is sheer unrivalled terror, where you actually have to force yourself to play on.  It genuinly is that scary! 🙂

  • Jason Dobry

    It’s so true, an arsenal of weapons and ammo rapidly deflates any sense of horror or uneasiness in any game for reasons you already mentioned. Sakey, I thought Bioshock was more “lonely panic,” while I was pretty much always terrified in System Shock 2. I really, really, REALLY did not want to enter The Many’s nursery, and my weapons were so unreliable and ammo so scarce that I never felt safe.

    Silent Hill was terrifying for the same reasons. Ammo was rare and I frequently had to rely on my pipe for self-defense.  Even when I had ammo, the game mechanics prevented my character from being anything other than marginal with any firearm.

    Fear had one moment for me: I was climbing up a ladder, and as I reached the upper platform, my guy briefly looked down as he climbed off. As my perspective looked up again, that Ring-esque little girl was RIGHT THERE, reaching for me. I screamed and she was gone.

    What else…the original Aliens vs. Predator sent me into a locker room and I could only hear the facehuggers scurrying about somewhere within. I had to go in there. I advanced about three steps before the damn thing screamed and filled up my screen with its repulsive underside as it implanted me with its spawn. My roommate made fun of me for weeks for screaming like a girl child.

    Korsakovia–meh.  I was too annoyed and frustrated by the box rearrangement/jumping puzzles to be scared. I uninstalled it after an hour of play, I think. Maybe the scary parts were later, but I doubt it.

    As for Penumbra, I did play through about half of it before other games distracted me. I remember unease and creepiness, but no sweaty fear. I think I’m to blame here, or, more precisely, my daughter, who was still an infant at the time and generally allowed me only to play during the day for 45 minutes at a time. I was denied total immersion and the fear effect suffered. Maybe I should give it another go after I finish Call of Pripyat since she sleeps through the night now. With any luck, Penumbra will keep me from doing the same.

  • Gregg B

    I played the demo of F.E.A.R. but that ladder scare is the only bit I remember. Christ, that made me jump. I’m not too good with cat scares.

    Also I felt exactly the same about Korsakovia. It was creepy at first but then it began to irritate me far too much and it just soured the experience. I stopped playing as a result. Not to mention, when I realised I could bash those smoke-things with my crowbar they didn’t bother me nearly as much.

  • Online Up

    Great article. I look forward to reading more in the future.

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