I recently bought Jade Empire, simply due to the fact that it was on budget and I have a small fascination with Martial Arts and, as we all know, this game claims to be jam-packed full of them. When I began and was immediately greeted by a fight scene featuring Matrix slow-mo sequences as I tried out my new moves, I was hooked. But, I was not hooked due to the Martial Atristry on display, far from it. I found myself dazzled by the visuals firstly, the amazing satisfaction despite the simplicity, of knocking my opponent into a fence mid-strike secondly, and thirdly, upon opening the start menu following the fight, the propspect of upgrading and developing all of the great features I saw before me.

The same things that initially gripped me continued to do so and drove me to see the game to the end three times. Perhaps I have a simple mind but the attributes I have already mentioned and the entrancing story combined with the brilliant atmosphere made this game one of my best ever purchases. In conclusion, most likely due to a healthy interest in Martial Arts, Ancient China and Japan and gripping storylines, this game lived up to the hype and surpassed all that I had heard pre-purchase.