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Ranks Up There with KOTOR

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: June 02, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Well I beat this tonight after non-stop gameplay these last several days (I'd say about 20-30 hours of gameplay with side-quest completion). I must say I quite enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone who liked KOTOR. They are similar in a lot of aspects, but at the same time gives you a fresh new RPG with many new things to discover.

The side-quests are quite enjoyable and proved to be much more creative and thought out than the "help with this person's problem and then give them money to get back on their feet." The story was also very good and their is a twist similar to the one in KOTOR, but completely caught me off-guard. It really did pull the story together though.

I will give this a little review in the aspects of the game for those interested--

--GAMEPLAY--
Decent gameplay. I'd say the actual progression of character is very cool. As you play and become stronger you get more power to your weapons and styles of fighting. The voice acting is superb and throws you right back into the classic witty KOTOR dialogue we love so much. There is humor, action, and story. The only downfall is there really is no love story. The combat is a little repetetive after awhile but as your weapons are upgraded, the more your enemies are decapitated and spirt blood from their necks, giving the game a kind of Kill Bill aspect. Very cool for those who love the splatter of blood. The characters are also memorable and stick with you throughout the game, each with their own story and purpose in the game. The only hinderence in gameplay is that it sometimes would glitch on itself when you talked to someone and the words didn't come out and then it would freeze up. This probably happened 4 or 5 times throughout my gameplay. Although this could just be an effect of my Xbox getting older.

GAMAEPLAY: 9.0

--GRAPHICS--
Bioware really maxes out on the graphics this time around. I noticed a bunch of improvement in character movement especially, leaving behind the looped and annoying gestures of KOTOR characters. The characters can point you in directions, kneel down, stretch their necks, motion embarassment, hassle you by pointing... the list goes on and on. And the setting is absolutely spectacular. Each place has a completely different feel to it, from the Ancien Dirge Chinese temples to the grassy and welcoming environment of the Two Rivers Martial Arts School.

GRAPHICS: 9.5

--SOUND--
The sound is simply EXCELLENT! The colorful music score done by Jack Wall (JackWall.net) is awesome, always having that rich flavor of the eastern culture. A CD is in the possible works and I will be getting one if it is released. And the sound effects themselves were very well done. Bioware commented that there were over 2000 different sounds created in a recording studio to get all of the sounds perfect. They really outdid themselves on this. Next to KOTOR, this is the best video game score I have ever heard.

SOUND: 10

Overall I would strongly recommend this game to anyone who is thinking about getting it. It's definately worth the money.

Also there are 3 different endings to the game instead of the standard two. One ends on a light note, one ends on a dark note, and one ends on a more compromising but ultimately dark note (perhaps could be called a failing note). I could watch all 3 in one game too, because if you change your pivitol decisions near the end of the game, your alignment can do a 180 on the outcome (including the last few lines of dialgue with the enemy which gives you the third ending).

Anyway really loved the game and would give it a 9.5 overall.

_Max

Not as good as KOTOR, but still a great game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: May 08, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Nobody can really blame Bioware for trying to have their games reach out to more gamers, but this certainly alienates their hardcore fans.

Jade Empire follows this 'commercially' and 'user-friendly' RPG format. The game is actually an Action/Adventure, cleverly disguised as an RPG. The lenght of the game is around 20+ hours, down from 40+, in other Bioware RPGs.

Gone are also the 2 person parties - now you can only have a follower with you at a time. This means that in order to get their stories, you will have to constantly shuffle your follower. I ended giving up.

Gone is also the ability to Level Up your followers. This is now handled same way as in Diablo 2, automatically, by the game. Gone are also your levelling up options. Instead, everything has been simplified to the max, similar to Fable.

Gone is also the inventory - this time around you only upgrade 3 slots from an amulet. Like in Bard's Tale, you automatically get the best stuff. This could have worked great, but this 'best stuff' hardly ever comes around.

The game's main selling point is the new fighting system. No more turn based, everything takes place in real time. The fighting styles, magic and support styles are mapped to the directional pad, allowing 4 of them to be used. However, fighting ends up being reduced to Prince of Persia 1 fighting: simply jump over an opponent, then hit him with a power attack. Magic is very underpowered and with monsters being immune to magic or weapons, you may end up using one fighting style for whole game.

Graphics are gorgeous, very similar to Fable. You can still display a MiniMap on screen and all objectives are clearly displayed on it.

Quests are great and my only complaint is that you never know when or if you will leave the area for good. Chapters seem to be independent from each other and many times areas can no longer be accessed.

Like Fable, JE is avery linear game. You can only travel on the path you see on the map, everything else is 'invisible walls'.

Limited Edition comes with an additional character, a Monk. I could not see any differences between this character and others, so I would recommend buying LE only if it sells at same price as the normal edition.

