Preview Jade Empire: Special Edition gazings at Gamespot

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Tags: BioWare; Jade Empire

<a href=http://www.gamespot.com>Gamespot</a> has written up another <a href=http://au.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/jadeempire/news.html?sid=6163995>preview</a> of <a href=http://www.bioware.com/>Bioware</a>'s upcoming PC port of their martial arts action RPG title, <a href=http://jade.bioware.com/>Jade Empire</a>. There's some insight into the game's control on the PC among the usual press release regurgitation, though.
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The original game was a departure for the team at BioWare, who had previous success with games like Baldur's Gate and Knights of the Old Republic. With it's action adventure gameplay, multiple fighting styles, and Far East influences, the game looked and played like nothing the BioWare team had released before.</blockquote>
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If you replace "Far East" with "Jedi" you pretty much get the same as KoTOR right down to corridor like levels, good and evil paths, and multiple fighting styles.
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Luckily the approachable controls, which began on the Xbox, have been translated over to the mouse and keyboard with minimal fuss.
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Controlling your character is easy--you use the standard W, S, A, D keys to move and most of your attacks are controlled with the left and right buttons on the mouse. Multiple clicks of the left button will result in longer and more complicated chain attacks but those can be blocked by enemies. Clicking the right button will result in a longer, more powerful attack that will break through a blocking enemy's defenses. Pressing the left and right buttons simultaneously resulted in an area attack that was ideal for making some room when the enemies piled up. In addition, as a magical martial artist in Jade Empire SE, you'll be able to focus your chi to add extra damage to your attacks (by pressing the E key) or heal yourself by holding down the left button on your mouse at any time.
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Nothing wrong with a man focusing his chi, if you ask me.
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.gamespot.com">Gamespot</A>

 

[elander_]

JE looked like a finished game and well produced game and sold well so they are doing what they do best, that is to take the juice out of it in as many ways as they can. I'm not suprised if i see a PS3 port someday.

 

[FrancoTAU]

It actually had pretty shitty sales for a AAA title which is probably why we're even getting a PC port. Unfortunately, i have a feeling it was more due to casual gamers needing elves or some license attached to an RPG.

 

[Baphomet]

I don't own an XBox. Was the original version any good? I like fighting games about as much as I like my RPGs.

 

[Volourn]

"It actually had pretty shitty sales for a AAA title"

No, it didn't. Whre's your evidence? MS, and BIO ar eboth pleased with the sames. In fact, MS was so impressed, they have alreayd prematurely had/have annoucned a sequel depsite the fact that BIO hasn't announced it.

If anything, there's likely a PC port *because* it sold well. Dumbass.


"Was the original version any good?"

If you like BIO games, yes, you'll likely think so. if you don't; you'll likely dislike JE.

JE's combat is RT,a nd the game is the veryd efintion of ASction RPG along with G3 and BL. Combat is a ction based (though character stats do have some ffect), and there is role-playing including multiple solutions to the vast majority of nquests (in fact, 99% of them). It has the interesting (though soemtimes typical) BIO characters. Romances, influence done better than either KOTOR2 or NWN2 depsite not actually using the term, and multiple endings (3).

It's goal was not good vs evil. In fact, it's usually better than good vs evil though it does often fall into that trap unfortunately.

It absolutely CRUSHES either KOTOR or NWN.

 

[peak]

Er, no. It's shit in pretty much every single way, except the graphics which I were impressed with. It plays like a very mediocre action game combat wise, and even though multiple choices were available in about every quest they were too boring to bother with. It's also the game that made me realise that Bioware had stopped making games for me. After a few hours, I stopped playing altogether and declared it one of the most overhyped games ever.

 

[bylam]

The combat is weak and stats have about the same effect on combat as they do in Oblivion. The trick in combat is "jump behind enemy, fast attack, jump behind enemy, fast attack" rinse and repeat. Unfortunately the "harmonic" combo feature (which was okay) is too easy to forgoe in favour of getting the combat over by spamming dodge and attack.
Inventory and weapons are "dumbed down" ridiculously. Some might say streamlined, but I'll stick with "dumbed down".

The storyline is good, though you'll see the twist coming a mile away. The characters (both party members and normal NPC's) are pretty standard bioware fare, but they all had decent motivations for joining my party which was a nice change. A couple of them were quite funny, but the ones who tried to be serious were pretty bland.

I do recommend the game as an Action RPG to help you through the drought. It is a good (possibly great) game in it's own style - which is Bioware's style.