Zork Nemesis

Fans of the original Zork — a text-only computer game popular in the early '80s — may be Myst-ified by this ambitious sequel, whose sophisticated graphics nearly overwhelm the J.R.R. Tolkien-meets-Dr. Seuss plot (in which your alter ego, an unnamed alchemist, explores various temples and castles in an attempt to track down four missing persons). How much you enjoy Zork Nemesis as a game will depend on your affection for arcane logic puzzles, but as an immersive experience — especially if you have a souped-up computer and Windows 95 — it is often astonishing, blending freedom of movement through computer-generated landscapes with an alternately soothing and creepy ambient soundtrack. B+