Jade Empire: Special Edition Previews

The PC version of BioWare’s Jade Empire is the subject of two new previews, both of which are based on firsthand CES impressions. The first is at GameSpot:

One aspect of Jade Empire that has received a significant overhaul is the graphics. The game made the most of the Xbox’s graphical prowess, but it looks even better on a high-end PC. The environments especially are gorgeous–the tall grasses and flowers in the overgrown parts of the starting areas are fantastic, and the sophisticated lighting effects really add to the fantastical settings. About the only visual clue that this is a two-year-old game is the character models–while the faces show off a lot of detail and differentiation from one character to the next, the character bodies are slightly blocky in spots. Still, that’s nitpicking on what should prove to be a fine-looking game on high-end PCs.

And the second is at FiringSquad:

As per usual with action oriented titles, you use the keyboard in Jade Empire: Special Edition to move around in the enviroments and your mouse button for attacks. The mouse buttons allows you to activate the various attacks in the game and use your special chi power to add even more to your attacks via the E key. You will be able to switch between different fighting styles in the game as in the original Xbox version.