BioWare is a pillar of excellence in the RPG genre and, for the first time, they have brought us a game based on their own creation: Jade Empire. With their past success, the bar was set at an unimaginable height for the BioWare team. The buzz started almost immediately. Its success preordained by the gaming community. So, did Jade Empire topple its competition as the best RPG in the Xbox's history? No. BioWare fell to the same fate as Lion Head studios, creating a very good game when nothing but perfection would be acceptable.

Set in a fictional version of ancient China, you are the top student at a martial arts academy and can only be sure of one thing: Your destiny is greater than you can imagine and you have been groomed to meet your fate head on. Spirits seem to be running rampant and some how that is tied in to your future. Your path is set and now you must walk the fine line of destiny. As you begin your journey through Jade Empire, you are immediately introduced to the system that will dictate the road you travel. Will you follow the way of the Open Palm and put those in need before yourself? Or will walk the path of the Closed Fist, where your strength is your greatest ally and the weak are trampled? Saying anymore than that may very well ruin one of the richest stories ever put into a video game. This is a story-driven game where your path is set. If you think you make your own destiny be prepared to lose that part of your being.

In many of the latest and greatest RPGs, there has been a lot of emphasis put on "right and wrong". Although there is supposed to be no right or wrong in Jade Empire (more of decisions based on belief systems) it still boils down to if you want to be a good or bad person. If you make an effort to do the right, thing you will levitate towards Open Palm, and if you believe in natural selection you will follow Closed Fist. This system adds no new dynamic and is, basically, KOTOR's Asian brother. What you do has no effect on the public and only the people in your party will show any signs of emotion based on your actions. I thought that Fable set a new standard with interaction and reaction of NPC's, apparently BioWare doesn't agree with me, because only staged events will affect how you are treated by the masses.

The graphics in Jade Empire really made me scratch my head. The environment draws you in and put you in ancient China. At times, you will find yourself staring at your television in awe of the beautiful landscapes. The cut scenes are so amazing at points that I have hard time describing them. You will be wowed, to say the least. Yet, among all the beauty in the game, the character models and combat are second-rate compared to that of Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory or Halo 2. One of the areas Jade Empire really excels is sound and music. It may be the most immersive use of sound that I have experienced in a game; it just makes you feel like you are there. The voice acting is top-notch and the sound affects are never out of place and always add to the mood. The way the environments are designed and the way the sound draws you in, the flaws with the overall look, characters, and combat almost disappear. Almost. This game has a way of almost covering up its faults but, if you aren't completely oblivious, you will still see them.

The movement of your character is only important in combat. Running around in Jade Empire is pretty standard; especially since when you enter combat the camera changes and you focus on your opponents. In no way is being standard a bad thing in that regard either. BioWare set the standard in KOTOR and I say "if it ain't broke don't fix it." Also, choosing party members and interacting with them is nothing new and if you have played any RPG that included a party system you are way ahead of the curve. The meat and potatoes of Jade Empire are the story and combat. When the word seamless is used in a review, you know a developer got something right. The transition into, out of, and during combat is absolutely seamless. The techniques are easy (and essential) to switch, and the moves are flawlessly implemented and a hell of a lot of fun. There isn't an RPG on any console that has a combat system equal to that of Jade Empire. I found a switching from thousand cuts to iron fist a great martial combo and jade golem is the style of choice for absolute destruction. Harmonic combos are the key to dispatching enemies, play around with switching to the different combat styles to make your attacks more powerful and to watch your combos roll. If you want to know more about the combat in the game I suggest you play it because I can't do it justice. This is the kind of game that revealing too much would really take away from the value of playing it. I will say remember to block and dodge because simple and fluid combat does not mean stupid enemies. If you don't block and dodge right away, you will after you die a few times.

There are a couple of things of note that were truly essential to the development of my love and, at times, disgust with this game. Although there aren't a lot of side quests, each one is unique and the quirky nature of many of them is truly entertaining (The flying quests are pretty weak but the throw back to early aerial games is kind of cool.) As a matter of fact, you may find yourself asking where you have seen some of them before, as they do borrow some ideas from a lot of games you have probably played in the past. I enjoyed every moment I spent playing game the game. That said, there are some substantial load times that may make you want to throw your controller through your TV. What really gets me though, is that there are some really big areas of the game where there are no loads at all. Really most of the loads you go through seem unnecessary when you compare them to other parts of the game. When you get to the Arena you will feel my pain, but at the same time it may be the most fun part of the game. Which is really my biggest problem with game. Most games make you mad because some thing stupid and needless happens at the most crucial and interesting parts of the game. BioWare has managed to do that, but make these parts so immersive and fun, that you don't mind the loading time or the dropping frame rates. It really pisses me off and, quite frankly, I don't know how those sneaky bastards did it.

What has set RPGs apart from the rest of the gaming genres for so long are the great stories, character customization, and non-linear gameplay. Jade Empire has a story that will go down as one of the best of this generation. The plot thickens, twists, turns, and eventually drops you on your head. To put it simply, if it were nominated for best picture, the good doctors at BioWare would be going home with Oscar. In fact, the story is so good that it highlights the major downfalls of the game. While you can customize fighting styles, your amount of health, chi, and focus, appearance, clothing, and equipment are a non-factor because you can't touch them. New weapons add new fighting styles but they don't necessarily improve the styles you already have, and not being able to enhance your character through superior clothing and equipment really leaves a void that is a standard accommodation in nearly every RPG. Last but not least, the game may give you the opportunity to backtrack or do quests in random order, but ultimately your path is set and you can feel it every inch of the way.

At the end of the day, I say if you took the time to read this review, you obviously have interest in the game and should buy it. It made me want more, but there was no more to get. Playing through it again isn't going to give me the fix I feel I need. On one hand this is one of the best games I have ever played but, on the other, it's only half of what I expected. I wish that if I slammed Fable and Jade Empire together I would get the game I should have got when I bought both of them.