Review Jade Empire review at Computer Games

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: BioWare; Jade Empire

<a href=http://www.computergames.ro>Computer Games</a> has posted a <a href=http://www.computergames.ro/en/games/viewitem/id/367/name/jade-empire-special-edition/section/review.html>review</a> of Bioware's latest effort to bring quality games to PC, <a href=http://jade.bioware.com/pc/>Jade Empire</a>. The score is 83% due to the excellent atmosphere, superb musical score, three endings, spectacular fights, the art direction, and the Open Palm / Closed Fist system.
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<blockquote>Being built upon a new intellectual property, Bioware had free reign on how the game universe would shape up and the rules that govern it, managing in the end to create an empire which although fictional, could have very well existed a long, long time ago. </blockquote>Yes, it was a real flight of imagination there.
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<blockquote>As expected from a Bioware game, Jade Empire too has a Good / Evil moral system, but not in the classical sense of the terms, since we’re actually dealing with two philosophies: the Way of the Open Palm and the Way of the Closed Fist. On one hand, Followers of the Way of the Open Palm believe that strength lies in maintaining one's station and in thinking of the greater whole before considering the parts. As such, it concerns itself with the prosperity of the people, almost to the exclusion of the safety of the individual. On the other hand, The Way of the Closed Fist teaches that strength is power, that power is desirable, and that all things bow to those who know what they want. The Closed Fist is not concerned with consequences or with balance; personal station means nothing to one who would murder friends and family to reach his heart's desire.
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The beauty of this system resides in the fact that no matter the choices you make during the game, you can find the motivations in the path that you follow. And as you will find out for yourself during the game, it’s not the actions of a person that are good or evil, but the intentions that lead to them. The Way your character walks will also determine if you will be able to obtain certain side-quests and gems or use certain martial arts styles. Unfortunately, towards the end of the game you’ll reach a point where you will have to choose again between the two Ways. And if you choose the opposite philosophy of what you were following, your alignment will shift radically to reflect this choice, thus negating every choice you made up until that point. Think of it as a giant RESET button, which greatly diminishes the value of your actions up until that point.</blockquote>Well, it is a Bio game, so it wasn't surprising. Overall, Jade Empire is an enjoyable adventure game with some role-playing opportunities, so if you are into Bio games, give it a try.
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Thanks, Vlad.
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[Shannow]

And as you will find out for yourself during the game, it’s not the actions of a person that are good or evil, but the intentions that lead to them.

Ah yes. That is exactly the way terrorists think.

 

[Julio]

Shannow wins the thread.

 

[Bossman]

Shannow wins the thread.

What he says :D

 

[Greatatlantic]

I'm working on my own review of the game now (though considering I'm still sitting on half a CoH review who knows if it will ever get done). I'll just say now that I think JE's morality system failed. And since I like lists...

1) OP is pretty much judeo-christian morality, only its OK to kill the really evil, except when they surrender, then you can't kill them no matter how evil they are. Actually, that pretty much is christian morality. CF, on the other hand, is still pretty much violating behavioral 10 Commandments. So, while they claim its a new way to think about morality, it really isn't.

2) Internal ambiguities in CF. Namely, CF is suppose to be about strength being the only virtue and justifier of any action. Its all the way of discord. Bladed Thesis will tell you its against the way of the CF to kill innocents/non-threats for fun, as thats just a waste of your strength. Yet, there are plenty of opportunities to kill and or harm non-threatening people in ways that still net your CF points. In fact, the more arbitrarily cruel your manner of attack, the more CF points you get. Which is it?

3) A distinct lack of neutral choices. What if your character is just greedy? They won't wantonly kill... unless they are paid a LOT to do it. They'll even help out the innocent who can't afford to pay them... as long as it doesn't put them to far out of their way. Clearly such a person doesn't belong to CF or OP, yet they'll accumulate points just the same.

Morality system aside, the game's biggest flaw in my mind is its length and linearity. There are choices to be made early on in the game, such as the Great Southern Forest quest. You can side with the "good" gaurdian spirit or the "evil" cannibals, or kill both. However, you get three towns and are then put on a railroad where backtracking isn't even an option. For a game with Empire in the title, they really should have called in two townships, part of a big city and some natural backdrops. RPGs really don't lend themselves to the short, easy, artsy genre as well as action-adventure does.

 

[Annonchinil]

Just as I suspected, still good vs. evil except this time there is justification for the good and evil choices. Bioware needs to start thinking in terms such as antagonist/protagonist, anti-hero/hero to create a different morality, in fact let morality be that of the player.

 

[Trash]

Well, it is a Bio game, so it wasn't surprising. Overall, Jade Empire is an enjoyable adventure game with some role-playing opportunities, so if you are into Bio games, give it a try.

Shit VD, you growing soft in your old day? :wink:

 

[suibhne]

I'll just say now that I think JE's morality system failed.

Alas, it's pretty much just an ex post facto justification for the same moral approach Bioware has included since Baldur's Gate.

 

[mister lamat]

the x-box manual was pretty