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Fun the first time through

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 13 / 13
Date: March 29, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Jade Empire: Special Edition is a lot of fun. The milieu is a fresh breath of air from the typical fantasy setting and the combat is certainly more dynamic. Instead of issuing commands and then waiting for the computer to resolve dice rolls behind the scenes, the combat is pure real-time martial arts. You jump your character in and out, dodge, roll, and have to actually connect when you strike. It brings out an urgency and involvement that is sometimes lacking in RPG combat.

The graphics may not be at the level of Oblivion, but they're crisp and pretty. Plus the game runs on a system that's not quite state-of-the art without issue. Apart from a few bugs (sometimes the camera angle gets stuck, easily fixed by a quick reload), Jade Empire runs smoothly.

The game has limited replay value, though. This is simply not as in-depth or large a game universe as Knights of the Old Republic or the Baldur's Gate series. You have a small starting town, which there is no point revisiting once you finish the introductory chapter. After that, there's a somewhat larger town (Tien's Landing) and then the Imperial City. Again, once you leave the town, you probably won't have any reason to ever go back. And the Imperial City is the same story: once you've wrapped up everything and head to the Imperial Palace, you won't be going back to the City.

That's a shame because the game feels so linear as a result. There's side quests in each urban location, but nothing that really makes you feel like you're forging your own destiny in another world. You won't be doing anything equivalent to rescuing Anise's castle in BG2 or acting as a hit man for the Genoharadan in KOTOR.

So my final verdict is that this is definitely a good game. But will I dust it off the shelf every few months, eager to give it another go (like I do with BG2, Kotor, and even Fallout 2)? That I can't be so sure about.

Jade Empire SE

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 10 / 10
Date: March 28, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This is a stable game with excellent graphic and a very good story line. The controls are simple and easy to learn. Unfortunately it is a bit on the short side, it took me only 14 hours to finish the game my first time.

There are a number of subplots, but they don't take long to complete. The romantic subplots for male characters are good and varied, female characters have only two options.

While the story is a bit lacking for replay, the combat options are keeping my interest. I have just started my third game. My wife completed it once and is likely to play through it again soon.

Personal Rating
Graphics: A
Stability: A
Controls: A
Combat Options: A
Character Customization: C+
Story Depth: A-
Story Length: C
Replay Value: C+

Overall I give Jade Empire SE a solid B.

I honestly found the Rhino Demon exclusive combat style to be of little value. But it is a cool little bonus that is fun to play around with once or twice.

Top-Notch Bioware

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 10 / 10
Date: May 07, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I'm a PC-only gamer, so when Jade Empire came out for Xbox I had my fingers crossed, hoping Bioware wouldn't leave me in the dust on this one. Two years later, I am not disappointed. If you've played Knights of the Old Republic, Bioware's Star Wars game, you'll find everything you liked about it here, albeit in a sometimes streamlined form.

You play as a martial-arts prodigy in a fantasy version of ancient China, the titular Jade Empire, filled with magical flyers, menacing demons, and all manner of sorcery foul and fair. But something is rotten in the Empire, and it's up to you and a band of adventurers to find out what. You can select from a number of characters, both male and female, each of whom is balanced for a specific fighting aspect - be it speed, strength, or magic use. Your character starts as a martial arts student in the sleepy little town of Two Rivers, but you soon discover that you are destined for a greater role in the Jade Empire.

The story is great - very engaging, with well-voiced characters (look for John Cleese as Sir Roderick and Firefly's Nathan Fillion as Gao the Lesser) whose elaborate backstories directly influence the game's storyline. You can choose whether to follow the altruistic Way of the Open Palm or the harsher Way of the Closed Fist through the choices you make during the game. Each philosophy opens up different subplots and abilities for your character. As in previous Bioware RPGs, the storyline features numerous side-quests and a complex series of central quests, all with multiple solutions.

The art direction is fantastic, capturing a diverse and compelling Eastern-Asia stylistic fusion. In terms of graphics, some of the environmental textures show their age, but the beautifully designed locales and characters shine through. It's the kind of game that you just want to stop and look at for a while. Bioware has significantly expanded their palette of faces, and I rarely felt that I was encountering the same character over and over.

The action-style fighting gameplay is fast-paced and engaging, though it can seem almost too easy at regular difficulty. Your character can learn a variety of different styles, from magical fire and ice attacks to double-handed swords and axes to good old-fashioned punches and kicks, and switch between them during combat for the best advantage against different opponents. I actually found myself using only a small selection of the game's numerous styles, and not switching very often. Still, the fighting looks great (Bioware used motion capture technology and professional, real-world martial artists to create the game's fighting styles) even if it lacks a bit of challenge. The game uses a simple 3-stat mechanic - there's Body, which influences Health (HP), Spirit, which influences Chi (spellcasting, replenishing health, and certain special attacks), and Mind, which influences focus (fighting with weapons and a slow-motion bullet-time ability). The give-and-take between the three stats in battle creates some interesting engagements, and each stat is also linked to the conversation skills of Charm, Intuition, and Intimidation, which can affect encounters with other characters.

In summary: If you want a great-looking game with an engaging storyline, compelling characters, and fun (if a bit easy) martial-arts combat, Jade Empire is the game for you! Highly recommended.

