An epic Journey through ancient China. (Jade Empire (Xbox))

Member Name: heekeer

Product:	Jade Empire (Xbox)
Date:	22/08/09 (10 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great story, brilliant combat system, great characters and setting, good replay value, graphics

Disadvantages: None.

Jade Empire is a role playing game developed by Bioware for the Xbox.

Jade Empire begins with you as a pupil in the Two Rivers martial arts school, soon your school is attacked and you must take up your weapons and help to defend the school. With the help of your Master Li you manage to defeat your attackers and all is well. As your training continues your journey into a spirit cave to achieve enlightenment but when you return your village is in flames and Master Li is kidnapped. You must journey around the ancient lands and save Master Li from the Empire. The game has exciting characters to meet and the ending plot twist was incredible!

The game has you engaging in fights and talking to other characters. The fighting system in Jade Empire is unlike any of the previous Bioware titles, it is all in real time and you can use a variety of different fighting styles which you learn as the game progresses. You can also perform leaps and dodges to evade damage along with Chi moves which can be used to increase your attack damage and heal your wounds. There is also a focus mode which sends the game into a slow motion mode where you can attack at high speeds.

The character interaction is brilliant, the games actors really capture the feel of the setting. The game lets you pick from multiple dialogue options to reveal more of the plot and allowing you to gain insight into the many characters that inhabit the world.

There is also a morality system in the game, as with Knights of the Old Republic you can choose to be good or evil, in this game you can follow the way of the open palm which is good and the way of the close fist which is evil. There are many different dialogue options for each path so may want to play the game twice to encounter them all.

Graphics are excellent and the combat animations are superb. Voice over is exceptionally well done and doesn't come across as cheesy at all which would have been very easy to do.

Jade Empire is an excellent role playing experience and if you are looking for a good story you will find it here.

Summary: A superb role playing experience.