Hi,
well,this is my debut as a reviewer,so please be gentle

Pilgrim was released in 1997 and is available (I hope,since many boomers know there were significant delays in delivery) through the Arxel Tribe webstore.Ok,on with the game.

Storyline

Mediaval France,sometime in the XII century.You are Simon de Lancrois,and one day your father calls for you.He is dying,and his last wish is that you take a manuscript entrusted to him by a Crusader,Marc,and give it to his friend Petrus in Toulouse.It quickly becomes obvious that the manuscript is important,and even the Pope is interested in it,having sent the Inquisitor Diego d'Osma to search for it.Simon will have to overcome many obstacles in his pilgrimage,a journey of the soul,not least of which is his own dark side.Will he make it?
The script is written by famous author Paulo Coelho,and has his characteristic belief in the power of the individual's dreams and goals...

Graphics/Sound

The graphics are very well done,and manage to immerse you in the game's
world.Everything,from a simple roadway to the more fancyful "dream" sequences is detailed and imaginative.The character design is done by Moebius ,and his characters are expressive and in keeping with the nature of the character.So ,Diego looks austere,and Adalard venerable.There are a few cinematics on the game,and they are of the same high quality as the in game graphics.

If the graphics are good,the sound is outstanding.The musical score is among the best,truly evocative of medieval times and suitable to the mood of the scene.Hear the music in The Abbey of Saint Sermin and I am sure you will agree with me.The voice acting is excellent,far above the standard of the time the game was released,and even from quite a few more recent efforts.The actors sound like they are actually living the scene,not just reading lines....

Overall,the sound and graphics are an asset to the game even four years after its original release.

Interface

The interface is standard for the time the game was released.Everything is done with the mouse,there is a smart cursor that recognises hot spots and performs every action depending on what you click on;Click on an item,you take it or get a description,click on a person and you talk,click on a direction and you go there (static screens a la Myst/Riven,no 360 degrees rotation,sorry folks).A small bar at the bottom of the screen keeps track,in different places,of your inventory,the people you meet or hear of,and of the various topics you might wish to talk about.You will get used to it in no time at all.
Included in the game is an interactive encyclopedia,that has lots of information about the times in which the game takes place,of the political and religious situation,the important personages and the everyday life.If you don't remember the precise order of the Plagues of Egypt or the Ten Commandments,you will need to consult it at least once to progress in the game.
Lastly,the game allows unlimited saves,but careful,you can't delete one if for whatever reason you may want to;you are stuck with it.
This minor flaw aside,the interface is simple and user-friendly.

Gameplay

The game is based mainly in information gathering and inventory management,with a few puzzles thrown in for good measure.Talk to everyone about everything,search carefully every location,and even though a few scenes require pixel hunting,you will rarely get stuck...in the first 80% of the game,that is,for towards the end the puzzles get quite obscure and you are not quite sure as to what you have to do.I have to admit,I used a walkthrough in the final scenes,although if I had been more patient I could have solved it on my own;the solution is never arbitrary or illogical.Be warned,there is a maze near the end,and you will spend quite some time in it.None of my hated music puzzles though,or sliders many boomers avoid as the plague.

On the whole,Pilgrim is an enjoyable game with good graphics,excellent music/voice acting,and gameplay that will satisfy every adventurer.I recommend it for everyone,and especially those who prefer first person adventures with no action sequences.

Clovis thanks so much for this timely review.

I was just running through a list of games that I thought should be reviewed and Pilgrim was at the top.

BTW - I thought for a debut effort this read more like you've been doing this for a while. Wonderful review.

I loved this game, it's moral dilemmas and higher values. I thought this was a game that tried to do more than entertain and IMHO succeeded. The line about "What is the good fight? It is the one in our heart that we know is right" has become a sort of code of life for my 12 year old and I. It was stated so beautifully this way.

Well now that we all know how well you can express yourself Clovis - you have to do some more reviews.

Laura

What a great review of a wonderful game. Loved the story and the puzzles weren't too bad - managed to get stuck a few times - building that machine is one that comes to mind and then there was that maze lol. But I thought the ending puzzle was very unique. This is one game where it paid to take good notes.

Personally Clovis I vote for the entire King's Quest Series. They were "second" computer games I played and I loved every one of them. It was amazing to watch the transition in graphics, sound and movement from KQ1 to KQ7 - like watching a history of adventure gaming.