Jade Empire: Special Edition

 PC
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 304 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 217 out of 304
  2. Mixed: 68 out of 304
  3. Negative: 19 out of 304
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  1. TianLong1
    Aug 23, 2023
    10
    An absolute classic for all lovers of RPG and martial arts. Gameplay is fun and exciting, learning new moves, good or evil choices also influence your character's combat style. The music and the graphics are very immersive, the lore and all the characters make you want to dive deeper and deeper inside this marvelous world. I wished it was longer and we could explore more locations. WhereAn absolute classic for all lovers of RPG and martial arts. Gameplay is fun and exciting, learning new moves, good or evil choices also influence your character's combat style. The music and the graphics are very immersive, the lore and all the characters make you want to dive deeper and deeper inside this marvelous world. I wished it was longer and we could explore more locations. Where is the sequel?… Expand
  2. HydrophobikFish
    Jun 9, 2023
    7
    Pretty fun RPG carried by its setting. World is beautiful and unique to western RPGs, I really loved the unique flavor it added. Zones are unique and feel interesting. Leveling up and combat both different from prior bioware entries in interesting ways, but both feel half baked and easy to break. Game ends up very easy as a result. Excellent narrative twist, but otherwise forgettablePretty fun RPG carried by its setting. World is beautiful and unique to western RPGs, I really loved the unique flavor it added. Zones are unique and feel interesting. Leveling up and combat both different from prior bioware entries in interesting ways, but both feel half baked and easy to break. Game ends up very easy as a result. Excellent narrative twist, but otherwise forgettable story. Characters hit or miss.… Expand
  3. ylnylmn
    Mar 29, 2023
    8
    A nice rpg with various dialogues, side quests, different fighting techniques. Musics and some places are good. But the game gets a little bit repetitive after 7-8 hours. But still overall nice.
  4. gotterpotter56
    Mar 11, 2022
    8
    Не самая лучшая игра Bioware, но и не самая плохая. Если хотите поиграть в такую же rpg только в жанре темного фентези, рекомендую игру от этих же разработчиков- Dragon age: Origins. Все недостатки Jade empire были доведены до ума в этой игре (кроме коридорных локаций).
    Оценка: 8.2    Не самая лучшая игра Bioware, но и не самая плохая. Если хотите поиграть в такую же rpg только в жанре темного фентези, рекомендую игру от этих же разработчиков- Dragon age: Origins. Все недостатки Jade empire были доведены до ума в этой игре (кроме коридорных локаций).
    Оценка: 8.2
  5. EdwardPaine
    May 25, 2021
    8
    I will start with Music, Audio, and Dialogue

    I think the music was beautiful and it fit the setting extremely well. It wasn't unique, it's the same flutes, harps, etc and you can expect in a Chinese folklore inspired game. It's good, just nothing special. There also not a lot of variety in the sound track, idk how many there are but it is small and it's repeated a lot. I go back and    I will start with Music, Audio, and Dialogue

    I think the music was beautiful and it fit the setting extremely well. It wasn't unique, it's the same flutes, harps, etc and you can expect in a Chinese folklore inspired game. It's good, just nothing special. There also not a lot of variety in the sound track, idk how many there are but it is small and it's repeated a lot.

    I go back and forth on the voice acting. On one side the majority of the characters sound wooden and stiff, characters played by actors who have showed incredible talent and emotional depth in other games, but this is thrown off when there are characters who don't sound wooden at all, which there are 2 maybe 3 of. The other characters aren't simply wooden but they all have this same almost monotone polite tone. That makes me think it was intentional. The characters who don't talk like that are a mercenary who is a psychopath who lives to eat and drink alcohol while the other is a mad scientist. If it's not intentional it's bad voice directing, if it's intentional it's still bad because it gives off the impression that's it's wooden and not very well delivered. But I understand what they could have been going for. Now it's time for performance

    It worked smoothly... Usually. Idk what frames it runs at normally, but probably 30-60 which isn't great compared to new games, but is ok for games at the time I think. Fps in combat generally stays consistent too, occasionally dropping. There is a location where it makes the game a slideshow, and it's understandable because there multiple buildings, hostile and non-hostile entities everywhere, and one of the largest open areas in the game.

