Bioware crafts an RPG worthy of it's name....
Bioware thought up this mythical Chinese kung-fu epic over 10 years ago, but didn't have the technology to fulfill this dream until now. The story is something that I will not spoil for those who haven't played it(and those who think it'll hit the PC any time soon......)However, I will say this, expect a twist or two. M. Night, eat your heart out. Okay........maybe it's not that clever. I sniffed this out a mile away, it's not really clever in the least. That of course isn't to say that Jade Empire doesn't tell a great tale. The story is great, I just wish it would have provided me with a shock somewhere along the line.
You will have a choice between six characters(seven if you count the LE Edition exclusive). The highlights would be the tatooed and shirtless, "Furious Ming", the beautiful and matured, "Wu The Lotus Blossom" and of course, the best of all. "Radiant Jen Zi" who was a constant joy to play with. Her beauty is unparalled, "Radiant" is right. Each character is either Fast, Strong or Balanced. Jen Zi is fast, which fits my style perfectly. The level up system is dissapointing, it is dumbed down compared to that of Knights, though it is easier to use. Jade didn't capture that excitement in this particular area, at least for me. The combat in Jade Empire remains consistently fun throughout, as you will keep enhancing your character's abilities, aswell as picking up new combat styles as you go. Most memorable would be Drunken Master, an obvious nod to the great, Jackie Chan. Early on you will choose one of three weapons, I of course picked the long sword. Dozens of fighting styles await you, and they don't look anything alike, at least for the most part. But by far, the best weapon in the game is "Mirabelle", a musket style rifle. Using Mirabelle is almost like cheating, it's so powerful. Though, you won't get it until later in the game. You win it in a contest with a slightly ignorant westerner, who is played by the great John Cleese, a man who never ceases to amaze me with his talent. He first challenges you to a good old debate, which was an easy win considering his utter ignorance, aswell as the fact that those who would declare the winner happened to be locals of the Imperial City. This conversation was absolutely hysterical, I can't think of a better moment in gaming. PAUSE. Yes I mean that. You MUST play this game, if only for the great John Cleese and his epic dialog. There are many other hilarious moments in Jade Empire aswell, especially at the very end, when the credits role.......But I won't spoil it, just go experience it for yourself. You will be sent on fetch quests. For example, at one point you find a man attempting to save his daughter from some strange liver disorder, and the only way around it(or so it seems) would be to find her a new organ....but it was all kind of pointless in the end, since you can heal her(cutscene) without the need of a new liver. No matter though, that was just a small quest. The sidequests are by no means amazing, but they are fun and very rewarding. I must have had over 30,000 pieces of silver saved up, unless you count that 19,000 I spent on the best gem in the game(working out to around 55,000 silver). Which brings me to the use of special gems in Jade Empire. There are many of them, varrying in quality, and you should find them scattered all throughout the Jade Empire. An "inferior" gem may get you 150 silver, where as a more rare types of gems(like that 19,000 sheild gem) will get you up into the thousands. I tell you, RPG's serve as a constant reminder that pawning your stuff usually isn't worth it. Jade took me around 25 hours to complete, which may sound somewhat short to many RPG players, but it's not the length of one's journey, it's the fun you have along the way, that truly matters. Jade Empire's loading times are much fewer than Knights', but also much longer, which detracts from the experience somewhat. The combat is excellent, (though not as deep as I had expected). The dialog trees are just awsome, one most notable moment would be the choice of "your a pompous ass".....which, coming from Jen Zi would have been absolutely hilarious. And this guy with these disgustingly high standards, acting like a complete(expletive deleted), I felt tempted to choose that piece of dialog, but I feared it would affect my stance. Actually though, I found it much easier to make decisions in Jade Empire as apposed to Knights, which was a constant stress(which is appropriate when concerning matters of the light and dark sides). Jade Empire's gameplay is excellent, if somewhat dumbed down in areas.
Jade Empire is so richly detailed, I found myself staring at this Bioware created world forever, just sitting and taking it all in. Jade is never boring to look at, definitley the greatest looking RPG on the Xbox. Though, Fable's(possibly even Knights') water was much better. I think Bioware could have extended more life into Jade's water, it's just good, instead of great. The characters animate beautifully. Bioware has motion captured real martial artists in order to ensure the highest quality animation, and it shows. The framerate hurts this experience somewhat, however. Though I found slowdown to be less excessive later in the game, It really depends on the enviroment, I've found. The art in Jade Empire is just brilliant, amazing. The designs of buildings, clothing, statues, all extremely interesting to look at. And oh, the character models are stellar, especially Jen Zi's. Again I couldn't find a better name for her, the one she already has just fits so well. "Radiant" indeed, Bioware. The facial animation is excellent, but the dialogue could have been more convincing. But you know, I've been spoiled with Half Life 2 in that respect. Jade Empire is such a beauty, the art is amazing, the character models and use of special mapping techniques, just everything. The only issues I had overall with the visuals, would be the framerate, water, and low res textures that appeared here and there. Overall, I'd recommend that other developers note Bioware's attention to detail for future projects.
Sound has to be at least 30% of my game experience. Jade Empire is epic on this level. The music, it's just as good as any Star Wars game/film I've seen. It just sounds....right. Bioware went all out on this one, amazing instruments create some of the most immersive sound I have had the pleasure of listening to. Sound effects are excellent, spot on. But what stands out the most in Jade Empire, would be the Knights rivaling voice acting. I've read complaints about the limited voice actors, but I didn't really notice it. The main character doesn't talk, of course, they just stand there looking inquisitive and radiant. These actors are excellent, I think Jade Empire may be the best acted videogame ever, and if that's not saying something...I don't know what is. John Cleese, again I must mention his brilliance in this one. This game gets major points for it's acting. Also notable would be the man that sets up your fights in the arena(which works much like the arena combat in Knights). You may notice his voice from Wayne's World, where he played Noah, an owner of some chain of arcades. His work here is brilliant. I think videogames are a great way for actors to flex their talent. And you don't have to be the hottest thing since Paris Hilton's dog to be accepted.
Garbage with one redeeming quality, the bonus character. Otherwise this disc is a buggy mess that shouldn't have been let loose upon the world. What were they thinking? The G4 making of program was midly interesting.....if you can actually get it to stop crashing! It's extremely low res, and absolutely ridiculous all around. I don't understand this. Of course the bonus content issues will not go into the final score. I just figured I'd share my thoughts on this utter waste of time.
Bioware has further justified themselves as probably the best Canadian developer in the business, and definitley number 1 overall, in my book. The story is great, but lacking. I had hoped for a more thrilling and less predictable tale. Yes, Jade Empire is weak in some areas, but it makes up for many of it's shortcomings with it's innovation, beautiful sound, visuals, and overall sense of immersion. 2 years, well worth the wait. Jade Empire is absolutely seminal, But Knights is still the RPG master.