Jade Empire: Special Edition

I completed this game (Jade Empire) many years ago on Xbox. I really enjoyed it and I must admit, I am not a player fond of RPG games, but the setting and originality of this product completely seduced me. Now, let us speak about the problematic version of other game services... (looking at you Steam). The GOG version is flawless and runs perfectly well in full HD without a stretch. No forum reads or searching for a decade old patch or struggling with my original cds and virtual machines to enjoy older games... Wow, I must confess... The GOG games are a breeze.

Really enjoyable RPG. It sits a bit uncomfortably between the older BioWare cRPG and the more modern, console-first ones (think Mass Effect), but it's definitely leaning more towards the second in gameplay and presentation. Small but quite dense levels that manage to evoque a huge world thanks to clever writing and a unique atmosphere. RPG gameplay is heavily stripped down, leaving only the essentials, but that means everything you encounter is hand-crafted, useful and thoughtful. Try doing every quest, enjoy your companions' company and don't spoil yourself.

I've originally played beaten this game on the Xbox around 2007. This GOG version works on Windows 11 and has the added benefit of much shorter load times and higher-resolution graphics (albeit with some occasional stutter and some grainy FMV sequences) in comparison to the Xbox original. Its a fun mix of an RPG, a 3D fighting game, and a 2D overhead shooting game. Its rare to have a setting in ancient China; complete with its mythology, traditional instruments in the music, and some funny dialogue, it makes the game very memorable. Even playing it again now in 2024, its still very fresh, engaging, and fun. While the graphics are technically dated, the environments still have lots of detail, variety, and are stylistically beautiful. So this game has definitely aged well.

I finished this game when it came out, so I don't have a lot of time on it here. In the broadest strokes it is an interesting blend of a linear RPG like Gothic or NWN but with a combat system more akin to Tekken. Your characters get moves, different fighting styles, etc. It is sort of if Soul Calibur had an actual RPG section. Sounds interesting, and it is. I don't remember too much of the story, but it is both linear and very immersive. Although you follow a set path, you have the usual Bioware-style choices between good and evil with some interesting twists along the way. Especially towards the later part of the game, where you get the option to enslave the minds of your companions in order to bend them to your will if they get uppity and try to leave the party. THAT was something I wish we had in way more games. It gives the game a very unique feeling and immerses the player in the story like few other mechanics can. So, why only 3 stars you ask? Well, like I said in the description, "classic bioware ending". You know how it is, you spend the entire game having a nuanced position between light and dark, carefully weigh each decision, and then you get to the end and the game asks you one question and POOF! The entire alignment system becomes obsolete. WTF. Why did Bioware think this is good game design? But that would be okay if the game wasn't so short. They could easily have added two more acts. Remember that awesome mind slave mechanic I mentioned? It is really cool, but it happens right at the end of the game so it feels like it doesn't matter. And it actually doesn't. That's why this game only gets 3 stars, because it teases you with one of the coolest things in RPG history and then immediately takes it away again by ending the story. It's as if the devs wanted to troll the players. So, TL DR: This is an awesome game, but it has some big flaws. Still worth the play, 100% recommended. A beautiful game that wasted a lot of potential.

I made a lot of the many bad experiences other people have described them. However, after reading through some guides and applying some mods ... I enjoyed a wonderful 24 hours. As many other, I found the combat system not very fulfilling. If you feel the same: switch to "easy" difficulty and add "Papagamer Mod Pack" from Nexusmods. This certainly kept the fights reasonably entertaining, yet rath short, until the end of the game. I also used other mods, as the "Stuck in Waterdragon Fountain (Chapter8) Fix" or some retexturing of the main characters. I like the extensive voice acting and most of the dialogs. Some of the followers are mildly interesting, but I really love the follower Dawn Star. In her dialogs and style she reflects the darkness of the story, a world of men and spirits in imbalance, a tragedy of cosmic dimension. The main story as many of the side quests are typical "high fantasy" stuff. You are the hero and need to stop the super-villain who has enslaved some god or whatever. It is quite meaningless, but nice to look at and it keeps the story rather simple. God and Bad are obvious choices.