A role-playing game for the non-role-playing gamer.
Jade Empire is a different animal, though. The real-time fighting is a big plus, and the fact that it's grounded in Chinese lore makes it more accessible, whereas Final Fantasy and Star Wars players are so immersed in the geeky lingo that most of the world hardly knows what they're saying. But Jade Empire draws from something we're all slightly familiar with: Kung Fu movies and Oriental mythology.
You start out as a favored student of Master Li. Your school comes under attack, Master Li is kidnapped, and... there's your plot. Along the way you add fighting styles, weapons, companions, and power-ups like any RPG or adventure game, and you become invested in each one's background if you take the time to talk to all of them.
The thing you'll probably pay the most attention to, though, is your moral alignment. Through his or her actions, your character can follow the way of the Open Palm or Closed Fist, with the good and bad directions being obvious. Basically its a battle of instant gratification versus gradual gain, for whatever bonus you gain immediately from being Closed-Fisted will probably come to you later if you're Open Palmed, so the net gain is equal. Which directions you follow will determine the ending and how your followers react to you along the way.
Analysis? The game is good. Great, even. The replay value is through the roof (though I imagine that's the case with RPGs like this where you can follow diverging paths), but you can still play it just once and think it's great. I hear they're coming out with a sequel on 360. Here's hoping I can afford one in time to play JE2.