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Awesome RPG

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 14, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This is my second favorite game ( the first being KOTOR, also by BioWare). The storyline is rich, as as the characters. Sky is one of my all-time favorite characters (along with Carth from KOTOR). The scenery on this is breaktaking. I enjoyed the "good vs. evil" decision in this game, as it is really innovative. It goes so much further than just good vs. evil. It has 2 leaning, the Way of the Open Palm, which is not that different from general 'I've got to help everyone who comes along' good, and the Way of the Closed Fist. The Closed Fist is one of my main reasons for liking this game so much. Basically it states that only the strong survive and florish, while the weak fade away. There was this one point in the game, as someone asked you to describe your surroundings, and there was one option that just blew me away; it talked about how everything fades over time, even the earth. Just the way it was written was beautiful. Another example is giving a young girl a knife and giving her the oportunity to kill the man that had put her into slavery (of course she can't do it anyway) instead of you just killing him. Get this game, especially the Limited Edition, as there is an extra character. BioWare, make a sequel!

Doesn't let go!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: June 01, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I came late to the Jade Empire party, not even knowing the game existed until a couple months after I picked up an X360, but I am hooked! This game is fantastic! I've played "Knights of the Old Republic," also by developer Bioware, and I thought that was one of the best RPG games I'd ever played. Then I picked up "Jade Empire."

The storyline is deep, the characters are fully drawn, the side quests are actually fun and interesting (instead of the usual go-there/pick-that-up/come-back sorts of tripe), the graphics are beautiful (especially for last-gen), and the combat system is truly unique and full of variety. Still being in college, I don't actually have a lot of time to play games, even though I LOVE videogames, but this one easily hooks me for a couple hours every time I sit down with it. (Which means I don't even turn my X360 on when I have a paper due!)

If you want a truly unique and engaging RPG, this is the one. I've read some of the other reviews, and they have some good points: the load times are REALLY long, there is a lot of dialog, and it is a slower paced game. The load times become irrelevant, though, once you start playing the levels, and the dialog is interesting and well written (as opposed to KOTOR 2 -- THAT was boring dialog). As to the pacing, if you're used to beat-em-ups like Final Fight or button-mashers like Ninety-Nine Nights, then this game is certainly not for you. If you want a unique RPG set in a fully-drawn and incredible universe, then this is the game you want.

Hampered by load times

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: February 23, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I am a very patient gamer, preferring RPGs and tactical games with thought and storyline, but the load times for this game were troublesome enough to completely disrupt the flow of the game completely for me. Though the load times are "short", less than 30 seconds each, they are so frequent (near many combat starts) that within the first hour and a half of the game, I was bent over in frustration. It got a bit better as I went along, but I had to call it quits after 2 hours since I felt like I was wasting mytime. In comparison, a game such as Half Life 2 on Xbox which also has regular loading times of 10-20secs each are well-placed so that they do not interfere with the flow of the game significantly.

I'm surprised more people have not commented on the poor loading times of this game - despite the high reviews of this game, it went to discount unusually quickly which makes me suspect a general problem in the loading times.

On the brighter side, the graphics, storyline, and gameplay did seem to be 1st rate (when I wasn't just waiting for the loading..) and does live up to the high expectations.
If you have to try it, I would recommend a rental first to see if you can stomach the pace of the load times.

Disappointing

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 1 / 7
Date: May 26, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game has some beatiful scenery, and...well, that's about it. This game commits the cardinal sin of video games: it's very boring. And I'm a huge fan of KOTOR, so I'm not averse to talky talkiness, but the generic story, tedious combat, and uninteresting stat/ability system caused me to sell this game quicker than any game I've ever had. Just beware.

A Brilliant BioWare RPG with Sleep-Inducing Combat

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: May 26, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Okay, let me say that when I first heard previews of this game, I thought it would be more action-centric. Its set in a westernized vision of asia, straight out of martial arts movies and folklore. I was dismayed, since the best part of Bioware/ Black Isle/ Obsidian Entertainment games are their engrossing stories and branching dialogue; they're almost like adventure games which had to change format due to the genre's death.
Anyway, thankfully to me, combat in the game is not a focus. It's lame as hell, with four different attacks assigne to the d-pad, and various easily dodgable martial and magic attacks to deal with. I played it on grand master the whole way through and didn't die once, mostly because you can just roll around and stun-lock enemies with storm dragon or the blind fist technique. Or just max out the jade golem, or spam the area attacks to do those insta-kill combos, etc. While this will put off most people who were looking for an action RPG, for the hardcore like myself, who worship the gospels of Fallout Baldur's Gate Planescape Torment and KOTOR 1 and 2, they won't be disappointed.
Finally, after two KOTOR games, Bioware is moving towards an "alignment" system which reflects an actual moral philosophy, instead of melodramatic "good" or "evil" categories. This time, the closed fist (dark side) has a thin philosophy of self-affirming social darwinism behind it, and the open palm (good) involves finding balance in all things in addition to not murdering peasants. Although there is no real "neutral" yet, there are often three solutions to problems (the game has three endings based upon this), one which is very evil, one which is good, and one which is highly debatable. The characters are rich and well-written (REMEMBER to talk to everyone to get their backstories like in Kotor), the ending is relatively complete and satisfying with character bios (Unlike Kotor's lame five second cut scene), and the quest is engrossing with a few genuinely unpredictable twists (though not even close to Kotor's). All in all, for an RPGer who wants the best in Western dialogue-based RPGs, this is where its at. The game is actually rather linear, with a few exceptions, and there is no world map from which you can travel. Though this is more constricted than KOTOR, it adds a more narrative focus to the game which I like (non-linearity is overrated).