    Story/writing/design

    The the writing and story is incredible. The lore is interesting. Characters, through their dialogue and design(not their acting) all have unique personalities and feel like they are people in the world. The world feels grounded and lived in. Gameplay/Combat

    The morality system while on the surface seems basic and normal, which it mostly is, it does however have interesting concepts.It isn't about good and evil, but if it fits with the philosophy. One moment a good task would increase your standing to one philosophy the next a bad one would increase the same one.    … Expand
  6. Mpbpl
    May 3, 2021
    8
    This game is simple and shows exactly what Bioware was going to be.
    All the foundation of Bioware's future success can be found in this game, variety of characters, styles, great lore, great world building, all of this is here.
    Problem is that is one of their early works, that means that this was probably rushed in some sorts, because you will spend 70% of the in 3 of the 7 chapters of    This game is simple and shows exactly what Bioware was going to be.
    All the foundation of Bioware's future success can be found in this game, variety of characters, styles, great lore, great world building, all of this is here.
    Problem is that is one of their early works, that means that this was probably rushed in some sorts, because you will spend 70% of the in 3 of the 7 chapters of the game, because the ending is really linear and hardly has any side quests.
    The music is really good.
    If you don't care for old games, this is actually a good one that does get that much attention    … Expand
  7. Demiurge11
    Apr 11, 2021
    0
    The Good:
    - Nothing. This game is terrible.
    - Actually, the only good thing is that I paid less than $10 for this garbage. Phew! The Bad: - The game didn't even run on Steam (on Windows 10) and I had to look up how to fix the install issue. It was something dumb the developer should have fixed (a missing steam.dll file) - On PC using a keyboard, the controls were really spongy. The    The Good:
    - Nothing. This game is terrible.
    - Actually, the only good thing is that I paid less than $10 for this garbage. Phew!

    The Bad:
    - The game didn't even run on Steam (on Windows 10) and I had to look up how to fix the install issue. It was something dumb the developer should have fixed (a missing steam.dll file)
    - On PC using a keyboard, the controls were really spongy. The only result of any battle: being killed. I had to lower the difficulty, but on Easy the game is too easy. - The plot is a very American plot with a pseudo-Chinese pastiche stretched across it. It doesn't fit. It comes off as gross, racist, and offensive.
    - I looked at the credits, and spotted perhaps a Chinese name or two? A game about Chinese people with no Chinese people making decisions on the art direction and plot. How awful.

    The Ugly:
    - This game sits square in the middle of the Uncanny Valley. The 3D characters are really disturbing. e.g. you see your character constantly nodding in a conversation, even when the other character has finished speaking and you're thinking of what to say next.
    - The characters don't really look Asian. A lot of them don't really look human at all (although they're supposed to look human)
    - There is a fake Oriental-ish language that they invented, that sounds like an idiot trying to babble Chinese or Japanese.
    - There is a character that looks like the Boudha. This is more than a little offensive.    … Expand
  8. Frankeyowski
    Feb 22, 2021
    7
    fabuła dobra. Grafika obrzydzająca, ale grafika nie jest najważniejsza. Cieszę się że mam tą gre od brata ale gdyby BioWare się bardziej do niej przyłożyło (np. Więcej możliwości) to wracałbym do tej gry z rozkoszą. Daję ocenę 7/10
  9. gracjanski
    Jul 25, 2020
    4
    As many others I was interested in the game because of the asian setting. And yes, the story and atmosphere are great. Bioware is know for writing good stories and dialogues, so this is another plus. In addition the graphics is nice for a game from 2007. The music is beautiful.

    BUT: the gameplay is aweful and simple. And because there is not much to do you are going from one dialogue to    As many others I was interested in the game because of the asian setting. And yes, the story and atmosphere are great. Bioware is know for writing good stories and dialogues, so this is another plus. In addition the graphics is nice for a game from 2007. The music is beautiful.

