83 replies to this topic

[K_Tabris]

The very fact that Jade Empire doesn't even get it's own forum, and is instead grouped along with earlier obscure Bioware games no one cares about is saddening.

So much of this game represents what Bioware does well: the lore, characters, story, player's choice within the story, etc. If you look at the two most recent games Bioware has done, they don't come close to achieving what this game does. I've heard a lot of people complain they didn't like the setting, but I thought the Jade Empire setting was fantastic, interesting, unique, and paved the way for a new IP.

It's too bad Bioware has neglected Jade Empire for so long. Maybe they will return to it once Mass Effect is out of the way.

[RaggieRags]

I've always thought Jade Empire suffered from people having the wrong expectations for it. It came out before Mass Effect and people were still hoping for another game like Baldur's Gate. It wasn't really evaluated on its own merits, which is a real shame.

If you have to compare Jade Empire to something else, it should at least be compared to something that tries to do the same things. Not stat-heavy, slow-moving RPGs like Baldur's Gate, not loot-centric action RPGs like Diablo. It's a character and plot centric action RPG, like Kingdom Hearts for instance. Compare it to Kingdom Hearts and you see how excellent JE is!

I guess I've never understood most of the complaints people make against it. 30 hours is short for a Bioware game, but it's not that short if you compare it to a lot of modern RPGs, or non-RPGs for that matter. And why do they always need to be long anyway? I nowadays prefer shorter games anyway, with my limited time. The limited inventory is just being true to the Vuxia genre. Your kung-fu is not stronger because you wear heavy armor.

I also think a lot of people who say JE is Bioware's worst game haven't actually played it, just voicing a popular opinion. Just like most people down on the Sonic game haven't played that one either (neither have I)!

[Kyle Kabanya]

Jade Empire deserves a sequel. That's the only reason I found out about Bioware games

[Bail_Darilar]

Abit late in the discussion but I feel that this game gets alot of heat because of its longevity, as much caracter and humor and depth that this game has, it is incredibly short so I think alot of fans were outraged thatt they paid so much for a short game. Other people a the time were extremely slow to embrace the real-time combat especially RPG and long-time fans of BW that were probably hoping for combat more akin to Kotor and that which came before it. Also the game was an unknown entity and BW first original IP so maybe at release the game was met witha  level of scepticism which ruined their gameplay experience.

Most people thus only think of this game in a negative light because they had a negatie experience of it in spite of how good the game actually was. I bet if people were to go back and play it that they would be able to appreciate it better (as long as they overlook its shortcomings, which were few imo).

[Th3 Bunman]

Jade Empire gets a bad rep because peoples expectations aren't what they thought it would be.Just because it's not Baulders Gate don't mean it's going to suck.It's not BG,it's JE.The game was made to be JE,not a game that's already out there.That's why i don't understand why people don't like DA2."Oh...it's not Origins,it sucks"That's right...it's not Origins because it's not meant to be.It's meant to be "Another" Dragon Age game.A different game.

With that said ,i love the JE universe.It was my first Bioware game and first rpg.I fell in love with it.Doesn't matter if it's dated or older.What matters is it's fun to play.I wish all games were like this.
Still my favorite all time game.Number 1.

[tooducks58]

Oriental mythology and characters made it difficult for a mainstream audience to connect?
Closed Fist philosophy poorly implemented, letting down fan expectations?
Stupid people?

Seriously though, I download this game from xbl and am on my second playthrough. I wish they'd get KOTOR on live, then I could take the nostalgia up to eleven.

[Luminus]

They only thing bad about Jade Empire is some imbalance between styles and scaling health of enemies, that's it. And yes, I have played Baldur's Gate and KOTOR. Along with other RPGs.

I found it quite enjoyable and would definitely give it another playthrough.
Ironically, Dragon Age 2 is more anime than Jade Empire. At least it didn't have a prequel that set better standards.

I find enemies falling from the ceilings and exploding with a slash, quite bad design for a western RPG that it's prequel attempted to be old-school.

Jade Empire was fresh, original, had an oriental and original setting, fun gameplay, wonderful story and lore and an awesome plot-twist that I was not expecting.

Edited by Luminus, 16 January 2013 - 01:16 AM.

[Addisyn]

Well this is just a guess, but if the majority of BioWare gamers are male, Mass Effect is pretty much game-porn so obviously they'll be all over it. It's much more serious and complicated than Jade Empire, but JE is much, much more fun.

Of course, people who consider themselves "experienced gamers" don't focus on fun any more. They focus on controls, they focus on graphics, they focus on variety of weapons... stuff like that.

I, however, was not bored for one second throughout JE. I can't say the same for ME - seriously don't get me started on all those side missions in number 1 where you have to search for hours on a deserted planet for a bunch of dumb minerals. Boy, did that get repetitive! JE has side quests that I actually wanted to do.

And the graphics weren't even that bad. Heck, they weren't bad at all. The fighting was smooth and just plain cool, I don't know why people didn't like it. I thought it was a clever take on "paper, scissors rock" - Sheild beats normal attack, power attack beats sheild, normal attack beats power attack. And the scenery was absolutely magnificent. At one stage I just stopped in the floating palace just to admire how grand and surreal it was. The game is also much more creative than the two concepts BioWare seems to stick to: Medieval times or the sci-fi genre. I still loved NWN, Dragon Age and KOTOR, but JE was so refreshing.

In the end the people that complain are just a bunch of party poopers in my opinion. Jade Empire is by far one of my favourites, from diverse characters to dragons and demons. And yet, another straight-down-the-line shooting game wins over the audiences because it's considered "cooler" these days, along with COD and all that jazz. Tisk tisk tisk.