A great game with lots of room for customizing

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: May 05, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This is a great game to play. The graphics are well done, as well as the story line. This is truly a role playing game, and you can make many different decisions to truly make you in charge of what's happening in the world of the game. Although the game is kind of short there are many things in the game you can do differently to make it interesting to replay the game. You can for example, play as a different kind of character, be good if you were evil or be evil if you were good, use different followers, and choose different characters to be at the minigame in the end. All in all this is a great game, and if blood is something that bothers you there is an option that lets you turn it off.

The best video game I have ever played!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: May 01, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I very much gravitate toward RPG video games, with some of my favorites being the Zelda series (despite its childish atmosphere) and the original D&D style Final Fantasy series. One of my other interests is kung fu movies, so Jade Empire is right up my alley, combining China and kung fu with RPG gaming. Fantastic!
Anyone who has played Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic will instantly recognize Jade Empire's game engine. The same great enviroments and graphics, and the same dual morality system are in place, custom tailored to a kung fu setting. In addition, the game has an excellent combat system, and you will find yourself battling humans, ghosts, demons, and animals, among other things. Jade Empire's storyline is GREAT, and is extensive and complex without getting bogged down in too many twists and turns. The game's length is just right (my initial playthrough lasted about 27 hours).
The voice acting is superb, as are the quests and sidegames that are available. Add in several different characters you may play as (and you may chose either the Open Palm (good) or Closed Fist (evil) way, and your replay value is extensive. This truly is an immersive game!
The 'Limited Edition' version of the game comes with a second disc which contains a featurette and an extra playable character. The 'making of' featurette is interesting, but definitly not must-see. The addition of the extra monk character is cool, but he is probably the worst of all the playable characters (his weapon is the slowest, therefore the worst).
I really can find NO fault with this game except for the load times, and considering the excellent graphics and in-game cutscenes, this is an acceptable annoyance. If you like RPG action games, or have an interest in martial arts and/or Chinese mythology, you should DEFINITELY play this game. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Real Fun (Especially If You Like The KOTOR Series)

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: February 22, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I really do recommend Jade Empire, it's an RPG much like Knights of the Old Republic except you play a monk from ancient times and go around helping or hurting others while you try to get revenge for having your school burned down and your master kidnapped.

I believe it is made by the same people who did KOTOR, so they are very similar. Instead of the light and dark side, you have the Way of the Open Hand and the Way of the Closed Fist. Like KOTOR, there is dialogue and options that you can choose from to answer in response. Your actions effect the way you are, do bad things- you're a bad guy and so on. One example being that you meet a woman who is obsessed with a man who is already married, she hires people to beat the man up for being married to another woman who isn't her. You can settle this by either killing them all or helping them to understand each other or take another option. Many options are given to different goals, another great part of the game.

The characters on the game are very interesting, from a King Seesar like spirit that possesses a little girl to a ninja who is out for revenge, the game has many interesting characters that become your allies. The game itself is well done, the game isn't even turn based and is even more smooth than KOTOR. I really do think it's one of the best games of '05 and I highly recommend that everyone who likes RPGs like KOTOR or Fable to get it.

Toooo much conversations!!!!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 0 / 25
Date: November 25, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I rented this game 2 days ago, and was trying to play, but I couldn't because only thing you do here is listning to conversations. It is same like watching a movie, but sometimes you can play for 10 seconds.Be carefull; if you die you have to wait another 10 minutes to play it again.Plus to many downloads!
Do not buy this game it dosn't worth your many.

Welcome to the world of Jade

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 13
Date: October 04, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Jade Empire - Circa 2005

GOOD:
- Good/Tight controls
- Nicely balanced gameplay (some might think it's to easy just go to the difficulty setting and crank up the difficulty)
- Lots of different and interesting fighting styles to earn and choose from
- An original story with some twists and turns for you to discover (by talking to people). The story also has multiple endings (either good or bad outcome)
- Variety of different locals to travel to (all done in nice detail)
- Action RPG with lots of story (told through character dialogue) and real-time action

BAD:
- Not a traditional RPG or a traditional beat-em-up (like Final Fight), so it might upset people looking for more of either
- Slightly liner gameplay
- Dialogue trees might be to long for some that want more of an action game
- Some complain of long loading times, but Star Wars: Knights of the old Republic and fable had loading times just as long

IF IT FITS YOUR TASTE:
- Has mythical/medieval Chinese theme
- Action RPG with real time fighting (like in Fable), no turn based fighting (like in final Fantasy X) and no "partial" turn based fighting (like in Star Wars: Knights of the old Republic)
- Light RPG elements, think of this as an RPG for people who like RPG's but hate tracking statistics and complex weapon/armor upgrading. Great for people who like action/adventure games (like Onimusha) but want a lot more story
- Lot's of story and dialogue if you ever played Star Wars: Knights of the old Republic one or two you'll know what I mean.

GAME ITS MOST ASSOCATED TOO:
- Fable
- Star Wars: Knights of the old Republic

ADDITIONAL NOTES:
- This special version has a bonus disc with a new playable character, weapon and a making of the game video (made by G4's show Icons)
- After you beat the game and during the credits, you get some really funny dialogue from the game's main story characters

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