Jade Empire (Limited Edition)
reviewed by FJGamer on 08/17/2005:
The essence of good is referenced as "the Way of the Open Palm," and, as its opposite, the essence of evil (or as I like to call it: "naughtyness") is referenced as "the Way of the Closed Fist." Depending on your alignment between the ways of open palms and closed fists, you will master different combat skills, which will be enhanced by skill points, along with trade/social skills titled Charm, Intimidation, and Intuition. Though you'll probably follow the path of open arms... er, I mean, the Way of Open Palms, it really doesn't matter what your alignment is in the end of the game. Like Fable, Jade Empire gives you alternative choices to restoring the Water Dragon to its rightful place in the Great Wheel.
Oh, that's right, you haven't read the story yet. Suffice to say, I thought the character development and plot were both perfect. Sure, it's rated Mature, but the game has something for just about everyone. If you're into humor, you should pay close attention to the dialogue in this game. If you're a blood enthusiast, this game won't let you down. It isn't exceptionally gory, but there are a lot of scenes which showcase blood splattering.
Graphically, this game is nearly flawless. The animations are fairly smooth, and the environments,
though limited to simple pathways, are just beautiful sights to wander. The gameplay is fairly
addictive and well designed. The story doesn't interfere with the combat, and the combat doesn't
interfere with the story. There is a minigame system built into the game's menu system that
allows you to play any minigame you complete via the title screen or during the game. The only
minigame not shown on the title screen is gambling. If you hope to bet on fights or roll dice,
you can find comfort in the Imperial Arena, which also houses a few interesting sidequests.The minigame you'll often find yourself facing is a clone of the classic 2D arcade flight shooters. Though the difficulty can be set to "Student" (easy), this minigame is never a pushover. I often found myself avoiding that minigame, because I just wasn't very good at it, so I admittedly missed out on several sidequests and secrets available in the game.
The sound design of Jade Empire is also near perfection. All dialogue, minus your character's
responses, is voiced and voiced well. The characters don't always move much, I fear, but there
is hardly a silent moment in the Jade Empire. The music gets a little repetitive, so the game
doesn't reward a perfect score. I liked what little there was of a 'score,' though.The "Limited Edition" version of the game includes a bonus disc with a G4TV "Making of" feature, three game demos (Conker being one of them), and an extra character (a monk) with his own fighting style, the Monk Spade. I have not yet tried playing through the game as the monk, so I cannot comment on his difference toward any aspect of the game.
Gameplay - 4/5 - addictive combat but confusing at times.
Graphics - 5/5 - artsy.
Sound - 4/5 - repetitive but subtle.
Story - 4/5 - very interesting plot twists with questionable characters.
Overall - 4/5 - "I am DRUNKEN MASTER! *hic*"
As a final note, Jade Empire was created by the same group behind Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KotOR). If you like KotOR for anything besides the Star Wars tie-ins, you'll enjoy Jade Empire as well.
Interested in a little preview of the game? Go here: http://jade.bioware.com
Need help with something in Jade Empire? Go here: http://www.gamefaqs.com