    BUT: the gameplay is aweful and simple. And because there is not much to do you are going from one dialogue to another, like an interactive movie. The dialogues are good and perfectly spoken (english version), but some characters are onesided.
    Anyway the biggest problem is the gameplay: The fighting is very action based and there is not much to think about, just react fast and thats all. There are some items, 3 attributes, game is very linear, like on railways...console game. This game could be great, but someone decided to publish a dumb game for the masses maybe.    … Expand
  10. TheHosdadal
    Mar 8, 2019
    10
    Один из многих шедевров BioWare, на этот раз восточная тематика - 10/10.
    -
    Одни становятся героями, а другие — толпой, которая аплодирует героям. (c)
  11. RagingPoet
    Aug 6, 2018
    7
    Jade Empire feels a lot like Knights of the Old Republic in oriental setting, though it has simplified RPG and item systems and very dull action combat. But plot, characters and choices are still great.
  12. elitepredetor99
    Aug 18, 2017
    8
    very unexpected game, had low hopes for this game, however this game has surpassed my expectations and surprised me. this game has that linear but big old bioware rpg style which is something very different but fitting. the game was boring for the first 2 hours, however once you gained some levels and got introduced to the great and unique characters the game started to pick up and lead avery unexpected game, had low hopes for this game, however this game has surpassed my expectations and surprised me. this game has that linear but big old bioware rpg style which is something very different but fitting. the game was boring for the first 2 hours, however once you gained some levels and got introduced to the great and unique characters the game started to pick up and lead a very deep and interesting quest character and story building. imo this game is definitely one to play the story, characters, quests, gameplay, mechanics will definitely not disappoint.… Expand
  13. TheSerenity
    Apr 15, 2017
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game has the potential to be a fantastic game, but being one of Bioware's earlier releases, it did not have the necessary refinement to be considered an elite game.
    The feel of this game which is a result of the environment and the music was really well done and it does feel like you are in ancient China. The combat was very exciting and a lot of fun to experiment with a variety of different fighting techniques, and although the controls were a little clunky and difficult to actually control, I had a lot of fun with the combat.
    The story was also very intriguing. It had one of the better stories that I have come across in a RPG game.
    However, I had some issues in particular with your companions. Having a companion fight with you did not really add much to the game aside from that they distract some enemies. But more importantly, the characters were not really explored in depth and although they did get a backstory, it didn't feel particularly interesting. In later games, Bioware would have companion quests which I believe would have really improved the game. This is because near the end there is a moment where all your companions work together to save you as a result of you supposedly being an incredible leader. However, nothing you do in game really should inspire such loyalty. The companions were really bland for me in this game, which really detracts from the experience. The volume of which you pick up companions was also an issue. There was definitely too much companions in too small amount of time that you never really develop a connection or an interest in your companions.
    The final battle is also a little disappointing, although this is because I have been spoilt by some of Bioware's epic conclusions to some of their other games. I understand what they were trying to achieve so this isn't too significant of an issue. The game however was a little short and I believe it could have been made a little longer, and add some interesting subplots and complications. Also like I mentioned more quests involving companions would have been wonderful.
    Overall, I enjoyed this game even though the graphics were incredibly outdated when I played it and the companions were really disappointing. I do wish however that Bioware can somehow reboot this franchise. If they are able to implement some of what they did with the Mass Effect and Dragon Age franchises, it could make for a very refreshing and intriguing franchise because of the unique environment and story    … Expand
  14. Broyax
    Mar 27, 2017
    5
    Une histoire de fantômes chinois... pas trop mal écrite avec quelques rebondissements certes classiques mais assez efficaces. Une avalanche de dialogues le plus souvent soporifiques et une fin qui traîne terriblement en longueur. Quelques bons moments également dont une quête qui fait penser à ce bon vieux KOTOR... Des personnages têtes à claques dans l'équipe et qui ne la fermentUne histoire de fantômes chinois... pas trop mal écrite avec quelques rebondissements certes classiques mais assez efficaces. Une avalanche de dialogues le plus souvent soporifiques et une fin qui traîne terriblement en longueur. Quelques bons moments également dont une quête qui fait penser à ce bon vieux KOTOR... Des personnages têtes à claques dans l'équipe et qui ne la ferment jamais... un système de combat en temps réel qui souffle le chaud et le froid même si une pause est disponible... C'est tout cela Jade Empire !

    Musique sympathique et très couleur locale, VF de très bonne facture. Graphismes fort réussis et fluides (si on a pris soin de désactiver le fpsclamp des 30 im/s dans l'ini) : c'est presque aussi beau que Dragon Age Origins (à part les personnages). Le jeu marche bien en mode compatibilité sous windaube 7 (après avoir installé DX9 ! -sic-) mais le disque dur n'arrête pas de gratter au bout d'un certain temps : pas mal avec 12 Go de ram !! il faut plutôt y voir le mode de compatibilité de windaube 7 qui fait n'importe quoi. On retourne alors sous windaube xp : et là, aucun souci !

