Jade Empire Reviews
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First off, why did my character seem just as strong at the end of the game as at the beginning? If this were a simple action game, I would have expected to maybe gain stronger weapons or fighting styles and use them to wreak more havoc on the enemies I face. However, this is supposed to be an RPG. I know this because I interact with people, make choices, gain experience, and have the idea that I can make my character more powerful when I level up. This is a lie. All I can add is more health, chi, or focus, and while those things may make somewhat of a difference, I'm sure some devoted fan has already finished the game without adding anything to his stats. Upgrading the weapon styles seems to help a bit, but what I didn't like was that I would get different styles later in the game after I had used points upgrading my first styles. Who wants to use a style that isn't upgraded? Why would I use a different weapon since mine is up all the way?
The second positive review is at Gaming Excellence with an overall score of 9.5/10:
At the end of the day, it is impossible to say too much about Jade Empire without ruining its sense of discovery, but it is also far more daunting to stop praising it. BioWare has done the impossible and toped itself once again and given us a story that is personal, satisfying and epic. It has given us a moral system far more intricate in its nuances than KOTOR and also a fighting engine that could stand its own in an action title. I have played many great RPGs in my life, visited many great worlds and encountered many friends. I still remember many conversations quite fondly and look forward to seeing these places and people again. Jade Empire is one of those RPGs. One that will consume you from the onset and not let you go until you have finished it. It may not be for everyone, but much like Final Fantasy VII and Fable, it has the power to convert. It sets the bar even higher for BioWare and for every other RPG developer in the world. Make no mistake about it: Jade Empire is an RPG. It is a moving story and a wonderful dream. And yes, Jade Empire is a masterpiece.
And the third positive review is at Gaming Target with an overall score of 9.0/10:
Having said what is said, it's really easy to tell that BioWare could've just skipped on Jade Empire entirely and developed the sequel to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Jade Empire and the BioWare's previous Star Wars RPG outing are almost one and the same game. You choose a character. You figure out what they're going to be in the world. You meet companions that are willing to fight along your road to righteousness or wrongdoing. You fight for others or for yourself. Jade Empire is Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic all over again. It's not the same game. It is, however, a likened journey that'll leave you completing many of the same actions you have in the other game, only this time under a different guise. For this reasoning, Jade Empire isn't an awful game. It's a good RPG you're going to like, even if you have already done the whole Knights of the Republic dance before. And if you haven't, then you're definitely in for a treat.
