Okay, then it seems we’ve gotten mixed messages out. A PC version of Jade is a potential option (along with other platforms)…
Other platforms? Wouldn’t being published by MS preclude that?
The message seems pretty clear to me. Bioware could make non-Xbox versions, but won’t. At least, that’s the only way the different FAQ entries don’t contradict each other.
I’m sure you guys understand the business considerations here. Microsoft is interested in promoting Jade Empire as an exclusive Xbox title, but Bioware is interested in getting the most out of their new IP. In the future, when the terms of whatever deal might be in place have been met, who knows what Bioware will do with the IP in general and Jade Empire in particular.
Bioware obviously can’t comment on future plans before they’re announced, but if you played Jade Empire, it’s pretty obvious that it’s using a system similar enough to KOTOR that a PC port isn’t implausible.
-Tom
I’m not sure fighters port very well over to the PC, tho. It’s not something you’d play with a mouse.
That stuff about you guys working with Nintendo on something for Revolution aren’t just rumors are they… :)
–Dave
Thanks! So basically the speil I got from the two Bioware reps I talked to over a 3 year period (once last year and once when the game got its own website)
I think I understand the business decisions pretty well, which is why I was surprised at Mr. Ohle’s comment. I never thought Jade Empire 1 would move from XBox, not with MS publishing it and putting “Xbox exclusive!” on the box art.
It seems to me that if Bioware knows that MS won’t let them release Jade Empire on another platform (not that I pretend to know anything about the agreement), they’d make more money by just saying that. I can imagine there are quite a few Bioware fans for whom knowing that Jade Empire (this particular game, not future games) is forever Xbox only would prompt them to finally buy that Xbox they’ve been looking at, giving Bioware at least a few extra sales. I know Jade Empire made me finally pick up an Xbox, along with Forza Motorsport.
All this talk about a PC version…it isnt’ that great of a game! I know it got great reviews right away but so did Black and White.
Yeah, Jade Empire is definitely my least-favorite BioWare game to date. While I loved KotOR, JE seemed to take all of the flaws in that game and exacerbate them: smaller, less interactive areas, no sense of an epic journey, and limited character growth options. The fighting styles seemed diverse at first, but many were either useless or redundant, and the combat controls/camera were utterly unsatisfying. It’s very hard to go from Devil May Cry 3 or Dynasty Warriors 5 to the rock 'em sock 'em dullness of JE’s combat – where were the hit-stun pauses? The impact blossoms and slash effect animations? It was just wibbling uninspired kungfu poses mixed with some really mundane special effects. Did I mention how bad the camera stunk?
On top of that, the story never grabbed me, and the characters struck me as being either banal or painfully stereotypical. Maybe I’ve watched too much Asian cinema, but Jade Empire felt very soulless in comparison.
Mostly, though, the tiny areas and complete lack of interactivity in the environments bugged me the most. I felt like I was wandering from one bloom filter addled setpiece to the next, anticipating the next obvious event trigger. Gimme some dungeon crawls! Some reasonably massive, nonlinear environments packed with secrets and tchotchkes! Meandering NPC conversations written in a hackneyed faux-Eastern fortune cookie style aren’t adequate compensation; sorry.
Mostly, though, the tiny areas and complete lack of interactivity in the environments bugged me the most. I felt like I was wandering from one bloom filter addled setpiece to the next, anticipating the next obvious event trigger. Gimme some dungeon crawls! Some reasonably massive, nonlinear environments packed with secrets and tchotchkes! Meandering NPC conversations written in a hackneyed faux-Eastern fortune cookie style aren’t adequate compensation; sorry.
Sounds a lot like KotOR. Only I guess we’re less likely to see a vastly superior sequel made by a different developer?
Ditto grabbed a US XBox and US Jade Empire last week for this very reason. Just waiting for it to be delivered to my house in Oz.
Doug didn’t even mention the painfully long loading times, the first three hours of hell to get to the good stuff and the way the game is paced so poorly. Even a “bad” Bioware game is still good so Jade Empire is still not something I’d tell people not to play, but I really think this is their worst game since Shattered Steel.