    Curieux sentiment : ce Jade Empire est très caricatural au final, son monde est très caricatural, très caricaturé, sans doute à l'insu de l'ignorance de ses développeurs, c'est parfois presque aussi niais qu'un jeu japoniais. Inquiétant. Pas le meilleur jeu de rôle Bioware donc... mais pas le pire non plus.    … Expand
  15. Gumshoe7799
    Mar 18, 2017
    8
    A really underrated gem. I originally played the game on Xbox but after playing the PC port, there really isn't any competition as to which is better. The PC version adds in two new styles as well as upgrades for two weapons, a new character and two more enemies, the Rhino demon and the Ghost Lord, both of which fit right in to the original cast of enemies. The Story is interesting if aA really underrated gem. I originally played the game on Xbox but after playing the PC port, there really isn't any competition as to which is better. The PC version adds in two new styles as well as upgrades for two weapons, a new character and two more enemies, the Rhino demon and the Ghost Lord, both of which fit right in to the original cast of enemies. The Story is interesting if a bit simple by Bioware standards, but it benefits greatly from an interesting setting in Imperial China that is fairly uncommon to see. The writing is as always well done that added a real sense of immersion, there always felt like there was a whole world out there outside of the land your exploring with use of clever characters and dialogue. One such moment was when the water dragon mentioned how while the Jade Empire prospered many lands suffered because of it which helps add to the feeling of a world outside the Empire. The charatcers and followers are also well written but I always felt as if the team was much smaller and less diverse then it was in reality. This is most likely due to many of the characters having no real impact on the plot with only about half of your followers really needing to be there for plot progression after their initial introduction. In terms of graphics the game does a good job of holding up with a good mix of cartoonish colours and realistic models and faces, which helps the game stand up well over a decade after it's release (so long as you can handle somewhat low poly count and a few graphical glitches here and there). The combat is where most people find fault with the game due to it's simplicity, and they are not wrong. The games combat is very easy to abuse with a combination of Paralyzing palm/Storm dragon and any attack the enemy isn't weak to but I think most people forget that this was Biowares first attempt at a real time combat system that didnt rely on pauses and dice rolls like Kotor or BG. For the most part the combat gets the job done. The game length was my biggest gripe though as my run of the game only clocked in at 22 hours, that includes completing all side quests. This is criminally short as most RPGs take roughly 50 - 60 hours to complete. This is most likely due to the game quickly coming to an end just as it starts to reach its high point. The first three chapters of the game take up more then half of the run time which is fairly disappointing as the game still has another 4 chapters to go that is completely linear with no side quests to be had. These last 4 chapters combined took about six hours to complete compared to chapters two and three taking about 8 - 9 hours. The game felt very rushed after the plot twist which may have made sense in a story telling perspective, but it made the later portion of the game feel as if there should be another 30 hours of content.

    Overall I feel as if Jade Empire is overlooked by many. I feel as if it's initial reaction of hate was due to it not being as polished as Bioware's previous game Kotor, and that it's niche setting and glaring flaws made many people overlook this fantastic game. If a sequel is to ever be conceived I hope that the flaws are addressed as the World of Jade Empire has a lot of potential to expand upon because as of right now, Jade Empire doesn't do enough justice to what is a really interesting setting.    … Expand
  16. inkblowout
    Jul 22, 2016
    4
    Probably the worst bioware game in my honest opinion. I feel as there is something lacking in Jade Empire which Dragon Age, Mass Effect and KOTOR have... it's just not there and I don't know what it is.

    There is some good moments that Jade Empire hold, like how the open hand and closed fist options aren't really dependent on Good or Bad choices...it's more of a Passive    Probably the worst bioware game in my honest opinion. I feel as there is something lacking in Jade Empire which Dragon Age, Mass Effect and KOTOR have... it's just not there and I don't know what it is.

    There is some good moments that Jade Empire hold, like how the open hand and closed fist options aren't really dependent on Good or Bad choices...it's more of a Passive Aggressive/Aggressive Aggressive choice rather than good/evil wish is great. Also the story is original as well I just felt like the story is a bit rushed for the story to properly develop... It went from casually training to fulfilling your destiny in 2 hours... um that's a bit quick don't you think? Even KOTOR had it's plot introductions built up (with taris) same with Mass Effect (Eden Prime and Proving Saren's guilt.) and Dragon Age (with the prologue and the gray warden ceremony) And all of those intros took me at least 4 hours and even more to full explore everything. And listen.. I'm all for short games but I'm not all in for horrible paced games... Jade Empire seems to be incredibly rushed for a bioware game and that I'm not happy about. Combat is JE is probably some of the best combat I've seen for a bioware game but the limited options for fighting styles is limited but lots of fun to play and beat some baddies up.

