Jade Empire the nearly forgotten BioWare RPG is out on the App Store.
Jade Empire was a martial arts themed RPG that was originally released on the original Xbox back in 2005. Now it’s back with a special edition for iOS and is available in both the mobile and Mac App Store. BioWare is one of the great developers of video game role playing games. Titles like Dragon Age and Mass Effect have been some of the most popular in recent years. However, one title that has seemingly been forgotten about. Has just made its return to modern devices.
You can now relive the story of a martial artist restoring balance to the world using your phone or tablet, not just your computer at home. There are simple controls in the iOS version if you’re not comfortable with a touchscreen, but you can also switch to an expert mode when you’re comfortable with using taps and swipes to defeat other warriors.
Both versions are available now for USD $10, which isn’t too shabby for a game that combines fast-paced fighting with signature BioWare elements like moral dilemmas. You’ll want to make sure you have plenty of free space, though. The iOS release chews up just short of 4GB, so you probably won’t be playing on a 16GB device unless Jade Empire is going to dominate your mobile life for the next while.
Jade Empire was released at an odd time. In April of 2005, it was coming out at the tail end of the life cycle of the original Xbox. The Xbox 360 would come out in November of the same year. While Jade Empire was generally well reviewed by the critics, as well as the gamers who actually played it, it didn’t seem to resonate with a lot of fans and it was never picked up as a franchise. Following the launch of the Xbox 360 and the beginning of the Mass Effect trilogy, Jade Empire was left behind.
Jade Empire is one of the games that I remember the most fondly. Real-time hand-to-hand combat in an RPG was something that you simply didn’t see a lot of and it made the entire experience feel unique. After about a decade away from it, maybe it’s time to dip a toe back into that world.