Final thoughts: if you liked Fable, you will love this one. If you expect another Baldur's Gate or KOTOR, you may be disapointed. JE is NOT an RPG, but a great Action/Adventure.

I hate RPG'S but this game rocks

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 4
Date: April 25, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Like my title says, I am not a fan of RPG'S and have all 3 systems but this game delivers.I love fable and didn't mind KOTOR so I guess I like 3 rpg's.Now KOTOR is an amazing epic RPG but my only complaint was that you dont actualy fight or kill the badies yourself like in 95% of all RPG'S you just point and click on wich enemy to fight AND IT FIGHTS FOR YOU.BUT Jade Empire give you the freedom and to actualy fight and choose wich foe you want to attack as seen in Fable in real time fighting.This is the only way I can stand to play an RPG.I cant stand Final Fantasy and all these other weak games.nOW i KNOW lots of people love there rpg's like FF so if your like me and stay away from the RPG games you need to check this bad boy out, you wont be dissapointed.If you are into great story telling, great action, killer graphics and martial arts mixed with ancient chinese mythology you will dig this game.Its easy enough for basic gamers to just pick up and play and deep enough for hard core players to learn all the special combo's and magic attacks/transformations.Now I also recommend players to play Fable if you enjoyed this game.Now with the NEW Xbox just around the corner its good to be an Xbox owner with all the top notch games you'll be seeing from now till the end of the year like Conker-live and reloaded, Forza motorsport, Halflife 2, Farcry, Pariah,Advent rising,Destry all humans,Moto gp 3,GTA sanadreas,rainbow 6 3 lockdown,suffering 2 and many more.Most of those I mentioned are XBOX ONLY games.So go rent Jade empire for a few nights and see what its all about and decide if this is a game for you.I know I did and cant stop playing it.

What The Hell Happened?

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 4 / 15
Date: September 17, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I was so stoked about this game after all the great reviews, that I went out and BOUGHT AN XBOX,JUST TO PLAY THIS GAME!
I GOT HOSED!!

I started this game and loved it, until about my 3rd hour of dialogue that is damn near impossible to avoid! Dont get me wrong, I have no problem with well written dialogue in a story, (See Clerks!!, Or any other Kevin Smith Movie for a great example of hillarious dialogue!!!), however, I dont need hours on hours of script in a game!
What the hell is up with the long load times?! I remember games like Twisted Metal 2, and the Original Tomb Raider, that had load times like this!
These load times are sick in this day of Next-Generation systems!

So some pluses and minuses!

+ Amazing Graphics!
+ Fantastic Characterization
+ Amazing Character Developement
+ Amazing Monsters (Demon Toad, Demon Elephant, Etc)
+ Great Concept
- Lousy Villans..(Seemed Disney Evil)
- Damn LOAD TIMES
- Cheesy Story
- Fighting System is very stiff, no fluidity
- DAMN LOUSY LOAD TIMES!!
- This game pissed me off so badly with the Load Times, and Endless, Endless, Dialogue, that I couldn't even finish this.

I am returning this game the DAY AFTER I BOUGHT IT!

I'm sorry gang, I was so stoked that I bought an XBOX just to play this! I'm returning this game and buying "God Of War".

I hope Bioware can get it right on a second go around!

A good game, but not a great game.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: May 05, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I really enjoyed this game. It was a good mix of RPG, martial arts, and fantasy action. Let me list the pros and cons of the game instead of forcing you to sort through a few paragraphs of crap before getting to the important stuff.

Pros:
There is a lot of variety to the game. Numerous characters, martial styles, partners and the like. You could play it over and over again and never have the same experience.

Great graphics, the game is one of the most visually pleasing games I have played.

Wonderful soundtrack.

Challenging but not impossible.

Enjoyable storyline that really pulls you in.

Extended, it can take 20-30 hours to get through once without all the side quests.

Cons:
It can be too easy if you put it on easy. If you start to get bored though, try playing it on grand master.

I wish you could take more than one person with you at a time, but that's just a nit pick. It's not too bad.

Parts can be really full of talking, and I mean, at least 20% of the game is talking. Feel free to skip it all though, and you'll still know the storyline.

Limited environtments. I love places with snow and rain and everything and while there's some rain, that's pretty much it.

So here you go. I hope this helps you decide if you want the game or not. If you're still not sure, rent it and have fun.

The 2nd best RPG!!!!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: May 17, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Jade Empire is an excellent game, period. It's not perfect, but what game is? Well, KOTOR came pretty close to perfect...so due to it's similarities and since many people played that game (either loving it or hating it) I think it is a good reference point for Jade Empire.

