Jade Empire Reviews

We’ve been hit with an onslaught of new online reviews for BioWare’s recently released Xbox RPG, Jade Empire. The first is at Gamehelper with an overall score of 9.5/10:

So I really don’t understand why you would still be reading this review and not playing Jade Empire right now. Sure it has its faults, namely it clocks in around 20 25 hours, some minor graphical glitches, painfully slow loading times, and its linear gameplay, but in the scheme of things these ‘˜faults’ are minor. Jade Empire as a whole is greater than any of these small issues; it is hands-down one of the most beautiful (both visually and audibly) fighting RPG games I have played to date. I am not one to replay any games typically, it’s something I’ve never really done, and yet Jade Empire is already in my Xbox again and I’m already playing through a second time There aren’t many games that I truly look forward to and even fewer that I actually love so much to play through a second time. If you’ve always wondered how a fighter would mix with and RPG, or if you’re a Bioware fan, or even an RPG fan then you owe it to yourself to pick this up and play until you pass out.

The second is at Extreme Gamer with an overall score of 90%:

Bioware has bestowed another classic story for all Xbox gamers. Balancing elements of role playing, adventure and combat. You will be in vigilantly enthralled until the very end of the epic quest. Jade Empire is a great experience that ever gamer should explore.

The third is at Prodigious Gaming with an overall score of 10/10:

I could eulogise for pages, but that would just stop you from going out and buying the game RIGHT NOW. Suffice to say that whilst perfection is unachievable in a videogame, Jade Empire is the closest we have to date in the RPG genre, hence the 10/10; if this isn’t an ‘Astounding’ game then nothing is. Naturally, the game won’t please everyone, especially sections of the RPG “hardcore” who live by the d20 and die by the d20 (very droll – Ed), but Bioware have created a benchmark-standard title that won’t intimidate newcomers to the genre, which provides some of the most atmospheric and rewarding role playing in a videogame to date.

The fourth is at VGPub with an overall score of 8.9/10:

Jade Empire has a lot of great aspects to it, but it definitely has its faults as well. When all is said and done, gameplay can top out at around 20 hours, plus all of the time needed to sit through the cutscenes. The game truly is well written and a joy to look at, unfortunately the fighting is an underachievement and the character customization is surprisingly lacking. When all is said and done though, you should come away with a great experienced. Both RPG and martial arts fans will definitely eat up Jade Empire, but that’s not to say that it’ll have its critics.

And the fifth is at GameXC with an overall score of 9.0/10:

I guess if you’re going to steal from another game, steal from one of the best. And if you made the game you’re stealing from, that’s even better. So, before you dismiss this as a KotOR rip-off, and made by the same company, no less, remember what you loved about KotOR. Done remembering? Now consider that some of the things you loved then are done even better in JE, and the rest are done at least as well. Also bear in mind that this is it’s own mythology, not needing to conform to existing storylines. This gives it the originality you might be looking for. Bioware has created another masterpiece, and if you haven’t bought it already, you’re missing out. Why are you still sitting here? Get out there and buy it!