Game News Jade Empire: Special Edition in Jan 2007

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: BioWare; Jade Empire

2K has announced that <a href=http://jade.bioware.com/>Jade Empire<a/>: Special Edition will be available for PC in Jan 2007, featuring improved graphics, new fighting styles, new monstars, and other quality shit justifying a $50 price tag for a 2-year old game.
<br>
<br>
<blockquote> "We are thrilled to be partnering with 2K to deliver the immersive story and exciting world of Jade Empire to PC gamers," said Ray Muzyka, CEO of BioWare.
<br>
<br>
Jade Empire: Special Edition will be exclusively available for the PC and will feature increased graphic resolutions with new visual effects and fighting styles, as well as new monsters and enemies with enhanced AI. The game will also include customizable, intuitive controls and an all-new art book as part of the Special Edition bonus content.
<br>
<br>
"BioWare has a large and loyal fan base of PC RPG gamers and we have heard their many requests for a PC version of Jade Empire," said Greg Zeschuk, president of BioWare. "We are happy to work with 2K on our latest product."
<br>
<br>
"With Jade Empire's extensive list of accolades and BioWare's industry-wide respect as a developer, 2K is delighted to bring the beloved Jade Empire franchise to the PC," said Christoph Hartmann, President, 2K. </blockquote>Better late than never, I suppose.
<br>
<br>

 

[kris]

I actually have it on Xbox (note got the Xbox as present). Peronslly I would recommend it for the ones that have not played it. If you liked KOTOR you will like this one.

 

[EEVIAC]

Has Bioware learned nothing from Oblivion's success? There's not a single mention of John Cleese in that PR release. Amateurs.

My enduring memories of Jade empire are that the controlls were sludgey, the Raiden mini-game was a bit dull and loading times were excruciating. If they can fix that it'll probably the best 2005 RPG of 2007.

 

[Volourn]

"There's not a single mention of John Cleese in that PR release. Amateurs."

LOL

 

[obediah]

I actually have it on Xbox (note got the Xbox as present). Peronslly I would recommend it for the ones that have not played it. If you liked KOTOR you will like this one.

I'd agree, unless you felt KOTOR was as low as you wanted to slink into Action-RPG Soap Opera game.

Exempting NWN because it's a toolkit, not a game - JE is yet another evenly spaced point on the Bioware Game Line (TM). As you go from BG2 to JE (and from what info we have, on to Mass Effect), the games get shorter, combat get's more actiony, stats get simpler, the ration of characters to chose from to characters in the party increases, the effect those party members has shrinks, and romances get more developed.

Some things seem to stay consistent. Black&White moral choices, A Thin facade of consequences, Chosen one must choose, and OMFG plot shockers.

I still have fun with them. Combat sucks, but it's always easy enough that you can fall asleep holding a button down and wake up to victory. They're more like choose your own adventure books than rpgs though. Well a choose your own adventure book that fails to branch.

 

[Volourn]

"the effect those party members has shrinks"

Simply not true. JE matches up to ANY BIO games when it comes to party member effects, choices, and outcomes. And, not just in the romance department. And, it's role-playing is better than all the rest.

JE is 1 million times better than KOTOR in every way. It even has 3 friggin' dialogue skilz!!!

 

[FrancoTAU]

I'll give it a try when the price drops down to what other 2005 middle of the road games are going for.

 

[obediah]

"the effect those party members has shrinks"

Simply not true. JE matches up to ANY BIO games when it comes to party member effects, choices, and outcomes. And, not just in the romance department.

Uhm, in BG2 putting together a party had a pretty big effect on how the game went. Not the fluff, but the actual gameplay, you know the thing they replaced in JE with holding down whatever button worked best with your fighting style until everything was dead.

In JE you just picked the NPC with the personality you could stomach best. I went super goody two-shoes through the whole game, but took the evil berserker guy with me because he told funny jokes. We were bestest buds, and the I didn't catch the slightest hiccup from our very incompable alignments.

And, it's role-playing is better than all the rest.

Heh. Role-playing is so bad in Bioware games, I don't think I could stand to compare them.

JE is 1 million times better than KOTOR in every way. It even has 3 friggin' dialogue skilz!!!

If I remember correctly, those three dialogue skills were it for skills. And they were about as many skill checks in the whole game as one dialogue tree in Bloodlines.