STORY - As usual with Bioware, the game is driven strongly by a great story and very interesting characters. From a young girl possessed by two different demons and a mysterious and feisty woman in black, to a huge axe wielding mercenary who only wants to drink and fight. The plot is filled with myth, magic, spirits,demons and a share of comedy. It has elements of classic kung fu movies which you will immediately recognize. The only downside to the story is that it's not that surprising. I think the plot twist KOTOR had will be very hard to beat...and Jade Empire has it's share of surprises, but nothing you can't see coming. I won't reveal the plot twist, but I think the impact of KOTOR's plot twist was that it involved the player's character directly, while Jade Empire's twist centers around an NPC. This is not necesseraly bad, since it serves the plot perfectly and ties up the story nicely...but the impact is not as strong. Regardless, Jade Empire's story and characters are by far it's strongest points.

GAMEPLAY - A lot of people complained about KOTOR's turn based system, so did I when I started the game. To fix that, Jade Empire's combat system is real time. This was done no doubt to try and get more people to play the game, not only RPG fans, and since it is a kung fu game it makes sense. The combat system is essentially a rock-scissor-paper game. The downside....it's too simple! Action gamers will not get as excited with the fighting system due to it's simplicity and RPG fans will miss the strategy behind the turn based system. Add the fact that the standard difficulty level is not too tough and you end up with a pretty easy game to beat. There's no real leveling-up, all this does is increase your health, chi and focus bars more, and improve your styles, which by the way you can get along with just two of them really. I beat the game with the first weapon style I got and the first martial style. The inventory is also trimmed down a lot to gems. While in KOTOR you had to customize your inventory for different fights or situations, adding to the strategy, here you can get along just fine with whatever it is you're carrying. In summary, the gameplay seems to be "RPG-Light" to try and get more people to play it, but it may be just a bit too simple. The moral aspect of it has no influence either. While in KOTOR being dark side or light side had meant different quests, different powers, etc. in Jade Empire it has really no influence during the game, probably just for the ending. Does the gameplay make the game less enjoyable...not really, but it is I think it's weakest point.

GRAPHICS AND SOUND - No complaints here. Graphics are awesome, the music great, and the voice over is good as well. The loading times are still long though.

OVERALL - As said at the beginning, the game is great...although I personally enjoyed KOTOR more. This one is also shorter which is a shame because it is good enough to make you want to keep playing it. Story, characters, graphics and sound are great while gameplay is good, but a bit trimmed down. That's why I think it's the second best RPG...KOTOR still being the best.

Wonderful!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: May 31, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I'm a female gamer and really enjoyed Jade Empire. The graphics were beautiful the plot compelling and the character models amazing. You play as an orphan raised in the school of your Mentor Master Li. You have everything,(except perhaps romance at least for now ;-0 ), but your life takes a downward turn when one of the students is kidnapped and your master asks you to rescue her.

At first I found the gameplay too hard. I'm not a big fan of fighting games preferring games similar to KOTOR. But eventually I got the hang of how to work the keypad. (I DO however wish there was a general attack button and I was not compelled to hit the "A" key constantly to force my character to swing her sword). I also enjoyed some of the NPCS. Dawnstar. Henpecked Hu. Sky.

Cons:

Some of the party members were rather useless...Such as the spirit 'merchant' who totally rips you off for silver, and the inventor, who stays at camp all the time.

I didn't care for the girl possessed by the Demon (sorry, she creeps me out. WAY too exorcist for me). =- )

Lack of ability to equip multiple henchmen.

GHOSTS. Way too many of them, and they are difficult for beginners to kill I was bored.

Inability to customize your character's physical appearance.

Pros:

Fun romances

Snappy dialogue

Great story!

Wonderful Music

This game is rated M for mature. It has adult situations and violence.

A KOTOR by any other name would smell as sweet

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: July 11, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I think maybe, just maybe, you have to play one or the other of JADE EMPIRE or KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC, but not both.

I've played both to completion, and really the difference seems to come down to this. The graphics and in-game fighting are significantly better in JE, but KOTOR gets the nod for better story line, acting and sound engineering.

Otherwise they're essentially very similar games. Aside from the fighting aspects(which in JE is real time, but in KOTOR is turn-based) and the specifics of the level-up process, the essential nature of the game is almost exactly the same. You encounter people, choose to help them or not, choose to respond to them in one way or another, and then your character is gradually pulled toward the "good" or the "bad" side of the spectrum. Bioware makes a claim that the choices you face are more varied here than they are in KOTOR--that there are more shades of "grey" in your possible responses--but I don't see any real evidence of that. It's more like this: in any field of possible answers there are three "obvious" choices (a "good" one, a "bad" one and a "neutral" one), then there are two "funny" ones (one one that leans toward "bad" and one that leans toward "good"). It's not like you have to really puzzle it out. But you DO have more to read.

