Zork Nemesis: The Forbidden Lands

In the last days of the Great Underground Empire, four of the Empire's greatest Alchemists disappeared into the Forbidden Lands on the day of the Solar Eclipse, supposedly searching for the secret of the Quintessena, the Eternal Life. An imperial spy, Bivotar, was dispatched to locate them. He never returned. Now, the task has fallen onto you.

You soon discover that the Alchemists are dead, slain by a horrible demon known only as the Nemesis. You manage to get on the Nemesis' nerves, and soon find yourself allied with the spirits of the dead Alchemists, attempting to finish their work before the Nemesis can finish you. But all is not as it seems, and as you unravel the secrets of the past through old letters and ghostly flashbacks, you begin to realize the full horror of the events which transpired under the Eclipse all those years ago.

Zork Nemesis: The Forbidden Lands is a graphical first person adventure game in the style of Myst, mixing logic puzzles with live-action FMV sequences which advance the story. The player views each location from a first-person perspective, and can rotate the camera 180 degrees to get a full view of your surroundings.

Like other Zork installments, the game contains humorous elements, but in general its story and atmosphere are darker, including images and themes such as decapitated heads and human sacrifice.

Preceded by Return to Zork
Followed By Zork: Grand Inquisitor
Followed By Zork: The Undiscovered Underground
Series Zork (13)
Added March 8, 2020
Published By Activision Publishing, Inc.
Activision, Inc.
Developed By Zombie LLC
Front Cover (United Kingdom) (DOS) from mobygames.com
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Spine/Sides (Germany) (Windows) from mobygames.com
Spine/Sides (Germany) (Windows) from mobygames.com
Spine/Sides (Germany) (Windows) from mobygames.com
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Manual (Germany) (Windows) from mobygames.com
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Spine/Sides (France) (Windows) from mobygames.com
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Front Cover (Worldwide) (Windows) from mobygames.com
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Spine/Sides (Germany) (Windows) from mobygames.com
Manual (Germany) (Windows) from mobygames.com
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Title screen (DOS) from mobygames.com
Starting location. You can't do much here - just go straight into the temple... (DOS) from mobygames.com
The temple is the first location you are going to explore. It also serves as a "hub" of sorts for the game. It is full of mysterious places... like this hall of candles (DOS) from mobygames.com
The temple library. These little things on the floor are non-interactive. But you should still pay close attention to the detailed graphics - you never know what might contain a clue (DOS) from mobygames.com
The game has numerous books you can find and read. This one teaches you the series' astronomical lore (DOS) from mobygames.com
Exploring the dark corridors of the temple (DOS) from mobygames.com
The game is full of spooky, gently surreal scenes. Who is this woman? Is she dead?.. Why is she lying in that strange receptacle?.. Play the game and find out!.. (DOS) from mobygames.com
The game has a lot of artworks. This is probably the first one you'll see. You can even zoom in on this one... (DOS) from mobygames.com
You find a strange device with some symbols as you take a stroll outside, enjoying the view of the mountains... (DOS) from mobygames.com
The main hall of the temple (DOS) from mobygames.com
A busy room with lots of things lying on the table. Most of it isn't significant to the gameplay, however (DOS) from mobygames.com
You've discovered a hall with strange statues. You'll return here quite a few times during the course of the game... (DOS) from mobygames.com
Movies with live actors advance the story (DOS) from mobygames.com
After having solved the puzzles of the first part, you'll gain access to... interplanetary travel! (DOS) from mobygames.com
The game has many charts, maps, documents, pictures, and other stuff you'll want to take a look at (DOS) from mobygames.com
This twisted staircase leads to... (DOS) from mobygames.com
...a telescope. And that's what you can see if you use it (DOS) from mobygames.com
Every planet you travel to contains one large location. You can leave it for a while and walk outside. This planet has ominous skies and lava (DOS) from mobygames.com
Exploring the Monastery - the abode of one of the alchemists whose fate you are investigating (DOS) from mobygames.com
Zoom everywhere you can - you never know where you'll find clues to puzzles or just interesting info. As the cursor implies, you can take the torch (DOS) from mobygames.com