    I got this game free on origin and I was really excited to play it... but I feel that I couldn't continue on... I simply wasn't enjoying the game. It's a shame because the combat is really good and the rpg/action in Jade Empire works really well but this game fails to impress me like KOTOR, ME and DA:O brought to me in the first place and all I wanted is a good story with proper character developments... and JE had all that... but it felt rushed and that's why I didn't like this game. I have only 7 hours completed and that's enough honestly.    … Expand
  17. Sirik_Matak
    Feb 18, 2016
    1
    I knew that I will eventually end up with this game in my hands. And thank God I didn't have to pay for this, because it is one of the worst, one of the most generic, one of the most laziest console TPP action games... ever. I've played few hours, constantly being under the pressure of overhelming tediousness, blandness and the most boring and unimaginative gameplay designs I've ever seen.I knew that I will eventually end up with this game in my hands. And thank God I didn't have to pay for this, because it is one of the worst, one of the most generic, one of the most laziest console TPP action games... ever. I've played few hours, constantly being under the pressure of overhelming tediousness, blandness and the most boring and unimaginative gameplay designs I've ever seen. The pure idea of a mediocre pre-nextgen console TPP brought out from the Platonic Idea to the petty world of shadows on the cave's wall. It's mind-boggling how badly mediocre and soulless this game is.
    So, let's take one of the simplest, bland settings you can build your setting on. Wuxia, boom, there's your whole game out of a sleeve! Why bother to write a plot? Throw in generic evilness and your typical out of a hat orphan that is actually the most important element of its universe, being trained by a mysterious, yet equally important master. One day, your idyllical environment is being crushed by absolutely random LOL evil's henchman raid and this your great journey begins. With kung fu!
    Now, the absolute trash story, characters and setting doesn't have to be that last nail to the game's coffin. That is, if the gameplay wasn't absolute TOSH either! It's the worst type of your PS2 button masher, but worse, because to the reduntand spam two buttons randomly to win it tried to implement stats and various fighting styles. Don't get fooled. They're all the same, with light fast attacks and slow heavy attacks to break through the block. Just mind your health bar and that's it. With absolute inexcusable input lag (on a PC?!) the game turns into boring mash the button parade until you encounter the next character to have... Wait, that's it! How about the dialogues? Maybe that's the real meat in this? Well, not, the writing in Jade Empire is really low bottom (how about options "Don't call me like I'm someone important, mate!" vs "Yeah, that's right. I was meant to great things, remember that" - what the **** People boast that kind of bullcrap?) and "ok, let's get that next line over with" voice actors didn't help the case either.
    After 5 hours of this slog I'm done. What an awful, awful game. Bioware games were never something special in the actual game quality (not production values) department, but this tosh is just mind breaking. I would take Dragon Age 2 (!!!) over this rag.    … Expand
  18. jackalsk
    Oct 16, 2015
    9
    Only one negative for me is the main story which is nothing new or unexpected. Gameplay is easy and fun and still challenging. The fight mode is one of the rare you can find in games and nevertheless one of the best which make the difference. Beautiful chinese spirit covers the whole game. Plenty of very interesting side missions they make playing highly attractive and enough addictive. ItOnly one negative for me is the main story which is nothing new or unexpected. Gameplay is easy and fun and still challenging. The fight mode is one of the rare you can find in games and nevertheless one of the best which make the difference. Beautiful chinese spirit covers the whole game. Plenty of very interesting side missions they make playing highly attractive and enough addictive. It is just cool game.… Expand
  19. aborle
    Dec 30, 2013
    8
    Let me say this up front that i played this game in 2013. But OMFG This is the game that reminded me what bioware was all about back in the day!

    Yes the plot is the standard bioware fare of "Evil lurks on the horizon, it's your job to defeat it" But it's something that the studio does very efficiently. And jade empire reminds us why. What's good about it : -Unique rpg setting    Let me say this up front that i played this game in 2013. But OMFG This is the game that reminded me what bioware was all about back in the day!

    Yes the plot is the standard bioware fare of "Evil lurks on the horizon, it's your job to defeat it" But it's something that the studio does very efficiently. And jade empire reminds us why.

    What's good about it :
    -Unique rpg setting based on oriental culture.
    -A good martial art based combat mechanism that is neither like Dragon Age/Baldur's Gate nor like Mass effect. Refreshing is what i want to say.
    -Rich and detailed world with bioware's signature narrative.
    -Awesome Voice Acting

    What's not :
    -Uneven chapter lengths (the game is broken into chapters btw). 3rd chapter is bigger than the next three combined
    -You really have to talk to everyone to get the sidequests, as a result your playthrough could be as short as 9 hours or as long as 30 hours (i took 28 hours to beat it)
    -A cringeworthy twist in the story's plot. Not terrible, but still...