How many interviews have we read with the bioware guys where they've said over and over that branching depth is not part of their philsophy. They'd rather concentrate on content that most players will see in a playthrough.

 

[HanoverF]

Who didn't see this coming?

 

[Volourn]

"And they were about as many skill checks in the whole game as one dialogue tree in Bloodlines."

That's a lie.


"How many interviews have we read with the bioware guys where they've said over and over that branching depth is not part of their philsophy. They'd rather concentrate on content that most players will see in a playthrough."

How many interviews have we seen where they basiclaly stated that philosophy has been changing. Not only that, we've seen the changes taking place in the game.

BG series = no dialogue skills, no multiple endings until the last expansion TOB.

NWN = dialogue skills, but no multipel endings (outside of how the PC deals with Interplay). Same with SOU. HOTU has LOTS of endings from 'overall', individual characters, and various quests. Heck, in HOTU, pretty much all your companions can betray you if you arne't careful.

KOTOR - 2 endings, most quests have mutliple ways to complete them.

JE - 3 endings including an unflattering one, multiple ways to complete pretty much all quests (I;m sure someoen cna find some exemptions; there's always soemthing), 3 dialogue skills (I don't think NWN even got that 'til one of the expansions), companions can turn on you if you make chocie(s) they disapprove of (i can think of major one).


" We were bestest buds, and the I didn't catch the slightest hiccup from our very incompable alignments."

The 'evil' berserker guy wasn't evil. He was anutcase. He didn't crae about good vs. evil. He just loved to kill. H ewas compatible with everyone. If you were the best of buds with such a psychopath, YOU role-played your character poorly.

 

[Sarvis]

In JE you just picked the NPC with the personality you could stomach best.

Nah, you pick the one that is most useful to holding down the button you like best, then permanently switched them to support mode. The one chick regenerated your mana, so I had her most of the time.

I went super goody two-shoes through the whole game, but took the evil berserker guy with me because he told funny jokes. We were bestest buds, and the I didn't catch the slightest hiccup from our very incompable alignments.

Those weren't alignments, they are really more like political ideologies. The berserker guy wasn't evil, he just liked fighting. There's really no reason he would complain, any more than you'd bitch at your friend for being a Libertarian.

Just remember that Closed Fist does not equate to evil, it means you think people need to grow on their own rather than being coddled. Most of the time you could chose CF/Open Palm resolutions that actually fit with that concept... but a few did end up being good/evil, which was unfortunate.

If I remember correctly, those three dialogue skills were it for skills. And they were about as many skill checks in the whole game as one dialogue tree in Bloodlines.

Actually most dialogs had skill checks, if not deep branching.

 

[Direwolf]

JE never really interested me. Same shit as KOTOR, but in oriental setting. And I hate oriental crap.

 

[Seboss]

I rented it back in 2005 for the XBox and had mild fun for a weekend with it.
It played like a pretty, very watered down version of Ninja Gaiden with lots of cheesy dialogues.
I can't see how it could sell good on PC in late 2006, not even mentioning it could be a good RPG.

 

[POOPERSCOOPER]

I still never really got far in the Fable PC release so I would have to finish that before I think about getting JE :faggot: Also didn't Volourn like JE?

 

[Slylandro]

There was definitely more RP from a pure mechanical perspective in the later Bioware games. More skills, more checks, more (real) choices. Much of everything else has gone down the drain though. Especially combat given how frequent it is.

 

[fizzelopeguss]

Shit game, this.

 

[RK47]

My friend told me the combat is simpler than even Fable because by using one style of fighting, the player can beat even the ultimate boss with it.

But I'm not sure what he meant, because in Fable I didn't do anything different, except when the final boss started flying to force me use my arrows.

I'm probably giving this game a try when it's out.

 

[EEVIAC]

Just remember that Closed Fist does not equate to evil, it means you think people need to grow on their own rather than being coddled. Most of the time you could chose CF/Open Palm resolutions that actually fit with that concept... but a few did end up being good/evil, which was unfortunate.

Alignment based on ideology is one of Bioware's best ideas. I'm surprised they were able to carry it for as long as they did without switching to good/evil.

Actually most dialogs had skill checks, if not deep branching.

Yep. The writing is good enough that there's options your character might actually want to use. There's that whole scholar's garden (which is where John Cleese's character is) that has a few really good dialogues. And why the fuck am I agreeing with you and Vollie?

