Fat Ninja

I honestly can’t remember the last time I played a single-player RPG. I think it was Bioware’s Knights of the Old Republic; and perhaps I never played another one simply because I felt no one could do what Bioware did with that pinnacle of the Star Wars gaming franchise. Except, maybe, Bioware.

As I was slowly shuffling through a nigh mile long line to get to the registers at Best Buy this past “Black Friday” (It was 5:30 AM people; 5:30 AM and it took me 45+ minutes to get to a cash register), when, as inching past the Xbox games, I noticed that Jade Empire was going for a mere $19.99.

Now, I had heard and read great things about the game. Plus, I had every bit of faith in the folks at Bioware to deliver an RPG unlike any other. And that’s exactly what I got with Jade Empire. To be honest, at six and half hours in, I’m quite smitten with it.

I suppose I should start with what lies on the surface, and that’s a beautifully designed world, full of vibrant colors. Personally, I love the soft, golden glow that surrounds everything. It lends an almost divine, mystical aura to the world of the Jade Empire. Everything just looks incredibly vivid, especially at 480p on an HDTV. I simply love the visual aesthetics found throughout every environ I’ve encountered thus far. Immersive details seeps from every corner of the screen.

From a gameplay perspective, Jade Empire plays very similarly to Knights of the Old Republic in terms of the game’s RPG elements. NPC interaction is identical, offering the sort of “choose-your-own-dialogue” that Bioware is known for in their RPGs. Your responses also swing the balance of good and evil in terms of your character’s development. You can be the haughty, arrogant protegé, or the humble yet capable disciple. Your actions and interactions allow you to dictate what kind of character you are. Much to my room-mate’s chagrin, my character, Wu Pass (say it aloud for full effect), has chosen to follow the righteous path.

In short, everything that Knights of the Old Republic offered to RPG fans is fully intact in Jade Empire. However, there is much that is different about the latter; in particular, the combat system. The vast majority of RPGs on the market offer turn-based combat in which the player assigns a target to their avatar, selects an attack style, and lets them go at it. All the while, the player is at the mercy of the game’s “digital dice” in terms of victory or defeat.

Jade Empire defies convention in this respect because it actively engages the player in combat. There’s no sitting back and watching the battle unfold here. Instead, the player does his own fighting, relying on quick reflexes, well-timed offensives, and deft evasion to keep their avatar alive. In addition to this combat system,  players will encounter and learn new styles throughout the game, each with its own distinct form and advantages. To make things even more interesting, you can switch styles on the fly with ease. Many forms even complement one another, allowing the player to complete what is called Harmonic combos, or Harmonics. Harmonics rely on the completion of  a number of moves from various complementary styles to deliver massive amounts of damage, amongst other effects.

On the storyline front, Jade Empire offers an engrossing tale of a glorious empire on the verge of collapse from internal, political decay. As the lead character, you are the only one capable of saving this empire; but at what cost? At close to seven hours in, I’m finding the plot progression to be well-paced, and the story is proving to be a rich telling of  the timeless battle between good and evil.

I will say that Jade Empire is well worth picking up. It’s a deep and engrossing RPG in the best Western tradition. The player’s decisions and behavior govern how their character will grow, as well as on how the storyline unfolds. It also offers one of the most ambitious combat systems that I’ve seen in an RPG to-date. It is both deep and innovative; not to mention a pure blast to engage in. If you’re an RPG fan, I highly recommend this one.

Share This