–Dave
I enjoyed the first three hours. :p
Just started chapter 6, and I’ve been a bit disappointed in how quickly the game moved from what I’d thought was about halfway through (I completed ch. 3 at about 25hrs, and I’m now at 27hrs in) to nearly the end. It has been excellent overall, however. Not killer-app, must-buy-an-xbox excellent, but definitely up to the usual Bioware production standards. I even dig the combat system, although I’ve used the transformation styles for the win almost exclusively. The sword style is a lot more fun when you realise you don’t need to use power attacks to break a block - it’s more efficient and safer to somersault over the mob and hit them from behind ;-)
Bioware do seem to have very odd pacing in their games - KOTOR1 was much better paced than any of their previous games ( was HotU before or after KOTOR?), and I was hoping they’d managed to iron out that little quirk in their designs by now, but JE is wonky in that respect.
Sorry if I’ve pointed out anything that’s been discussed to death already, but I’ve avoided JE threads up until now, for fear of spoilers.
Fable, also published by MS with “Xbox Exclusive” on it," was only announced in the last few months for the PC. Same with the original Halo. I’m guessing if a PC port is announced it won’t be until JE has been on the market for six months or so.
I mostly agree with Doug’s complaints, but still think the game is really good overall. Not as great as the KOTORs, BG2, Fallout 1 & 2, or Planescape (my favorite RPGs, basically), but easily worth renting if not buying.
It has the same overall strengths and weaknesses as Planescape (combat sucks, but the story, environments and characters are great), but whereas P:T boasts the best story/character development I’ve ever seen in a game, JE is only really good in that regard, so it naturally falls short. Not only in terms of the basic concept, but when it comes to the idea of your decisions influencing how the story turns out.
And I’m still bewildered about how, at the beginning, the game goes to great lengths to point out that Way Of The Closed Fist is not merely being evil, but rather taking a callous, darwinistic approach that could actually benefit people in certain circumstances. It won’t shut up about how Gao The Lesser’s actions demonstrate how he has completely misunderstood the basic philosophy. Yet 3/4ths of the game’s Closed Fist options involve you basically acting just like Gao The Lesser. Maybe there should be more basic philosophies that the player can strive to master, so that you can make room for those who want to be purely evil?
I do think Doug’s complaint about JE feeling “soulless” when compared to movies is going overboard. Or perhaps I should say - yeah it’s a valid complaint, I guess, but about what games can you NOT say the same thing? Planescape, Grim Fandango, and… maybe Fallout 2? I can’t think of other games whose stories make me say “who needs movies or TV or books when you’ve got this?!” JE does a better job with story/character development than 95% of other games in any genre. That of course means there’s still a lot of room for improvement, but I just don’t see how JE’s story can be considered anything but a great strength when you compare it to other video games, RPG or otherwise.
I do think Doug’s complaint about JE feeling “soulless” when compared to movies is going overboard. Or perhaps I should say - yeah it’s a valid complaint, I guess, but about what games can you NOT say the same thing?
The story and characters in JE bored me to tears and I’m one of those “story is very important in games” type of people. It was a wasted opportunity. Probably 80-90% of the quests and dialogues could have been transplanted into any generic fantasy RPG setting with minimal dialogue changes. I thought the game utterly failed to capitalize on a potentially fascinating setting.
I just got this the other day, and I have to say, I like it quite a bit. I do wish the styles were more in depth, and mastering them actually got you new moves, but aside from that, I think this is a great game. I can understand comments about its story/characters comparing unfavorably to Fallout or Torment, but I’d say that aspect of it is about on par with KOTOR, which is neither a bad thing nor surprising, imho.
Question for people who think the combat is too easy: do you know about the difficulty setting? The default setting is easy most of the time and just right occasionally, but the highest difficulty level ranges from just right to a decent challenge most of the time, with nice bits of brutal difficulty thrown in for good measure.
All I know about this game is that CAG’s (cheapassgamer members) are unloading it left and right on the trading forum. I scored a sealed copy for $27 shipped. I don’t mind though, as the girlfriend loves JE for some reason and she is usually very anti-RPG.