Jade Empire (PC)

tofu

Anyone try Jade Empire on the PC? I was thinking about picking it up but I haven't heard anything about the PC release.

Kiwistrike

I thought the xbox version was awful and the pc version just looks like a joke. Haven't played it, but I couldnt imagine a project that was less significant than Jade Empire... PC.

tofu

I heard good things about the Xbox version (although I never played it myself).

deadonthestreet

It's pretty much the worst RPG Bioware ever made.

I don't see it working on the PC very well, so it'll likely be worse than it already was.

mrpigglywikkly

The worst bioware RPG is still saying two key words, Bioware RPG. Although its nothing compared to the previous work its still loads of fun. Though the game is pretty short

Pancake

I, uh... I liked it quite a bit.

It's not Bioware's best RPG, and it is very linear and likes to railroad you, only opening up a little near the beginning and the end, but it was still fun. The combat isn't very deep, and neither are the roleplaying options, but it was still a fun game.

From what I've seen of the Xbox version, they also changed the way the camera works, it being locked behind your character at all times (except during dialogue and cutscenes). It basically controls like a third-person shooter, in a sense. It uses WASD controls and you look around with the mouse.

EDIT: And as for being short, it wasn't exactly long, but it took me 18 hours to get through my first time, so it's not exactly short if you put the time into doing more than just what you're required.

mrpigglywikkly

It's short when you consider most bioware games last at least 50 hours. But if you think of it as a actionrpg i guese 18 isn't that bad

imundercover

IGN 9.8

mrpigglywikkly

IGN also gave halo2 a 9.8

Magus`

It was decent. It's easy to control on the PC.

Edcrab

50 hours? I completed the original KotoR in 23, and it's not as if I skipped all the side missions... with that in mind, taking 18 for JE isn't all that shorter.

Knew what to expect, so I loved it. It's a simplistic action RPG (and the combat's not exactly brilliant, either) but it's atmospheric and thoroughly enjoyable. Story isn't half bad.

But yeah- compared to KotoR, it's undoubtedly the weaker title. ..

Ranced

The game is ok.

It's no 9.8, but that doesn't mean it's shit.

deadonthestreet

imundercover wrote: »

IGN 9.8

Try 9.9.

tofu

Maybe I'll just wait for STALKER for my gaming fix then.

Pancake

tofu wrote: »

Maybe I'll just wait for STALKER for my gaming fix then.

Because it's not as good as KOTOR or worthy of a 9.9? What?

mrpigglywikkly

Jade is only 18 if you do most of the sidequests. But thats besides the point, the game itself is still a very good game. Just not up to baulders gate or KOtor standards

Edcrab

mrpigglywikkly wrote: »

Jade is only 18 if you do most of the sidequests.

That's true. And skipping dialogue cuts out a lot of time too.

As for STALKER... I've got a nagging suspicion it's not going to be quite the game I'd originally been so excited about.

Suds

I played it on the Xbox and picked it up again over Steam.

There are a TON of cutscenes, at least in the first third of the game (I can't remember the rest). It feels as though after every little fight you're treated to another dialog tree. It's a little much and having already played the game once I become frustrated fairly quickly.

I don't want to talk to anyone, I just wanna punch a foo!

tofu

Pancake wrote: »

tofu wrote: »

Maybe I'll just wait for STALKER for my gaming fix then.

Because it's not as good as KOTOR or worthy of a 9.9? What?

I didn't realize how short it was and that it was considered an action RPG. If I had known these things I probably wouldn't have considered buying it.

Also when looking for Jade Empire reviews I noticed the first review of STALKER gave it an 85% which is a lot better than I had expected.

Pancake

I wouldn't honestly consider it more of an action RPG than most of the RPGs that Bioware makes. They usually tend to have a high emphasis on combat, the only difference is that Jade Empire lets you control your character directly. I imagine that Mass Effect will be much the same.