I think JE wants to be Planescape in the dialogues and Virtual Fighter/Final Fight in the combatics. Which is what an action RPG should be - RPG with action elements, not the other way around. It doesn't completely succeed but it gets close enough.

 

[gromit]

Virtual Fighter/Final Fight in the combatics. Which is what an action RPG should be - RPG with action elements, not the other way around. It doesn't completely succeed but it gets close enough.

Heh, uhm, maybe Final Fight. The only "kind of" RPG with a -really- deep action combat system I've ever played was Shenmue. I wish they had been more grounded with their plans rather than "OK, let's do sixteen massive, decompressed chapters, and release them in groups of one to three per game!" If they told the whole story, and had all of the action of the saga in one or two games (as well as playing up the branching that was somewhat present in Shenmue 2,) I'm sure that it would have been the gentleman's "mystical kung-fu console epic." Damn it, I'm ranting again. The Glenlivet.

 

[Volourn]

"My friend told me the combat is simpler than even Fable because by using one style of fighting, the player can beat even the ultimate boss with it."

You don't get that one style 'til relatively late in the game.

And, no, you can't beat the entire game with one style. That's a flat out lie consideirng the best powers are limited in use time wise, and many creatures are immune to various styles/powers.

Even later in the game, the super power in question has a time limit (before the ability to power runs out) will run out eventually in mass combat (which happens since it is an action RPG) so you'd be screwed without finding the 'power ups'.

btw, The power in question is most definitely over powered. Hopefully, BIO/the company actually doing the heavy lifting on the port fixes it so it's more balanced.


But, no, anyone who says they beat the game with only one style is FLAT OUT LYING.


P.S. I ahven't played FO; but from what I read and seen; it's pretty crappy. Considieirng they went 'all out' on the port to 'make up for it' as opposed to BIO simply fine tuning JE says it all.

 

[elander_]

A shity game for little kids all right.

 

[kris]

A Thin facade of consequences,

I saw some pretty big consequential things. Not much that directly affected your character though.

JE is 1 million times better than KOTOR in every way. It even has 3 friggin' dialogue skilz!!!

I wouldn't agree, in some ways it was better and some it was worse. The difference between the dialogue skills was not something I noticed really. Hardly any effect in game.

 

[obediah]

A Thin facade of consequences,

I saw some pretty big consequential things. Not much that directly affected your character though.

I'd like to be more fair to the game, but it was so bland that I can't remember many details, and I played it only 9 months ago. By Facade of consequences, I meant consequences that affect the game experience. So having to decide whether the people I will never see again spend their lives as slaves or are freed does have consequences, it's just not the same.

I'm also generally not impressed by multiple endings, especially where it comes down to one checkpoint where some previous flags are counted and your most favored side kick comes forward, or a good/evil ending is chosen. Getting a different ending is neat, but the game is over by that point.

I do distinctly remember being very dissapointed with the impact the dialogue skills had. It may have still been an improvement over previous Bioware games, but as in life, if you focus on improving your weakenesses rather than exploiting your strengths you'll be doomed to mediocrity.

 

[kris]

So having to decide whether the people I will never see again spend their lives as slaves or are freed does have consequences, it's just not the same.

the biggest problem here is that the game is to linear. you just leave things behind you.

 

[Volourn]

"The difference between the dialogue skills was not something I noticed really. Hardly any effect in game."

You must be blind, stupid, deaf, and retarded.


"I'm also generally not impressed by multiple endings, especially where it comes down to one checkpoint where some previous flags are counted and your most favored side kick comes forward, or a good/evil ending is chosen."

I agree, the one check poijt for endings suck; but JE was *not* that simplified. One of the endings decided is decided.

Don't forget many of the endings (not the main ones; but character and area endings) are decided throughout the game not just one spot as well... Not as out there as the Fallouts or HOTU; but definitely one upped most other games like KOTOR, for example.

 

[Spectacle]

Has Bioware learned nothing from Oblivion's success? There's not a single mention of John Cleese in that PR release. Amateurs.

I believe Bioware is contractually forbidden to use Cleese in their marketing, if they wanted to they would have had to pay him a lot more than they did. You can be damn sure they would have been pimping him for all he's worth if they had been allowed to.