I just zoomed very close onto another painting. This is the Museum - a beautiful location. Taking screenshots of everything it has would require too much space (DOS) from mobygames.com
You read a beautifully illustrated book containing an old legend (DOS) from mobygames.com
The art style is vastly different depending on the location you visit. This painting has a distinct "medieval" vibe (DOS) from mobygames.com
You've found the private room of one of the alchemists. Hmm... let's start investigating!.. (DOS) from mobygames.com
Nemesis is probably the least humorous Zork game. Still, wacky notices are not completely absent (DOS) from mobygames.com
Look at every shelf to find interactive objects - see how the cursor turns yellow (DOS) from mobygames.com
One of the many puzzles - a strange mechanical device. Are you sure you want to stick your hand into the lion's mouth?.. (DOS) from mobygames.com
Another day, another planet. This one has a happy, "Mediterranean" feel. You peek out to sniff a bit of fresh air... and return to the gloomy reality (DOS) from mobygames.com
This is the Conservatory! There be musical instruments here! Ahh, sweet feeling... (DOS) from mobygames.com
Exploring a theater. This colorful leaflet is an item from your inventory - see where it can be used (DOS) from mobygames.com
Attempting to use a violin on a strange crystal formation in a cave. I don't think that will work... keep looking, keep trying (DOS) from mobygames.com
Is this a map? A clue for a puzzle solution? An enigmatic work of a genius?.. (DOS) from mobygames.com
Completed the Conservatory; time to move to this desert planet... (DOS) from mobygames.com
...and explore a gorgeous castle, the home of one of the alchemists and his son (DOS) from mobygames.com
Castle hub with a canon and a beautiful portrait of the king (DOS) from mobygames.com
Take a good look at this. It's not just lovely art - you'll need to understand that in order to solve a puzzle (DOS) from mobygames.com
One of the strange knights standing in the castle. How exactly can you interact with his face?.. (DOS) from mobygames.com
This would look like a location from King's Quest if it didn't have that painting on the wall... (DOS) from mobygames.com
After a while, you find a way to open the treasure chest. This is what it contains... hmm... looks interesting (DOS) from mobygames.com
You found a map of one of the Zorkian realms (DOS) from mobygames.com
This modern-looking table has a lot of stuff on it... try to find what is really important (DOS) from mobygames.com
The game has some letters that reveal the tragic story of its mostly off-screen characters (DOS) from mobygames.com
One of the more humorous, wacky locations in the game. You are navigating a tank and looking at many modern-day objects... the atmosphere changes drastically here (DOS) from mobygames.com
You can visit the planets in any order. I decided to save this one for last - an icy world... (DOS) from mobygames.com
...its indoor location being a scary-looking scientific lab (DOS) from mobygames.com
The first thing you'll see there is a morgue... (DOS) from mobygames.com
...where you'll be able to read humorous dossiers of some of the game's characters... (DOS) from mobygames.com
...and conduct gruesome experiments! This is the game's scariest part - and I haven't posted the screenshot with an even more gruesome solution to this puzzle!.. (DOS) from mobygames.com
High-tech environments feel cold and terrifying after the opulence of the castle (DOS) from mobygames.com
Finally, you unlock a new location - a gorgeous area with mysterious statues... (DOS) from mobygames.com
main menu (Windows) from mobygames.com
This is where you start (Windows) from mobygames.com
The cursor is inactive. (Windows) from mobygames.com
Strange devices (Windows) from mobygames.com
The direction arrow (Windows) from mobygames.com
Near the temple (Windows) from mobygames.com
How can I open this door? (Windows) from mobygames.com
Inside (Windows) from mobygames.com
Not many people to interact with, but lots of other things... (Windows) from mobygames.com
Long passages... (Windows) from mobygames.com
Library (Windows) from mobygames.com
Main hall (Windows) from mobygames.com
The cursor becomes active (Windows) from mobygames.com
You may even find some pieces of art! (Windows) from mobygames.com
Strange place... (Windows) from mobygames.com
Is he alive?!! (Windows) from mobygames.com
Save us, adventurer! (Windows) from mobygames.com
Zork Nemesis carries an RSAC advisory for "partial nudity". This picture and the previous art shot are the sole reason why. Was it good for you? (Windows) from mobygames.com

Year of Release:
1996

Genre(s):
Traditional

Graphic Style:
3D FMV

Camera View:
First-Person

Control Type:
Point and Click

Setting/Theme:
Fantasy

Other Tags:
Speech

Available From: