Zork : Nemesis

(Infocom/Activision, 1996)

This game was often thrown into the category of Myst clones, even though its far more superior than that. One cute touch was a smooth scrolling, 360 degree view of your surroundings in major areas of the game map; far better than the static slide show of similar Myst clones. The storyline involves sorcerers in the art of air, water, fire, and earth asking for your help in freeing them from mystical imprisonment. Who trapped them? The Nemesis, who you must unearth the identity of. Along the way, you must solve the overall mystery of what tragedy fell on this land, via ghost-image "flashbacks" of an intriguing love story. Yes, some elements of gameplay were much like Myst, though it had better puzzles, an amusing plot twist, and a cute finale. Simply put, this was the best Myst clone I ever played. Yes, that even includes Myst's sequel, Riven.

Rating : Large Crater.

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