What's interesting about this is, as the second DVD in this Limited Edition will make clear, the guys at Bioware did a lot of independent research to imbue the settings and story with "originality". Of course, since they were swimming in the same philosophical waters that Lucas enjoyed during his original conception of STAR WARS, they came to a lot of the same conclusions about the nature of good and evil, so, in the end, the commonalities between the two universes are more obvious than the differences.

This isn't to say that JADE EMPIRE is a bad game. Far from it. But it's hard to separate the two since both came from the same company, and since Bioware refused to make KOTOR 2 because they wanted to do something "original". The truth is that, though it's good, it's not very original. It's really is KOTOR by another name.

That's not an insult. To equal, and in some respects even exceed, KOTOR is no mere feat. For that reason, I can definitely recommend JE--but only to those who've never experienced KOTOR. I think those who are really familiar with KOTOR might want to rent this game to see how Bioware has continued to develop their craft, but its similarity to their earlier work are too obvious to make this an original entertainment in its own right. I see JE as a step in the natural evolution of console-based RPGs. I hope that now that they've proven it possible to combine real-time fighting with more traditional aspects of RPG storytelling and character advancement, we'll now see other games with this kind of "engine" applied to more original story lines.

[For those who have already decided to purchase the game, you might be wondering whether the Limited Edition is worth the price. And I would say yes. The "making of" material is definitely interesting, as is the playable demo. Most of it is not exclusive material. If you have G4 TV, you might have already seen these documentaries. But they are an interesting enough glimpse into the game creators' craft.]

A really good RPG. Chinese myth never seemed so ruthless.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: July 27, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game is rated "M" for mature, but I didn't find it to be nearly as bad the "M" is supposed to signify, so for all you parents out there, I would say that giving this one to young adults probably wouldn't be so bad. If it were up to me, I would have just taken out all little scenes of what blood they have in there and just labeled it "T" for teen to broaden my marketed audience, but for some reason they had throw in a little (and I do mean very little) blood in there so they had to slap an "M" on it.

Anyway...

The limited edition is cool because you can get a whole addtional character opition for your main character along with other little extras (interveiws, art, concepts, ect).

Anyway, the story in this game is awsome. If you didn't know much about Chinese mythology (I certainly didn't before I played this game) the "Jade Empire" is an ancient Chinese story. This game's story is more of a constructed sequel to that myth more than anything. You start off the prized student in a secluded martial arts school. One day little village surrounding the school is suddenly attack by some mysterious assasins, by what appears to be an accident. Stranger still, is the fact that they seemed to know your master when he shows up to help you and another student defend the village. From there the plot goes a little dark or light depending if you want to be bad, good or somewhere in the middle. The concepts of becomeing good or evil remind me alot of the KOTOR (Knights of the old Republic) RPGs so if you loved them then you'll love this one.

Graphicly, this game was beatuiful but unlike any of the KOTOR games the environments where not nearly as interactive for gameplay reasons. There are also scenes of blood and concepts for a battle with a bunch of cannibles that were probably the only reasons for the "M" rating.

Sound was nothing special, there was only on thing that bugged me about it. The theme of the game starts off as sort of a wailing noise. It's not that bad really, it adds intensity to the song, but for some reason they play this song constantly through the sotry with no real variation. So after hours of gaming and every time you achieve anything you are reward with something that almost seems like screeching after a while and it wasn't long before I hated that theme song.

If you are a fan of RPG storys and character building, this is deffinatly one you don't want to miss.

One of the best RPGs ever.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: July 27, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I had only expected another "Fable" out of this game, but boy was I wrong!

I loved this game so much that I actually ended up playing it three times in a row. So what did I love so much?

First of all, Jade Empire took the gimmick that Fable used (the good vs. evil character development) and really ran with it. In one instance, alignment determines which of two spells you can learn. In addition, there are side quests available in the game that you can only complete if you are either good or evil (and you have to prove you are good enough or bad enough sometimes!).

I loved that your responses to people weren't limited, either. One time through the game, I successfully hooked up a callous woman with an artisan. On my next playthrough, I was annoyed with the picky nature of the woman and just outright killed her and her posse. Granted, I lost out on some experience points, but it was fun!

This game also has a high replay value. Not only so you can play through as good and then as evil and get all the sidequests that are particular to a specific alignment, but also because of the various fighting & support styles & weapons.

I would've given the game 4 1/2 stars simply because some of the dialogue and storyline can really drag, but when it got too "talk-heavy," I just skipped over it all. Once you've basically got the gist, that's about all you need.

I really loved all the secret sidequests, too. I won't tell about them so I don't ruin it if you haven't played yet, but suffice it to say that if you get bored with the main story line, there should be plenty to distract you...especially the tournament fighting!

Over all, I'd rank this game as one of the best RPGs I've ever played, coming in right along with FF8 and Kingdom Hearts!

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