And those 18 hours were better crafted than most western RPGs ever get the chance to be, as most aren't developed by Bioware. It is a little short, but not appreciably shorter than KOTOR, and only $40. I've payed more for games less than half as long. And it was the first game in quite a long time to do what KOTOR did to me. You know "It's five in the morning and I should go to bed, but I really don't care."

mrpigglywikkly

Though its true there are a few great games coming out this month (God of war 2, Stalker) I would still recomend picking up Jade, It really is allot of fun

Ergandar

Jade Empire had/has a marvelous plot.

I've replayed it on the xbox 3-5 times, certainly worth the value.

mrpigglywikkly

With past bioware rpgs it was far more tactical. While Jade is basically just mashing buttons till you subdued your foe (not that theres anything wrong with that)

tofu

See, that's the thing. It certainly sounds like Jade Empire is more combat than dialog but the problem is the combat sounds pretty boring. I liked the old Infinity Engine combat and even KotoR had some tactical depth to it.

mrpigglywikkly

The bottom line is that Jade has a GREAT story with interesting charicters (that you can manipulate to your hearts content) with shallow but fun gameplay.

RandomEngy

It's on Steam for $35, which is really tempting me. Do people think it plays better with keyboard and mouse or a 360 controller?

mrpigglywikkly

It works well on with keyboard/mouse, but if you have a decent controller use it

Magus`

18 hours? I beat it in 12 hours doing all the sidequests I was aware of. It's a fairly short game.

mrpigglywikkly

If you do a speed run you can do it pretty fast, but 18 is about right if you watch all the cutscenes and arn't in a panic to finish it

Edcrab

Between 10 and 20 for me. I'm honestly not quite sure how long it took me to complete, but it wasn't that short. Maybe I'm too used to FPS play lengths...

Pancake

Well, I just popped my pre-last boss fight save, which was my last, back into my save directory, and, well, it looks like 18 to me.

Magus`

I double checked and it was actually just a bit under 14 hours. But still, not close to 18 or 20.

mrpigglywikkly

Its really not worth arguing about 4 hours

Edcrab

You know what? That's exactly what the janitor said when he locked me in the office from 5 til 9.

And having loaded up Steam, I'm greeted with 13 hours 20 minutes, but I know for a fact there were quite a few things I missed on that playthrough...

Couscous

I disliked the lack of good quests. Other than the quest involving the fighting school, I can't think of any I liked.

Pancake

What bothered me about the game the most was the Sky romance. I've not played the game with a male character, so I don't know about the Dawn Star romance, but it felt like three quarters of the romance were missing.

We'd just started playfully flirting and then not 20 minutes later, I'm telling him I love him. It's like high school, but less traumatic and less satisfying.

Magus`

After beating it, I found out that while I pretty much got all the side quests, I got none of the 'in depth' character trees.

But apparently it doesn't affect the ending at all, so..

vegeta_666

Just beat it recently on the Xbox and had I think 13-14 odd hours. While it wasn't the greatest game they've ever made it was certaintly great and I enjoyed it alot. I liked some humour they weaved into it, the historical refrences, the "Outlander" and his page in the ending. It was fun, easy and I would replay it again just to be evil and see what happens. It's alot like Fable in that, it's fun, easy and short and replayable.

Der Waffle Mous

Black Whirlwind is almost, almost as great as HK-47.



If only for the fact that he tells these long-winded stories where he gets drunk and kills everyone.

Edcrab

I liked that he was a character that could actually kill things as efficiently as his personality and narrative implied: at least, on those rare occasions that you got to control him directly. Slicing through the enemy like there was no tommorow...

Nothing like an RPG with badass fighter NPCs who are actually significantly worse at combat than your slightly wimpy PC.

But thinking of silver tongued pacifists, Jade Empire could've done with more opportunities to use speech skills.

Zek

Jade Empire was pretty fun. I'd say it was worth the money, but IGN's 9.9 review is a disgrace.