Nice!!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 8 / 9
Date: June 01, 2007
Author: Amazon User

A truly fine RPG and a real treat for anybody who played and enjoyed KOTOR 1. Jade Empire has all the Bioware trademarks: Good graphics, a fine story, great dialog, romance, challenging combat (on high settings) and interesting characters/locations. Like KOTOR, it has two paths to follow (something like good and evil), plot twists and even the opportunity to completely change your alignment near the end. Some people feel it's "cartoonish", but I definitely don't agree. Rather I think it tries to impart a sense of another culture's mythology, and it succeeds beautifully in my opinion. Think Titan Quest if you want an example (or Star Wars for that matter). I did almost everything I could find in the game (main quest, mini-games, sidequests, etc.), and it took me about 30 hours to complete. There are a lot of cut scenes, but they can be easily skipped by pressing the ESC key. If dialog screens bother you, you shouldn't be playing this type of game in the first place. It's really a shame that it took so long for Bioware to port Jade Empire to the PC. It would have been much more popular if it came out a year ago. Even so, I count Jade Empire among my favorites to be replayed many times.

Fanciful Oriental style empire setting with a Jade's worth of dialogue

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: July 21, 2007
Author: Amazon User

If any game had so many(great) elements it wouild be "Jade Empire". The fighting is very interactive, the dialouge is something to die for(though a bit depressing in backstories told by some of your characters), the graphics are eye-tear dropping gorgious. Bioware always knew what they were doing when writing games. And no one writes better dialogue than "Bioware", not even Origin.(defunct Ultima under-company distroyed by E.A and ethics of law). Why do the good ones keep getting canned by the louses!
You can choose between eight characters of varing extremes and mediums and magical attunements(calld Chi). Each has a gender varient of male or female, which gives you the best choices unlike Diablo(or it's MMROG clones) or most RPG's in general, in which are not nessesarily the class and gender you wish(biased). These choices are much more than just for personal astetics though, each specific charater is of a special ability gained by no other and some commentary and even direct dialogu is effected by not only which gender but what character you chose. The best part of this game is the direct intervention of the player in fighting(unlike any other RPG even KoToR which is stat reliant). Your stats are utilized quite well in sync with your input, meaning the use of your mouse/keys in synergy with the character's Chi, focus, body and skill. game charatcer's skill is very important despite your own playing skill as it affects speed, damage, and a big part of the chi involived in this. your pivitol counterpart(despite your chosen gender) is "Dawn Star"-I don't go into plot spoilers but this is a name that means something vital to the game's plot she will explain this later. You do not control her directly but she not only has great dialogu but exceptional magic and a special abilty not gained by your PC or any other. It is important to choose the right charaters for the right quests. Thier are many who will be availible but she, and the very alooof, Sacacious WU(voiced by Cam Clarke who does quite alot of central characters in animations on TV) are piviotal to your sucess. Speaking of the voice overs John Cleese(Monty Python's Flying Circus) is also in this as the only non-oriental character giving an outsider's perspective on "Jade Empire". If you have a short attention span or do not like much violence do not get this game, otherwise it is the most variable and enjoyable game out there since the dawn of video games(I ain't kiddn' folks!) as a required reading of Lord of the RIngs novels this is required playing!(thouhg I am not so overbearing as to tell another that, very "closed fist!") I do hope for a Jade II but I hope Bioware, not Obsidan proclaims the rite to make it. I am tired of this pattern with Obsidian taking over the sequals to these great RPG's!-very "closed fist"!

Cutscene after cutscene.. more like watching an animated movie.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 7 / 22
Date: May 21, 2007
Author: Amazon User

If you like watching animated movies, especially foreign Asian animation, you might like this game because that is what you do in Jade Empire. If you like some good button mashing and then watching cutscene after cutscene after cutscene, then this might be the game for you. I like SOME cutscenes in my games, but too many will take me out of the immersion factor. Also, the graphics in Jade Empire just feel cartoony.

Your character fights scripted linear enemies and then triggers another cutscene. Then your silent voiced character will have choices of dialog to select from leading eventually down the path of good or evil. Once you choose your dialog, you continue to the next cutsene. I just couldn't get into this game no matter how hard I tried.

For people who have bought Bioware in the past, AND JOHN CLEESE

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 6
Date: April 03, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Jade Empire is a safe buy. If you have bought any game from Bioware you know what I mean. However, you may want to wait a little while and hope for a price drop. The game mechanics work out fine, lots of fighting moves. Companion AI is not retarded which is a nice plus. Finally a game where followers do not constantly die! But obviously, the player will still be the best fighter on field. I am not sure what Bio-Ware did for the game (Who reads game credits?), but with any game they have their name tagged onto, the story is top notch. (Not everyday you get a game with a compelling story). Though it is short. One could beat the game in under 8 hours easy, if they did just the main quest. And if you are still unsure to whether you want the game from reading this review, or any other online reviews. I will tell you why you should buy this game. John Cleese does the voice acting for an NPC (Don't want to give to much away). John Cleese's aura of Awsomness should be reason alone to buy this game.

Pros.
1. Compelling Story
2. Fun fighting moves
3. John Cleese
4. John Cleese
5. John Cleese
6. John Cleese

Cons.
1. Rather Short

Wonderful game! Must-have!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: May 19, 2007
Author: Amazon User

The game is great! I don't know why some people complained that it's too short. No! It is just the right length! And, a short good story can be much better than a bad long story. There are also some varieties for re-play value. I am actually building my 3rd characters now.

Jade Empire is not jaded at all for the PC

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: August 01, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I have played this game twice, once good and once bad. This game rocks. I was a little skeptical about it being a console game that made it too the PC, but it really is a game worth buying if you like RPG/Strategy.

Incredibly Bold and Successful Endevour by Bioware

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: August 17, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This is a very bold attempt to bring an eastern story into a game, and there's no one better than Bioware to do it. This game has a very nice depth in terms of storyline. Combat system is not as great some times, but it is still great. I purchased this in hopes bioware coming out with Jade Empire 2.

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