Kikizo Jade Empire review

Long ago in a land far far away, every body was Kung Fu fighting with kicks as fast as lightning, which was a little bit frightening, but they fought with expert timing.

I' ve been seriously considering picking this game up.. After viewing the various screen shots included with the review I' m curious about something, were the Shenmue comparisons made by other people warranted?

I don' t know much about the other comparisons, but I do know, based on the demo I have, that the game looks and plays awesome. My full version game is on the way and I can' t wait.

we need fathoms back on this board, haters stfu1!

Well then unban him.

I was never banned. I choose not to post here because I don' t think too highly of some members. I don' t wish to cause problems, so in an effort to make Adam' s life easier, I will only be popping in every once in a great while.

In answer to the question Terry, a comparison to Shenmue would be difficult. JE is very different, and yet, contains a bit of the same foundation. The best comparison would be to KotoR, but even then, JE has some unique aspects regarding gameplay.

Kikizo Staff Writer

The reason I asked is because I' ve seen several people compare it to Shenmue and whenever I look at the game I can' t help but wonder just what in the hell those people are smoking. lol. I don' t see the main character of Jade Empire running around with a faded brown jacket and jeans, AND talking to sailors. Nor did I spot any QTE sequences. So I' m just trying to figure out the basis for their comparison other than an overdose of acid!

The atmosphere and environment is nothing like Shenmue, you' re right about that. The way the game is played, for the most part, is nothing like Shenmue. The only similarities are in the combat, and even then, there are significant inherent differences. But like I said, there are a few combat similarities in its foundation. In the mechanics...nope.

Bottom line: if someone sees fit to compare the two after playing both, they' re on crack.

Kikizo Staff Writer

The reason i asked if it was like Shenmue is this:

Shenmue appealed to me in a way that no other RPG has. First of all, it' s graphics, for it' s time, were unmatched (yes, even with the PS2 around). There' s just something about it' s vibrant color schemes and detailed textures that blew me away. Secondly, it' s story was a welcome break from the dragons and magic spells of other RPG' s. This was a true action/drama movie before it was a game (if u get what i mean).

Jade Empire looks to be the same. Graphicswise, the characters also follow human figure proportions. No exaggerations, no " chibi" characters, etc. And it also has a story that (at least i think) tries to play with your emotions.

So that' s basically it, graphical quality, and engrossing storyline.

Jade Empire looks great in a Bioware way. Great backgrounds, relatively detailed main characters, and for the first time ever since they went 3d, it actually shows considerable artistic merit as well.

However, if you' re looking for something in the style of Shenmue you could be disappointed. This is first and foremost a western RPG that draws its inspiration from chinese mythology and wu xia films. You could say that combat is somewhat similar to Shenmue, as it is styled as a rather shallow beat em up with subtle but important tactical nuances. As in Shenmue, you have quite a few techniques at your disposal which you have to learn first, but they don' t require precise button inputs. JE depends more on selecting the most suitable technique and less on using it.

To sum it up, Jade Empire is not a grand tribute to martial arts drama and asian culture in the way of Shenmue. It' s more like a classic fantasy RPG that takes place in an asian-styled universe. Still great, though.

Artistic merit is more important than technical excellence

To sum it up, Jade Empire is not a grand tribute to martial arts drama and asian culture in the way of Shenmue. It' s more like a classic fantasy RPG that takes place in an asian-styled universe. Still great, though.

Well said, well said.

Anyway, not to go too off topic, why don' t we actually comment on the " kikizo jade empire review" . I think it' s quite funny because it has a negative aura about it, but still goes on to say that JE is the best RPG yet on the Xbox. Sounds like someone' s expectations were seriously crushed...

Anyway, not to go too off topic, why don' t we actually comment on the " kikizo jade empire review" . I think it' s quite funny because it has a negative aura about it, but still goes on to say that JE is the best RPG yet on the Xbox. Sounds like someone' s expectations were seriously crushed...

I wrote it, but I had no expectations.

The negative aura is due to the simplistic and unrealized combat, but I go out of my way to make the reader understand how fantastic the rest of the game is. In fact, I believe I used the words " borderline flawless" at one point. And it is the best RPG on Xbox, but like I also said, the competition isn' t exactly stiff. Besides Fable, there really isn' t any competition.

But aside from that, JE is one of the best RPG' s of this generation, regardless of which platform it' s on. Some may disagree (GameSpot being one of them), and others may think it' s even better than that (' cough' IGN ' cough' ), but that' s the way of reviews. In the end, the game consists of a wonderful environment with a perfectly solid WRPG format, but unfortunately centered on a disappointing - albeit fun - combat system.

Kikizo Staff Writer

I think the review was mostly spot on. I understand Bioware' s dilemma in designing an action-centered combat system. They wanted to do something different, but on the other hand they didn' t want to alienate their hardcore fans.

Actually, I think the combat system is rather well-designed given Bioware' s inexperience with action games. Every aspect of the system comes into play at one point or another, which is always the mark of a good combat system. Thing is, they didn' t design especially clever opponents or really challenging situations (perhaps with the exception of the " royal battle" in the arena in Grandmaster difficulty) that would put your skills to the test. Evades are all-powerful and everything can be fixed with a bit of Spirit Thief. Actually, the most challenging opponents I encountered had to be the Lost Spirits.

Oh, and " Chandler Ling" ?! Puh-lease...

