Well, so much for Jade Empire *minor spoilers*

[Scorch]

So I rented Midnight Club 3 and Jade Empire. I finally got around to playing Jade Empire.. first impressions? Awesome. I didn't like KOTOR's combat, but I love this game. Awesome soundtrack, okay story so far, good controls, great graphics.. learning martial arts, magic.. all that jazz.. good stuff..

..until I go in a cave, beat Gao, and find a ship.. now i'm in some Gigawing-like level? WTF? I'm flying a plane over whereever the hell I am and picking up health pickups and whatnot..

It totally killed the flow of the game for me. The game goes back tomorrow. Should I bother to continue, or does it get into more ridiculous stuff like that?

[SteveMcQ]

Yeah, the flying levels are a bit odd with the style you would expect with Chinese myths and lore, but stick with it. Gets better right towards the end of the 2nd chapter. There's this level that was just incredible from the art style, the fights and the beasts. I don't normally get into RPGs but I've put in nearly 20 hours into this game.

Oh, and the fights get better too the more you level up your characters. Pace quickens up and the fights just feel better.

[Robobandit]

By the way, after the first shooter segment, you can choose to skip all of the others you encounter. I kind of enjoyed it as a change of pace and it was pretty fun, but most of the other times I've just wanted to continue with the story.

[SteveMcQ]

I always wondered if Evade brought up another mini-game or was just a skip button. You get some decent XP from the games though so I always play it. Doesn't take more than a minute to play. Except when you fail over and over.

[Pure Apathy]

I bought this game last Wednesday and haven't even opened it yet. I'm hearing a lot of good and bad about the game. I may just end up taking it back.

[radjago]

Jade Empire has SHMUP levels?

I'm so sold on it.

[epobirs]

I think having an RPG veer off into a scrolling shooter is hilarious. I loved it when they showed it on the G4 show (Gamemakers or ICons, I forget which) covering the game. I'd like to see more RPGs use combat metaphors other than fisticuff or sword swinging. The Legaia's were a bit interesting in their attempt to work a Streetfighter sort of combo system into a turn based system. Square played with this in FF3/6 on the pseudo-Guile character but Legaia took it much farther.