    In conclusion You gotta play this if you are a wrpg fan. If DA2 left you disappointed play this to calm yourself    … Expand
  20. squidgee
    Dec 11, 2013
    7
    Jade Empire tells an intriguing story with developed and personalized characters. Unfortunately, the game is marred by frequent crashes and various glitches. The pixelated text doesn't help and it overall seems like a product that's very rough around the edges. Another thing that's not particularly appealing is the outdated visuals. It may've looked good back in 2005, but with the specialJade Empire tells an intriguing story with developed and personalized characters. Unfortunately, the game is marred by frequent crashes and various glitches. The pixelated text doesn't help and it overall seems like a product that's very rough around the edges. Another thing that's not particularly appealing is the outdated visuals. It may've looked good back in 2005, but with the special edition released in 2007, it just doesn't compare to games released in the same time.

    Combat is simplistic enough and works for the most part, but is hindered by an annoying camera angle. Often times, particularly towards the end of the game, boss/mini-boss fights had me resorting towards kiting which became very tedious. Styles are certainly unbalanced, where some are clearly more inferior or superior than others.

    To sum it up, a decent game. The game plays best in chapters 1, 2 and 3 where there's a great deal of intrigue, open environments and a plethora of side quests. The game kinda falls off from chapter 4 onwards, where it becomes completely linear and it feels as if the story is being dragged out. Took me 25 hours to complete after doing the main quest and most side quests.    … Expand
  21. logothing
    Dec 8, 2013
    7
    Worth it?: Overall, this game is worth about $10 (US).

    Graphics, Sound, Interface: The characters models, backgrounds, and CG work aren't so bad as to be distracting, but they are dated (as this game is from 2005). The style is an odd mix of western cartoon and stereotypical Chinese, and while this isn't bad or distracting, other games from this generation, like LOZ: The Wind    Worth it?: Overall, this game is worth about $10 (US).

    Graphics, Sound, Interface:

    The characters models, backgrounds, and CG work aren't so bad as to be distracting, but they are dated (as this game is from 2005). The style is an odd mix of western cartoon and stereotypical Chinese, and while this isn't bad or distracting, other games from this generation, like LOZ: The Wind Waker, were much stronger in the art department. Overall the art direction definitely seems content to take a back seat to the rest of the game.

    The music, voice acting, and sound effects are all solid. There isn't really much to comment on, other than the sound team did a good job. Again, there wasn't much to laud, but there wasn't much to criticize, either.

    The interface, for the PC version, can be confusing at first. I used a mouse and keyboard, and sometimes I was stuck using trial and error to find what I wanted. This definitely is not an intuitive setup for the game. I cannot comment on gamepad controls. The menus are streamlined, but they are also a bit confusing. Sometimes it would have been easier to look online than to navigate the menu for the purpose of a recently acquired item.

    Story:

    The story is really in two main parts. The first part takes up most of the game, and does a good job pacing you through to its conclusion. There is lots of intrigue to be had, and very little slowdown at the beginning. Towards the end of the first part, however, you start to run into some pacing issues. Despite this, there isn't much to hinder most players from wanting to get to the goal here.

    The second part of the story is a train-wreck. I will not post any spoilers, but ending this game was neither enjoyable or rewarding. Really, I just wanted to reclaim the space from my HDD and be done with it. Luckily this last segment is only about three or so hours of game play.

    Battle System:

    The battle system fails, but shows a lot of promise. You really want it to do better, and at the start of the game it seems like you will end up having a rewarding experience with the style switching and real-time movement. It just doesn't pan out.

