Jade Empire added to Xbox Originals

By Robert Purchese Published 22 July, 2008

Old days martial arts RPG from BioWare.

BioWare role-playing adventure Jade Empire is the latest to be added to Xbox Originals. This, like all the others, costs 1200 Microsoft Points (GBP 10.20 / EUR 14.40) to download.

Jade Empire takes you back to a fictitious China hundreds of years ago. It sees you spin-kicking and face-palming baddies, ranging from ghouls to ruffians to martial masters.

This is typical BioWare territory with good (Open Palm) and evil (Closed Fist) paths to follow, and appropriate rewards waiting at the end of both.

Jade Empire is pretty even by 2008 standards, and has an engaging mystical story to uncover.

Head over to our Jade Empire Xbox review from 2005 to find out more.

Alternatively, pop over to the official Xbox site for a full list of Xbox Originals.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (24) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • agparrot #1 4 years ago

    Very tempted - not many things make me want to get more MS points, but this could be one of 'em.

    Although it might be cheaper on disc down CEX.

  • Raz76 #2 4 years ago

    I just finished this on disc, it's really good if you like Bioware games, only the story does get a bit bonkers towards the end.

  • miiiguel #3 4 years ago

    I love this game, anyone knows if the boxed version now works as well ? or this is a new code ?

  • systems #4 4 years ago

    Shame it's not the enhanced version, but good news all the same. They really should drop the prices to a more reasonable straight 1,000 though as you can pick up the discs in bargain bins for a tenner.

    @miiiguel - Jade Empire is on the hardware compatibility list so it will work as well as the disc does.
    http://ww w.xbox.com/en-GB/games/backward...
    Edited by 1 at 22/07/08 @ 12:16

  • Santino #5 4 years ago

    i'm more concerned about where ninja gaiden black has gone, i downloaded it on my premium when it first came out but migrated my account when i got an elite and now it isn't in my download history or in fact listed anywhere!

  • dryden555 #6 4 years ago

    not the enhanced version that came out on PC though. that version is worth playing over this version

  • miiiguel #7 4 years ago

    Thx systems.

    oh and btw, do you know if Xbox 180 boxed games also leave that awfull "trail" in ones gamercard (that ugly B/W X logo) ?

  • ParanoidZombie #8 4 years ago

    @miiguel: yes, they do. As an achievement hunter, I hate that stupide line, with the infamous "0 GS" at the end.

  • crazyhorse174 #9 4 years ago

    oh and btw, do you know if Xbox 180 boxed games also leave that awfull "trail" in ones gamercard (that ugly B/W X logo) ?

    Xbox180? Please tell me that this isnt what we're calling it these days?

  • glaeken #10 4 years ago

    FYI I played this on backward compatibilty ages ago and it played very well. I remember one frame rate glitch in the entire game that only effected one area. It also looks rather nice still due to the quality of in game art work.

  • RedSparrows #11 4 years ago

    @Paranoid

    Aye the 0 is annoying, but then it's 0/0, rather than 0/1000. Which would be a LOT more annoying ;P

  • cheekyjay #12 4 years ago

    Anyone know if the terrible load times from the original disc have been improved?

  • Stuz359 #13 4 years ago

    I bought this about 6 months ago from gamestation for about £4. Always shop around for bargains before downloading

  • miiiguel #14 4 years ago

    thank you all that answered ;)

    And... damn! I hate it so much..., I'm buying an Xbox 180 for B/C.

  • JayG #15 4 years ago

    I really enjoyed this on Xbox, always thought it was the only Bioware game that felt like it was a console game, and not a pc game released on console. Loading times were a pain though.

  • thesnowman #16 4 years ago

    I wish they would release KOTOR on originals, it is probably the only game I might consider downloading

  • Trafford #17 4 years ago

    think i will get this-the enhanced steam version had caught my eye,but I would prefer to use my sofa whilst playing it.

  • Bulbatron #18 4 years ago

    I just got a brand new, sealed copy of Jade Empire on disc for about £7-something. Still can't decide whether to get Black or Stubbs the Zombie.

    If they were to release Silent Hill 2 on Xbox originals, it would be a no-questions-asked buy for me. That's as long as they fixed it for the UK, since the disc version, much to my disgust, doesn't work, even though it is on the backwards compatibility list.

  • michaelius #19 4 years ago

    @thesnowman - can't you just buy it boxed ?
    I bought both Kotors (pc version) sealed month ago.

  • BrokenSymmetry #20 4 years ago

    About KOTOR: The games that have been released as Xbox Originals all run pretty well on the 360. They will not release KOTOR as an Xbox Original until it runs much, much better on the 360 (at the moment it runs terrible). As all work on backwards compatibility seems to have been stopped, I don't see that happening...

  • glaeken #21 4 years ago

    Yeah I played both KOTOR games on the 360 and although they do run they are very glitchy. There are lots of frame rate problems to the extent that some sections are difficult to complete. There are also lots of sound issues.

  • lemonfist #22 4 years ago

    Ah, Jade Empire. The most overrated game in existence.

  • spookyzombie #23 4 years ago

    Check Gamestation first. I they have it pre-owned it's only £3.99.

  • Fayt #24 4 years ago

    Yeah, Jade Empire is brilliant. I prefer its martial arts theme over Mass Effect's science fiction theme (which isn't to say I didn't enjoy it, because I very much did) I preferred the combat to KOTOR and loved the lovely graphical style. I may very well make a return trip to it one of these days, but to play a sequel would be even better, so I sure hope that shows up sometime in the near future.