Jade Empire - Review @ GameSpot

Dhruin

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GameSpot is the second major site to review the Jade Empire: Special Edition release for the PC. The score is a more restrained 7.8/10 and after a very positive opening paragraph, here's some of the criticism:
Still, two years is a lot of time for the cracks to start showing, and even with the added benefit of slightly improved artificial intelligence and a couple of new fighting styles, the shadow of other role-playing and adventure games looms more heavily over the simple combat and scant leveling options. Enemies do exhibit better defensive behavior this time around, but battles retain their general simplicity. You still collect amulet gems and have a large variety of combat styles to upgrade, but without an actual inventory to manage or gear to collect, Jade Empire feels less fulfilling next to more full-fledged RPGs. With both the combat and the customization options left underdeveloped, it doesn't matter whether you look at the game as an RPG or an action adventure; either way, there is some noticeable missed potential.
More information.
 
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Hmmm... I've been looking forward to this title quite a lot. Thus far, that is. I mean, hey: no decent character customisation or inventory? One would expect BioWare to know better than that, wouldn't they? I'll give it a swing anyhow, but this piece of info was really off-putting for me.
 
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The absence of avatar customization doesn't bother me since it's not really conductive to better role-playing. The inventory is what's considerably damning, but it's not the hallmark of a CRPG. Vampire: Bloodlines had a pretty simple inventory system to begin with and it didn't had any noticeable impact on the game.
 
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Yeah, but you see, VtM at least had some inventory. And anyway, the entire game was carried by the atmosphere and the fact that you were a VAMPIRE. However, being a martial artist can't thrill me that much. Anyway, I hope it's gonna be cool.
 
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After playing it few hours, i took notice that Jade empire is heavily influenced by movies such as Hero. So if you disliked hero type of films..well JM may not be the game for you. As for myself.. I found jade empire to be very entertaining.

Although i had hard time getting used to western accents...and how come npcs always have to speak ENGLISH?! :( I'd have prefered chinese dialog with english subtitles..would have been much more immersive and authentic.
 
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Yeah, Bioware seems to be reallly making games with both legs and an arm tied behind their backs, working with m$.
Someone on another board said something like, "There is so much potiental here, yet missed." and at first I was hoping he was wrong, but it's true.

The fact that they all speak perfect English bothers me, too and hell at least they tried in Deus Ex to use broken English , of course many people critzied them for it, but I have known many Asains whom speak broken English, which is a whole hell of a lot better than I couild speak Asain. ;)

O'well not like anything is going to change in the next year at least, unless Dragon Age is released sooner, but hell ME is being made under the same ground rules as KotOR and JE, afaik.

AI seem broke to anyone else, if you attempt to change an attack to break an enemies defense as soon as you are about to break though they drop and hit you, so why should there even be a defense break if you cant get to use it?
 
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yeah the voice acting is what really bothers me. they all sound like bunch of english teachers :) Its really distrurbing...People don't speak like that in real life! Npcs don't remind me of acient china at all... This game would have been so much greater if those npcs had spoken chinese or atleast had heavy asian accents..
 
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I love Jade Empire. Lack of stat customizations doesnt bother me at all. The roleplaying is dialogue driven just as it should be imo. The philosophy presented by the game is great.
 
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It would certainly creat a richer atmosphere if it were done by professional chinese voice actors. As it is in proper english, it makes sense from a marketing stand point. If it is done in chinglish, it would serve nothing but as a amuzement.
 
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Well maybe things will get better, now I am in Imperial City.

Another thing that bothers me, I chose Scholar Ling and every player interactive cutscene (not movies) her face looks like she has a suntan while everyone else looks normal.

I really want to like this game, every single aspect of it intrest me, but seems so many things pull me right out of the experience.

Richer, maybe that's a good word to describe the vast potienal which Bioware is clearly cappable, well imo and I can only hope Bioware isn't giving these Ips away, to m-trainwreak-soft.

Anyone know what directory they keep those Full Screen pictures of the PCs, they load before or after the logos, cant recall atm, those Rock!
They are not in game shots more Aritist Stills, I would love to get some desktop screens of those.

Also does Bioware just not make games with Jump cappable charaters?
Possibly the physics take too long with their schedules given by the publsiher?
 
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I'm also playing Scholar Ling ... I knew what to expect with the game, and it is delivering to those expectations ...
 
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It is definetly a good game, although it's too short. I completed it twice over the weekend, neither run through the game lasting over 15 hours. Yes, I completed all quests, and no, I did not use a walkthrough. The savegames keep track of how many hours into the game you are, so it's easy to see the exact amount when you're done. I doubt anyone, even if they don't rush through like I do, can spend more than 20-25 hours getting through this. It seems bigger than KotOR and similar games during the first few chapters, but suddenly it becomes linear and is over within a few hours.

Still, refreshing to play in a different setting than the usual medieval one, and interesting to have martial arts, support styles and so on instead of just "WHACK!".
 
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Good refreshing action adventure with some rpg-elements.
 
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Thanks Jaz. :)

They look very much the same skin color in the wallpapapers to me, but in game interactive movies Ling looks very much darker, at least to me.
Nothing wrong inherently with having darker skin but since every where else and everyone else, she looks lighter (as a scholar, should?) and the same as Zi, its just weird.

Hehe just noticed a certian publisher and console logos are imprinted on the download screens, guess I will try to do a capture. ;)
 
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Please do the guys! :smitten: (Muahahahaha, sounds great, doesn't it?)
 
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Thank you so much! :) I'm still sad that there are no henchman wallpapers. I love Sagacious Zu *sigh*.
 
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