Jade Empire 2: The Sequel That Should Have Been

Arguing that the title deserved a sequel to fulfill its potential, the folks at Nightmare Mode started their “Sequels That Should Have Been” feature series with an installment dedicated to Jade Empire and how a possible sequel could have improved on its formula. Here’s a sampling:

Another point of criticism for Jade Empire stems from its linearity. From the beginning to the end, the player had no choice in how to explore the world, but rather travelled from city to city (well, there’s two in all) which served as quest hubs where the player could pick up new side quests and stock up on new equipment and items. Now, linearity vs. non-linearity is something that never fails to divide the waters, and personally I tend to favor whatever benefits the game. Deus Ex: Human Revolution, for example, benefits from having a linear structure in its approach to the main quest, although this is also helped by the player having multiple approaches to completing them, but most importantly the world in Deus Ex’s 2027 is not explored and understood solely by traveling. Jade Empire, on the other hand, was a massive, sprawling, diverse world that begged to explored, and there was even a fairly large world map that hinted that one might be able to travel in the world. Sadly, one could not.

At this point you may be wondering why Jade Empire deserves to be have a sequel. After all, so far I’ve mostly complained about the game. But the beauty of sequels is that you can do away with all the mediocre things, and replace them with improved mechanics. And Jade Empire had a lot of potential. As I’ve already delved into, the setting was where Jade Empire really shone. Far from generic fantasy realms and space epics, Jade Empire took the, for many, unknown Chinese mythology and history and made it into an odd blend of Western game structure and Eastern-inspired setting. There was just something awe-inspiring about walking through the Imperial Palace Gardens that I have never felt in the same way when playing a regular gritty and brooding fantasy RPG. But it felt too small. Imagine, if you will, the scope of Dragon Age: Origins coupled with Jade Empire. A huge world from icy mountains to scorching deserts, taking the player on an epic journey to.well.spectacular things! Similarly, the story was also affected by the change of setting. While it may not go into the annals of history as being the most original or evocative story, it was just plain entertaining. There was mystery! Romance! Terror! And it guided the player through a world of infinite wonder filled with Rhino Demons and Fox Spirits and other zany creatures. Forget discussion-worthy themes and nuanced storytelling. I want me an adventure!

I would argue that, despite its many flaws, Jade Empire had by far the most interesting setting of BioWare’s productions so I would approve of a sequel that broadens the scope and makes the mechanics more interesting and complex, as improbable as that is.