Artistic merit is more important than technical excellence

I think the combat system isn' t a dissapointment. At first i felt it was quite shallow. But I' ve had the game for about a week now, and only a while ago tried to fight with everything at my disposal, including magic. It was a desperate attempt to not take forever to defeat hordes of Cannibals by using the monotonous process Fathoms talked about (mash A, occasional X, dodge and repeat). At first i was expecting the combat system of this game to feel something like The Bouncer or Shenmue. But now i realize that this game is more Golden Axe, than it is The Bouncer.

Have you guys tried doing an Ice Shard area attack, and while the ice is falling, switch to Heavenly Wave and do an area attack to slow everyone, then turn on Focus mode and Chi strike mode before beating everyone up? That sold me on to the combat system of this game. What it lacks in variety of physical attacks and combos, it makes up for in just about any other way. This is an Action RPG after all, not necessarily a beat ' em up.

I believe Jade Empire is a great looking game. It really looks like the Chinese oil paintings that Bioware said they were trying to emulate. It uses a whole lot of bloom lighting, and where it doesn' t have bloom lighting it has dramatic sunset-type lightings, etc.

What i don' t quite understand is whether this game looks so beautiful because of technical merits? or just pure artistic wizardry? Because i think it looks like something i imagine the PS2 can also do. It doesn' t have any effects that can be considered Xbox exclusives (the bloom lighting craze was actually started by Ico i think). Or maybe it uses more polygons than the PS2 can handle. Please someone, tell me what i' m missing here.

There' s just something about it' s graphics that' s beautiful without hardware (if you get what i mean).

I' ve had this game for a day now and am thoroughly addicted. I love the combat system. IMO it' s excellent. My only complaint so far(and it' s a small one) is the flying machine - I want to be able to fly it myself (maybe that comes later).

Well I thought it was a GREAT review but since I' m staff I figured yall might' ve thought there was a little bias there

I' d love to pick it up when the E3 madness is over, there' s lots of stuff I need to check out. God of War being another one of them!

Terry Bogard - currently the most Unhelpful member of the Kikizo forums.

ORIGINAL: jars

What i don' t quite understand is whether this game looks so beautiful because of technical merits? or just pure artistic wizardry? Because i think it looks like something i imagine the PS2 can also do. It doesn' t have any effects that can be considered Xbox exclusives (the bloom lighting craze was actually started by Ico i think). Or maybe it uses more polygons than the PS2 can handle. Please someone, tell me what i' m missing here.

There' s just something about it' s graphics that' s beautiful without hardware (if you get what i mean).

I don' t think it' s a matter of polygon counts and/or especially hi-res textures. It' s just that Bioware' s RPG engine is designed with the PC in mind, and it has to cache a large amount of data in the hard drive. Of course, you have to realise that JE is published by MS itself.

And yes, I agree that Jade Empire' s artistic merit is exceptional (at least for a western game). Technical prowess is what makes a game run well and look good, but artistic design is what makes a game look and feel alluring.

Artistic merit is more important than technical excellence

I think the combat system isn' t a dissapointment. At first i felt it was quite shallow. But I' ve had the game for about a week now, and only a while ago tried to fight with everything at my disposal, including magic. It was a desperate attempt to not take forever to defeat hordes of Cannibals by using the monotonous process Fathoms talked about (mash A, occasional X, dodge and repeat). At first i was expecting the combat system of this game to feel something like The Bouncer or Shenmue. But now i realize that this game is more Golden Axe, than it is The Bouncer.

Have you guys tried doing an Ice Shard area attack, and while the ice is falling, switch to Heavenly Wave and do an area attack to slow everyone, then turn on Focus mode and Chi strike mode before beating everyone up? That sold me on to the combat system of this game. What it lacks in variety of physical attacks and combos, it makes up for in just about any other way. This is an Action RPG after all, not necessarily a beat ' em up.

Please note I didn' t say the combat was a " disappointment." If I thought that, it would' ve never received that overall score. But as monotonous as it is, much of the game can be completed in the same fashion with the same techniques, which is, in and of itself, a downfall.

As for the second part of your post, that' s why I liked the combat myself, and it' s also mentioned in the review. To be able to switch between all sorts of different styles on the fly, with an almost never-ending supply of options through experimentation, is the primary saving grace of the combat system.

Kikizo Staff Writer

Please note I didn' t say the combat was a " disappointment."

Hehe, ok not a dissapointment. Just not that " deep" .
Anyway, i sure do hope they continue the Jade Empire franchise on the Xbox360. (mind you, i didn' t finish it yet, so no spoilers please.)

I' m now at the imperial city, how far into the game is that?

Hehe, ok not a dissapointment. Just not that " deep" .
Anyway, i sure do hope they continue the Jade Empire franchise on the Xbox360. (mind you, i didn' t finish it yet, so no spoilers please.)

I' m now at the imperial city, how far into the game is that?

No, it' s not that deep in the mechanics or delivery. Just deep in the overall presentation. I wouldn' t mind seeing another installment, either.

And depending on how fast you play the game, I' d say you' re around halfway through.

Kikizo Staff Writer

I finished the game - it was awesome!

I could hardly put the game down. IMO it was one of the best games I ever played.

I think i know now what makes Jade Empire extra pleasing to the eye. It' s all artistic merit. The artists at Bioware are to be praised. The right lighting combination, combined with the excellent foliage (not one tree or patch of grass doesn' t blow in the wind), combined with the excellent levels of fog, make this game a sight to behold.