    Overall: I'm being a bit harsh here, but it's because the first five hours of the game made me hopeful and sparked my imagination. The last bit of the game crushed that idealism. I'm giving this a seven because there was so much the team could have done to make a great game. Indeed, it is painful that the last bit of the game is so bad, and I thus I am choosing to weigh the better parts a bit heavier.    … Expand
  22. lutteres
    Nov 2, 2013
    7
    Bioware games are known, visuals aside, for their unforgettable characters and imersive story telling, unfortunately this is not always the case in Jade Empire.
    Presentation: 7
    In teams of presentation, Jade empire still looks good to the “modern” eye, the art work is appealing despite being a bit cartoonish, the animations are fluid and the menus are easy to navigate (atleast on the GOG    Bioware games are known, visuals aside, for their unforgettable characters and imersive story telling, unfortunately this is not always the case in Jade Empire.
    Presentation: 7
    In teams of presentation, Jade empire still looks good to the “modern” eye, the art work is appealing despite being a bit cartoonish, the animations are fluid and the menus are easy to navigate (atleast on the GOG version). Although, I experienced a few annoying graphic glitches between loading times, but nothing major.
    Sound: 6
    The sound effects are just average, like in previous bioware games.
    The soundtrack is surprisingly bland and occasionally hard on the ears.
    The voice acting is a mix bag, because Bioware decided it was a good idea to cast american voice actors instead of asian ones. Why is this bad? Because, when I'm exploring a fantasy Asian world, i'm not expecting the NPC's to speak perfect English, it kills the immersion for me. Other than that the voice acting it self, is sill above average.
    Characters an Story: 6
    The Characters are also a mix bag, Wild Flower is the only character in the lot to be remotely original, the rest are just a compilation of badly written stereotypes with uninteresting back stories and inconsequential roles. The only other character worthy of mention is Sir. Roderick, because he's just one of the most hilarious characters I have ever seen in a video game, unfortunately you can't recruit him, go figure!
    The Story it self is ok though. But don't expect nothing spectacular or memorable like in KOTOR or Mass Effect.
    Gameplay: 6
    As customary, in Bioware RPGs, you can recruit party members to aid in combat, but only one can accompany you, though it's possible to switch between the rest at any time. The problem is, other than giving you stat bonuses, your companions are utterly useless, mainly because their I.A is borderline inept.
    The I.A. in general, is also very easy to exploit. To win, you will only need to master 3 styles: Paralyzing palm fallowed by Leaping tiger and/or Dragon sword, which makes the rest of the fighting styles completely useless. Their are also “Harmonious Combos” you can use, by pressing the left and right mouse buttons at the same time, but I rarely used them myself because they take to much time to trigger.
    Their is also no customization options what so ever, you can only choose between a set of predefined characters. The only variables are the fighting styles you can master and the points you can attribute to Health, Chi and Focus.
    The combat system is fun to a certain degree, but it shows limitations when you ramp up the difficulty, mainly because of the iffy controls and wonky camera.
    Nonetheless, Jade Empire still has some cool ideas under the hood, for example: you can switch between styles during a fight to vary your strategy; you can use magic for long range attacks; you can use a combination of flips and rolls as well as slowing time to avoid enemy attacks and also turn yourself in to a freaking daemon or animal!
    Value: 8
    It took me 30 hours (flat) to beat this games without skipping any dialogs and completing ~95% of the side quests. And by the way, it is always fun to replay it a second time as an evil guy, lol!
    Other than that, there is no modding community to speak of, so after the second play through there is no point replaying it again.

    Final Thoughts: If you're looking for a hardcore rpg game, you'll better skip Jade Empire. But if you liked Knights of the old republic and Neverwinter Knights, you might want to give this one a try.

