Knights of the Old Republic was published in 2003 and this game in 2005.

They use the same game engine. They're made by the same developer.

Main reason: XBOX
Contributing reason: Laziness

This game is a textbook example of how consoles hold back progress in game development. I want to like this game, but it is so typical console game and so obviously handicapped by that heritage that it looks and feels way worse today than PC games 5 years older.

Take Deus Ex for example, a game published in 2000. It looks like a contemporary game to Jade Empire, yet is half a decade older.

Consoles, the XBOX in particular and the PS in many respects, have resulted in a lost decade in gaming.

The in-game graphics still look decent (considering it's a port from a 6th-gen console), it's the cutscenes that aged badly:

In-game

Cutscene in the same spot

Matter of opinion. Personally, I find this game's graphics more pretty and detailed than KOTOR1's. Feels more "alive". I find KOTOR's art bland, esp the corridors and scenery. This one is more colorful, more "alive"
(And KOTOR's maps are quite empty too, but that's a level design problem, not a graphical one)

Kotor and Jade Empire use the same game engine and are graphically equally limited. That's not an opinion.

Jade Empire has a larger emphasis on outside scenarios than Kotor. This may help Kotor hide the limitations of the engine.

The cutscenes are dithered in Jade Empire for some reason, which makes them look really old. I don't know why this is, both games use BINK video.

I'm not judging the game because of its looks, that's another topic entirely, just that XBOX and all console games, limit the design to a specific platform that can not be changed, upgraded or evolved.

This results in the same game engine used over and over again. Look at Mass Effect. Same game engine three times, because it was on the same console. A pity.

That's funny because I think Jade Empire looks graphically superior to KotOR.

I am ignorant of the technical specs, so I'll just take people's word for it when they say that the two games are virtually identical, but JE's graphics look more crisp and clearer, more vibrant, even with better textures and maybe even a few more poly's here and there. Heck, as someone who is primarily a console gamer, I am nonetheless impressed by JE's graphics even by today's standards.

I have both games playing on the same rig with settings on max. The only difference is my copy of JE is from GoG and my copy of KotOR is a CD I've had for years now ... so IDK if that would make any difference. JE's cutscenes look blander compared to KotOR's however, due I suppose to the aforementioned dithering.

JE's aesthetic may also be a contributing factor. JE seems to have a more vibrant color pallet, more detailed level design and art direction than KotOR's empty fields and bland corridors.

As for what this says about consoles ... IMO there are a lot of bad things consoles can be blamed for ...

I have never played KoToR, so I can't compare the games.

Personally, I think Jade Empire looks fine; at least it does on my small 19 inch monitor. Then again, I'm easily satsified, because I still play Baldur's Gate now and again, which runs in 640x480 if left unmodded.

If you are ditching Jade Empire because of the graphics or the 'console-y' playing style, then you're going to miss out on a great story with some epic plot twists in it.

I've played through Jade Empire twice, once back in 2006 and once the other day. I enjoyed it enough to play through it twice. It has its moments, no question. I guess I just feel it's a poor PC port and the special edition should have had way better textures and interface.

It did make me pick up KotOR2 and patch it. That was a good thing, I quite enjoyed the fan-restored KotOR2. It almost feels complete! With the high-res textures, it looks pretty decent too.

But I agree with you on Baldur's Gate, in fact I think it looks great and I only play it on 640x480, it's made for that resolution and looks and feels great. I feel Baldur's Gate is a good demonstration of what can be achieved with a PC-only game. Very rich environment, good and involved UI and no dumbing-down so it can be played with a controller.

Though there was an attempt made to port BG1 to PlayStation by Interplay back in the day and to give you an idea of what that would have looked like (and why consoles are IMO dumbing everything down they touch) here's a video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QGS34Lj7qA

Oh come on. Deus Ex looks nowhere near as good as KotOR, and Jade Empire looks better than KotOR, not by as wide a margin, but it's better.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AZJ_dGZh9FE/TpOKmu4v1KI/AAAAAAAAJuw/oYWLgLcNhG8/s1600/Deus_Ex_%2528PC%2529_29.jpg

http://kauler.com/games/kotor/mira-ebon-2.jpg

http://www.freakygaming.com/gallery/role-playing_games/jade_empire/chinese_temple_conversation.jpg

Now one might not like the aesthetic choices. Deus Ex is all dark leathercoats and sunglasses in the night, while Jade Empire is brightly colored silk and rainbow temples, kotor falling somewhere in between. But as far as models, animations and all measurable quality of graphics goes, Deus is clearly the decade older one.

Hyperbole on my part to make a point.

JE is so ugly, it makes other games look good in comparison.

Models and textures are fine for a 2005 title. It's that horrible MSpaint interface that detracts from the whole feeling. It looks rough, flat, cartoonish and has nothing to do with the general art style of the game.

I hope you're talking about the interface and some art direction choice, because unless KotOR looks a lot better than KotOR II, you're downright mistaken on this one...

I'm having trouble getting used to KotOR II, it's ugly, the textures seem washed out, it runs really sluggishly, with an almost game breaking low frame rate... I can understand why you would say this, KotOR has that "MADE FOR PC" interface, you always have a mouse cursor enabled and all that, whereas Jade Empire suffers from that bastardization that is, for you "PC MAZTAHAR REISS", the "consolification".

Jade Empire is, in my opinion, a way better game than KotOR (well, at least II, the only one I attempted to play); it looks so much better, it definitely looks amazing, for a 2005 game, and, despite the whole evil consolification, it's actually better optimized to run on a PC than your beloved KotOR, it runs smoothly on my computer, whereas KotOR II looks like a 2001 game and plays very sluggishly.

This is all from a graphics standpoint, mind you. I don't usually tend to mix things, just because I don't like something or it doesn't have the mechanics I enjoy and think are best, I don't go saying it looks bad or worse than some other game that, well, doesn't actually look better. Jade Empire is gorgeous, compared to KotOR, as much as you prefer the latter.