ZELENHGORM: EPISODE 1 - LAND OF THE BLUE MOON

In this first episode of the dazzling cinematic fantasy game, you will encounter the superstitious world of Zelenhgorm in the shape of Arrikk Veheirr. Zelenhgorm - Land of the Blue Moon is the name of a continent on an alien world with wild nature, strange creatures, ancient cities and dark, mystical secrets. As this epic story begins you, as Arrikk, awaken after having bizarre dreams and discovers that a gigantic ship has run aground in the bay that borders your garden. From where does this strange ship come from?

To find the clues, you must seek answers from among your own people, who wish to have nothing to do with you. When you succeed, a magnificent adventure awaits you - the experience of the mystical continent of Zelenhgorm...

~ from the back of the box

When Swedish studio Moloto set out to create Zelenhgorm, they dreamed big - perhaps too big. Their vision? A sweeping twelve-episode (in three parts) FMV adventure saga blending live-action performances with pre-rendered worlds, a kind of Star Wars meets Scandinavian folklore. Nearly two hundred actors, animators, and filmmakers labored in an industrial hall in Limhamn to bring this fantastical continent to life. But after four years and 38 million kronor spent, reality bit back. Money evaporated, layoffs followed, and the saga ended before it had really begun.

Land of the Blue Moon, the lone finished episode, takes place in a world called Zelenhgorm, an otherworldly realm whose vast expanse is touched by war by the most violent of the six civilizations that reside within, each practicing a curious mix of magic and primitive science. But here, players only glimpse at one; the Deyrec, a peaceful yet superstitious community of rice farmers, pearl divers and wool workers all living side-by-side in their sleepy river delta. You step into the role of Arrikk Vaheirr, a young left-handed orphan whose neighbours eye him like he's a walking curse. Local superstition claims left-handers will doom the world, so naturally, when a colossal ship appears overnight, suspicion points straight at you.

Jump off any jetty to dive for pearls. These are your currency, and you'll need a lot if going to market (left).

You can fit some large items in your inventory, including buckets, grinders and this massive ladder (right).

This sets the stage for a classic first-person adventure. After a portentous dream hinting at the lush lore of what's to come (and a nice showcase of where a large chunk of that 38 million kronor went), you explore the quaint fishing village of Senava in a series of pre-rendered panoramas that are as absorbing as they are atmospheric. You'll visit foggy harbours, wind-battered shacks and a community filled with entertaining characters draped in elegantly strange costumes. The FMV is a little low resolution, even by the standards of 2002, and while it helps to hide some of the dodgy make-up work, it still captures all of the flamboyant eccentricities of the large personalities you come across.  

Without exception, the performances are genuinely engaging. Arrikk's sweet grandmother exudes warmth amongst the cold side-eyes given by everyone else, and the market jester is memorably foreboding as he lures you in to gamble on mini-games in exchange for cryptic fortunes. Not bad for a Swedish startup's fantasy epic. Promised celebrity cameos, including the rumoured stars of Star Wars, never materialized though a blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot of James Hong (Everything Everywhere All At Once, Big Trouble in Little China, Blade Runner) appears in the end-game montage tantalising what we could've seen in the second episode. It's unclear how much of the follow-ups were actually produced, but considering the video montages and ominous premonitions that ended up in this one, I suspect it wasn't an insubstantial amount.

Gamble pearls at the market jester to earn nuggets of wisdom or ominous fortunes.

There are five games to play, including the classic follow-the-ball. Watch out, he cheats!

While the story itself was tragically cut short, Zelenhgorm still holds up as a functioning adventure. You'll gather curious items, solve simple mechanical puzzles, and try not to drown while pearl-diving near the lighthouse. While the first-person interface is a familiar one, it's not without its quirks. Screens can be rotated freely in a full 360 degrees, but object descriptions are nonexistent. Essential texts appear only as cryptic images forcing you to decipher answers from cartoons or sketches pinned to walls or scattered in dusty attics. Even inspecting your inventory requires you to drag a magnifying glass over pictures which in practice is as cumbersome as it is unintuitive.

Behind the scenes, the making of Zelenhgorm was nearly as dramatic as its story. Project lead Michi Lantz kept development alive during a nine-month financial drought, eventually selling Moloto to the fledgling Federation X. But even the new owners couldn't stave off crisis. A much-needed cash injection fell through, and what was supposed to be an international launch fizzled into a limited Swedish release. Only a thousand copies initially found their way to store shelves. Not only that, but the game's main creative, Magnus Welinder - who came up with the concept, wrote the script, and envisioned the game design - passed away during production. In the end credits, the game is dedicated to him.

You can get yourself in a lot of trouble around Senava, such as getting drunk or brawling with a guard (left).

During the trial, some elders want you sacrificed, but you'll likely just end up in the stocks for a night (right).

In the end, Land of the Blue Moon feels like the prologue to a novel no one finished. It's short, uneven, and tinged with the sadness of abandoned ambition. Yet for adventure fans with a taste for obscure curiosities, it's also a fascinating artifact; a glimpse of a vast world that almost was. Michi Lantz and her team swung for the fences and while they struck out, they did so with undeniable passion that is unmissable on the monitor screen. 

Rarely does a game world feel so deep and lived in to a point that I'd gladly compare it to The Lord of the Rings - if the hobbits never left the Shire that is. If you can forgive the abrupt ending, Zelenhgorm will reward you with the atmosphere of a lost fantasy epic, lovingly stitched together by people who believed in their dream - right up until the money ran out. Highly recommended.

To download the game, follow the link below. This custom installer exclusive to The Collection Chamber uses dgVoodoo to run on modern systems. Manual included. Read the ChamberNotes.txt for more detailed information. Tested on Windows 10.

File Size: 1.47 Gb.  Install Size: 1.59 Gb.  Need help? Consult the Collection Chamber FAQ

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Zelenhgorm: Episode 1 - Land of the Blue Moon is © Moloto Productions AB
Review, Cover Design and Installer created by me

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