    Final Score: 7    … Expand
  23. AlienSpaceBats
    Sep 18, 2013
    7
    A very short (finished in 11 hours) easy and streamlined RPG for the console market, though it almost seems as though BioWare wanted to make something like Final Fantasy. Gameplay is a mix of real-time hack & slash combat and exploration/dialogue similar to that seen in KOTOR. The story dips at its mid-point, and has little that stands out, but is worth riding out for the excellent finalA very short (finished in 11 hours) easy and streamlined RPG for the console market, though it almost seems as though BioWare wanted to make something like Final Fantasy. Gameplay is a mix of real-time hack & slash combat and exploration/dialogue similar to that seen in KOTOR. The story dips at its mid-point, and has little that stands out, but is worth riding out for the excellent final quarter. Can be difficult to invest in and properly role play with the cookie cutter character creation and static game world, which also harms replayability. Nonetheless, a solid game. Worth mentioning: versions purchased on Steam require a checklist of workarounds, particularly on newer machines/OS.… Expand
  24. faceless-1
    Jul 22, 2013
    5
    I really tried get into jade empire, but i really couldn't get into it. JE is really mediocre game, setting and combat style are ok, but NPCs and the game play are nothing special.
  25. Vinven
    May 22, 2013
    8
    A classic Bioware rpg. It has an amazing story that takes place in a rich unique background. There is a variety of different characters to choose from, different fighting styles, multiple romance options, and you can decide to walk the path of good, evil, or somewhere inbetween. On steam it is only fifteen dollars.
  26. ChrisOzzie
    Apr 27, 2013
    9
    This masterpiece from Bioware received major attention from the critics, but not quite from the gaming fans. Jade Empire has the same feel as all of Bioware’s other games, but its setting is relocated into a fictional Chinese kingdom. Jade Empire’s “tri-stat” system is simple, but also a very creative and effective RPG feature. Each attribute offers individual combat advantages, butThis masterpiece from Bioware received major attention from the critics, but not quite from the gaming fans. Jade Empire has the same feel as all of Bioware’s other games, but its setting is relocated into a fictional Chinese kingdom. Jade Empire’s “tri-stat” system is simple, but also a very creative and effective RPG feature. Each attribute offers individual combat advantages, but also work in conjunction for persuasion checks during dialog. This delivers fantastic gameplay that won’t confuse newcomers to the RPG genre. After Jade Empire’s initial release on the Xbox, many of the fans complained about its easy difficulty. The special edition’s new “Jade Master” difficulty feature smashed this complaint and offered an incredibly challenging experience for veteran RPG players. In addition, the enhanced PC edition offers high resolutions and advanced AA settings for stronger GPU’s. Don’t let this gem slip past you again and experience this masterpiece!… Expand
  27. jim109109
    Jan 10, 2013
    7
    Has a rock paper scissors fighting system, which works well despite some unbalanced spells. The story is fun and unfolds as you want it to. The last time I've had so much fun making choices was in Fallout 3. Time and again Jade Empire permits you to chose how you act...sometimes leading to disastrous consequences. I've walked the "evil" path and haven't regretted it. The story is hit andHas a rock paper scissors fighting system, which works well despite some unbalanced spells. The story is fun and unfolds as you want it to. The last time I've had so much fun making choices was in Fallout 3. Time and again Jade Empire permits you to chose how you act...sometimes leading to disastrous consequences. I've walked the "evil" path and haven't regretted it. The story is hit and miss, having so much dialogue in the game is a double edged sword. The entertaining parts of the game are great but toward the end things get especially tedious. I had some great moments in Jade Empire, those priceless 10/10 moments where you just want to make love to your USB ports, however I can't say the entire experience was great.… Expand
  28. suneater
    Dec 11, 2012
    1
    This is probably the most blatantly offensive, stereotypical, cookie-cutter, console garbage action RPG I have ever played. Poor game length, awful controls, awkward mini-games, muddy graphics and linear level design round out what is probably the worst game made by Bioware. Don't bother with this even if it's on sale.
  29. ubergeekzilla
    Dec 1, 2012
    10
    thanks to the pc version jade empire has become even better. there are new enemies, effects, new weapons, new styles ( one of them is the best in the game too) theres a new difficulty mode where you can make a new gameplus, and theres a new character and in my opinion hes the best one yet. all this and everything else that made jade empire to good with its action packed gameplay, tons ofthanks to the pc version jade empire has become even better. there are new enemies, effects, new weapons, new styles ( one of them is the best in the game too) theres a new difficulty mode where you can make a new gameplus, and theres a new character and in my opinion hes the best one yet. all this and everything else that made jade empire to good with its action packed gameplay, tons of dialogue choices, and original world. the xbox version and pc version are both great but get the pc version if you can… Expand
  30. GeorgeA
    Oct 6, 2012
    8
    Probably the most underrated of Bioware games. Excellent story, great universe inspired by Chinese mythology, interesting characters (though some of them are clearly KOTOR rip-offs, like Sky), good script and voice acting, believable antagonists with motivations beyond "destroy the world" cliché, intriguing and sadly underdeveloped idea with Open Palm and Closed Fist philosophies,Probably the most underrated of Bioware games. Excellent story, great universe inspired by Chinese mythology, interesting characters (though some of them are clearly KOTOR rip-offs, like Sky), good script and voice acting, believable antagonists with motivations beyond "destroy the world" cliché, intriguing and sadly underdeveloped idea with Open Palm and Closed Fist philosophies, engaging and sometimes very original quests and some real choices to make along the way. The combat isn't terribly deep, but won't annoy you and is pretty dynamic and fun. That is, if you are looking for an RPG with lots of numbers, hard tactical combat, inventory management, huge selection of weapons, items and skills, You'll be disappointed- Jade Empire doesn't offer any of that. What it DOES offer is an unique experience, you''ll rarely see in a video game. A very solid action/rpg title. Just don't think about it as a simplified fantasy version of KOTOR( Dragon Age:Origins gets that honor).… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

38
#38 Best PC Game of 2007
34
#34 Most Discussed PC Game of 2007
10
#10 Most Shared PC Game of 2007

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 29 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 29
  3. Negative: 0 out of 29
  1. IGN
    86
    Like the PC version of "Knights of the Old Republic" before it, Jade Empire is a remarkable RPG that, apart from better graphics and load times, really has little to separate it from the Xbox version from two years ago.
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  2. GameSpot
    78
    The long-awaited PC version of Jade Empire retains the great story and setting of the Xbox original, but the streamlined combat and core design haven't aged quite as gracefully.
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  3. 1UP
    70
    Compelling narrative and crippled combat make Jade Empire a case of form over function -- and depending on what you want from a single-player RPG, that might be totally OK. It's short (in the 20-hour neighborhood for first-timers) and sweet; just don't let the premise trick you into expecting gameplay that isn't altogether there.
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