The Artwork and Concept Art Archive for Pilgrim: Faith as a Weapon (PC), an Arxel Tribe Game
A collaboration between Arxel Tribe, Paulo Coelho, author of the bestselling novel The Alchemist, and Moebius (aka Jean Giraud, the artist behind Blueberry), Pilgrim: Faith as a Weapon marked the Franco-Slovenian studio's first foray into video game development.
With a budget of 5 million French francs and developed over twelve months by a team of twenty-five people, Pilgrim was released in 1997 under the Infogrames label. The game helped shape Arxel Tribe's identity, with the studio later specializing in point-and-click adventures with a strong literary and, more broadly, cultural dimension.
Pilgrim is a medieval adventure developed on Silicon Graphics workstations and based on Paulo Coelho's book The Pilgrimage, from which it draws its storyline and main characters. Blending investigation with a spiritual quest, Pilgrim: Faith as a Weapon is set in the historical context of the early 13th century, which it explores through its narrative and through an interactive encyclopedia integrated into the game.
It all begins in 1208, during the era of the Crusades, when Marc, a renegade Templar, seizes a highly important religious manuscript written in Coptic. On his journey home, he is ambushed and left gravely wounded. Nevertheless, he manages to reach his destination and entrusts the precious manuscript to Adalard de Lancrois, the leader of a secret order. Adalard, who is also the protagonist's father, is struck by an incurable illness. On his deathbed, he asks his son to deliver the precious book to one of his friends living in Toulouse. Simon, the character portrayed by the player, therefore embarks on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela to bring the manuscript to safety. The adventure unfolds against a backdrop of political and religious conspiracy, while developing a strong symbolic dimension.
The PC Game Cover
The player moves through the game using a system of directional arrows across static screens, following the conventions of the point-and-click genre. The locations visited are numerous and varied, including libraries, abbeys, ruined castles, and more. The carefully crafted environments are both atmospheric and immersive. The game features puzzles of varying difficulty. Some take the form of simple brainteasers, while others require the player to perform favors for the various characters encountered along the journey. Three interface windows allow the player to interact with the game world, whether with the inhabitants of Pilgrim or with elements of its environment.
With uniformed guards standing at the city gates, entertainers filling the streets, and typical merchants populating the markets, Pilgrim creates a realistic and enjoyable medieval atmosphere. It is the perfect game for broadening your general knowledge of this period in history!
The Strength of Pilgrim in Drawings
I would like to thank Nicolas Fructus for his availability, kindness, and for providing us with conceptual material related to Pilgrim: Faith as a Weapon. His archive allows us to visualize the game as it was taking shape during the early stages of its development.
I would like to thank the entire Arxel Tribe team involved in the studio's various projects, including Pilgrim: Faith as a Weapon on PC (MobyGames credits for Pilgrim).
Special thanks to:
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Hicks for proof-reading the French text
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Neil Riddaway for the English correction of the article
Other special pages dedicated to a game, featuring Artworks, Storyboards, etc.: Vectorman PlayStation 2 (Unreleased) - Evil Twin Dreamcast - Jekyll & Hyde Dreamcast (Unreleased) - Propeller Arena Dreamcast (Unreleased) - Fear Effect Inferno PlayStation 2 (Unreleased) - Quark Dreamcast (Unreleased) - Thingumajig PC/Dreamcast (Unreleased) - Agartha Dreamcast (Unreleased) - Pilgrim: Faith as a Weapon PC
The [Artwork & Concept Art Database] page lists all pages created exclusively around the concept art of a given project. It also brings together all articles related to video games covered by the site—often making-of features—that have drawn on archives of conceptual material provided by developers to support their writing.
