Jade Empire

"Be good! Be evil! Be a lesbian! Be whoever you want to be!"

I got an Xbox once. I pretended to be so excited about it, but deep down in my subconscious... I knew. I knew that the Xbox lacked variety. That was in late 2003.

Come 2005. I just bought Fable (a used copy), and my friend bought Jade Empire for his new Xbox (and he says he's anti-consumerism!). He told me he got it, and I told him about Fable, and we were like "Hey, we're about to leave for college, and won't see each other for a while. So before we play our own games, let's trade for a bit." And lordy lordy lordy, was I happy about that trade. Once I started playing this beautiful game, I had no idea what amazing experience I was in for.

Story:
You are a character in ancient Chinese mythology. In the first few minutes, it is just another ordinary day for you as a student under the training of Master Li. Damn, I'm jealous! Soon after, however, you will find that your role in life is much more important than you could possibly imagine. The twists and turns this story takes are truly exemplary. Every RPG after this should take notes. Even better, much of what actually happens in the story is up to YOU. The player! Will you be an angel (Open Palm) or a total douche (Closed Fist)? It's completely up to you, and there are definitely consequences for your every action. With a plot like this, and some very memorable characters, this story stands above all else.
STORY: 10

Graphics:
The effort they put into the visuals in this game definitely shows. I often found myself stopping and just viewing the scenery around me to admire its beauty. That takes a lot for someone to stop playing and just look. The lighting and shading that is used is flawless, with shafts of light shooting through holes in fences, walls, etc. When you go under a tree, you become shaded. I found no trouble at all with the camera angles, and even better, the HUGE battles that you would engage in had, like, NO slowdown whatsoever! This is a surprise, since the detail that goes into the magical powers that are used is so great. The characters are detailed amazingly as well-- even the common passerby.
GRAPHICS: 10

Sounds:
I was also very impressed with the sounds this game produced. Each character's voice (besides the main character, who doesn't talk at all) fits him or her perfectly. The sound effects are lifelike (I especially loved the earth-elemental magic). It makes you feel like it is all occurring around you.
Finally, the music also works out well. The Chinese-esque tunes are placed perfectly in the situations, and they all sound spectacular. GOD I want to listen to this game right now!
SOUNDS: 10

Gameplay:
Gameplay will make or break a game. For Jade Empire, well, you can probably guess what I'm going to say. Yeah, it totally makes it.

The battle system is what makes this game an ACTION-RPG. Don't let that turn you off just yet, Mr. Final Fantasy. Keep reading.

Depending on which character-type you choose will change how you fight. You can use multiple quick attacks that deal little damage, or not-so-multiple strong attacks. You can use your shield to block enemy attacks, or (and I used this way more) swiftly dodge out of the way by either rolling to the side or jumping completely over your opponent!

If your opponent is blocking, you can use a strong attack to break his/her shield. I love that feeling. Or, if you're in a bind, press both triggers at the same time to stop targeting an enemy and run somewhere safe to regroup.

You have three bars that you must keep track of throughout battles--Health, Focus, and Chi. Health is, obviously, how much damage you can take before you croak. Chi is used for magic, transformations, and 1:1 ratio health recovery. Focus is consumed when you use a weapon. Which leads me to my next topic... HOW TO FIGHT.

There are like, infinity ways to fight. You can fight with your hands--there are tons of different hand-to-hand fighting styles, such as Tiger Fist (my favorite). These come at no cost, except that they are close range. You can fight with a weapon for longer range (there are some awesome weapons), but remember that this consumes Focus. You can use magic from very far away, but this consumes your Chi (which you might need for healing). Hell, you can even transform into giant beasts to smash the poor mortals to the ground. I told you there was infinity ways to fight! You will have so much fun with this.

Another awesome feature of battle is Focus Mode, which slows down time of everything but you! This of course comes at the cost of your focus meter, but it's orgasmic to pound away at your helpless enemies with 1000 Cuts every now and then.

Lastly, you may allow one of your recruited buddies to tag along and fight alongside you. Yes, the AI is fine. But if you do not want them fighting, you can have them support you. For example, the character Sky can either attack with his twin-swords or replenish your Focus meter. Very cool, and calls for some interesting strategy.

Of course, with experience you will get stronger. When you level up, you can increase any of your stats, attacks, and powers. Something that is completely awesome is that you do NOT have to balance your Health, Chi, and Focus. For example, only build up your Focus, and you can fight entire battles in Focus Mode (remember, Focus Mode tremendously slows down all enemies)! You'll still own! Additionally, you can build up your different attacks in various ways. You can increase how much damage they do, how fast they are, or how much Chi or Focus they consume. Levelling up is hella fun in Jade Empire.

So you know the battle system is flawless, but what about everything else? Conversations in Jade Empire are unmatched. Every time, and I mean EVERY TIME, you talk to someone, ANYONE, there are multiple paths you can take while conversing. You choose what to say to the person, and from that choice branches more choices, etc. This has a big part in determining where you go in the game. You can say something really generous, and you will go on a quest to do something good for someone else. You can be a dick and just say you want to kill the person you're talking to. And then kill him/her. Yeah. The possibilities are extraordinary.

Oh, and one more thing that is completely awesome: you can save anywhere.
GAMEPLAY: 10

Longevity:
This game will last you a hell of a long time. Once you beat one path (which will be awhile), you will immediately want to replay it again through the other path. And even after that, you may want to try out the neutral story mode. AND even after that, you still probably won't get enough!!! Throughout this game there are SO SO SO many sidequests and SO SO SO many different ways you can build up your character that every time you play will be completely different from the last. Even without that “Live” mumbo-jumbo, this game is a keeper. Forever.
LONGEVITY: 10

Overall:
I don't want to sound like one of those annoying “fanboys” (or whatever y'all call them these days), but Jade Empire is truly one of the greatest videogame experiences anyone can ever play. Presently it is inexpensive too, so seriously, pick this up. Play it again and again. Look and hear the beauty this game exudes. This is the first game that I've ever played where I do not have a single complaint.
OVERALL: 10

Thanks for reading =)

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 02/24/06