When discussions of video game industry titans comes up, BioWare is mentioned. It holds a top spot primarily for games like Mass Effect 1 and 2, and the Dragon Age series. However, BioWare has lots of other hidden gems they keep hidden way. Knights of the Old Republic? No, more obscure than that. Baldur’s Gate? Not that either. You might have guessed it, but this jade empire review will discuss Jade Empire, a 2005 Xbox game made by BioWare. Like most BioWare games, it’s an action RPG heavy on the story elements and roleplaying aspect of the game. It involves morality systems, real time, turn based combat, and a cast of characters you will fall in love with. This jade empire review will focus on the game and what it is, what makes it good or bad, and then compare it with other, similar games. Quick Navigation What Is the Product? (Jade Empire)Product SpecsPricingHow It ComparesJade EmpireXCOM: Enemy WithinAvernum: Escape from the PitShadowrun: DragonfallJade Empire Review – The Verdict What Is The Product? (Jade Empire)Although Jade Empire initially released in 2005, it’s being re-released among a series of games that Microsoft decided needed a second chance. The setting is a fantasy-touched, ancient Chinese empire. You take control of the “Spirit Monk,” choosing from six different archetypes which influence how you approach different situations. You’ll be fighting with and against monsters, demons, angels, sorcerers, and everything else that comes along with Chinese mythology. Combat is real time, similar to Knights of the Old Republic. The combat maintains most of the aspects of a typical RPG; you can heal, deflect, dodge, stun, and have a variety of means to win in combat. Like most BioWare games, there are hand-to-hand and weapon centric fighting styles, coupled with magical abilities and ranged attacks. Now let’s get into the meat and potatoes of this jade empire review. The plot structure follows BioWare’s usual formula. You start at the bottom of an organization involved in important events, and some unforeseen occurrence propels you into a position of saving the world. But then the plot get’s started, and once it starts it slows down for nobody.[amazon box=”B000J165AO” template=”horizontal”]The story focuses a lot on Master Li, who ends up wrenching your heart in more ways than one. Not only is the plot interesting, but it can and will suck you in. The game also features a twist worthy of a Pulitzer prize novel, and this twist will also consider the choices you made in the morality system. Speaking of which, the morality system plays a huge role in Jade Empire. Like other BioWare games, the story isn’t stagnant. Both you and your companions are subject to making choices in the game. These choices revolve around the “Open Palm,” and the “Closed Fist,” which are ways to live your life in the game world. The interesting thing about these choices, however, is that they aren’t the everyday morality system that creates choices of being good or evil. Instead, the Open Palm path is more concerned with selflessness, and the Closed Fist more with self preservation. Both have equally correct, logical choices you can make, but the consequences will always be drastically different. While implementing these two philosophies in the game can be somewhat brute forced at times, they’re still an interesting concept to experiment with in-game. The choices you make affect the sidequests you take up, how the story develops, and how people interact with you.Product SpecsJade Empire follows BioWare’s formula for action RPGs, so you won’t find anything particularly special there. It does nothing amazing in terms of innovation, aside from the setting. It breathes and feels like any other BioWare RPG, and we would go as far to say that it is a re-skin of KotR. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, because as we all know, KotR is a great game. So putting an eastern flavor on it isn’t a bad idea. Plus, the draw of the game isn’t through the combat, but rather experiencing and influencing the world, being guided by your morality system. And, the game will present you with unique choices you rarely experience in other RPGs, like murdering your own companions.The graphics aren’t exactly revolutionary, but the game is thirteen years old, so it gets a pass. The visuals don’t hold up very well either, but again the graphics aren’t what makes the game great. Unlike the graphics, the music is extremely good. Although it’s not creative, the choices set up the world and the environment perfectly. RPG elements are exceptional, and the characters will cause the player to become invested if you devote even basic amounts of attention to them. Some people report problems with getting the game to run on PCs, but those issues pop up with any game that was made over a decade ago. The controls aren’t buttery smooth, either, but again these problems are normal consider the age of the game. There have been reports of bugs in the game such as the camera getting stuck, or characters having difficulty with pathing and taking strange routes. Buteven including these issues, the game is mostly bug free, or the only bugs present are minor enough to not cause any serious impact on the game.PricingThe game is being sold on a variety of platforms as a re-release. The Xbox Marketplace has it for $9.99, while Steam sells only the special edition for $15.00. You can also find it on third party sites like GoG for less than $5. Strangely, on Amazon the prices are extremely high, so in this jade empire review we will recommend buying it straight from Steam or the Xbox marketplace.Compared to other games of the genre, the price of this one runs low. But it is an old re-released game. Yet $5-10 is completely justifiable for what this game has to offer and the entertainment it will bring you. It is also worth mentioning that Steam offers the Special Edition at $15, which includes new enemies, a new map UI, more combat styles, and better resolution options.How It ComparesWe picked other … Continue reading Jade Empire Review 2019: Product Specs And Pricing
