Unique martial arts RPG, with a stunning amount of content and charm.
The fighting in the game seemed lacking in depth to me until later in the game when I realized the transformation styles and how fun they can be. It turns out that often choosing the right technique rather than moves is the strategic choice that needs to be made in any given battle. Over the many styles available in the game, there is a decent enough spectrum to play with. So the fighting could seem shallow to some players, but fun and immersive for other players.
The graphics are wonderful. The characters in the game look great, and the scenery is beautiful. Someone put an awful amount of work into this game to create all the content. I shudder to think of doing such a job. It's just so much content when you consider how much is in the game. Kudos to them.
The sound is amazing in this game, from the soundtracks to the voice acting. And having Kim Mai Guest, the female voice from Metal Gear Solid's Mei Ling, starring as the voice of Dawn Star was a solemn comfort for me through my travels. So of course Dawn Star was my companion throughout the game. If you consider how much voice acting is in this game, it literally has to be hours and hours of voice recordings. There is so much dialogue spoken in this game, I figure the budget for this game must have been large. Jade Empire rivals the voice acting of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, among the best.
The best parts of this game are it's presentation and story. The second best aspect is the choice based storyline and replay value. The enemies in this game are pretty decent in their own right.
This game left me thinking that players of Okami might appreciate this game. It's not of the immense graphical quality of Okami (and what game could truly surpass Okami in artistic quality, I mean c'mon, let's be real here...) but it shares aspects I enjoyed in Okami.
If you do play this game, do yourself a favour and play on a hard difficulty level. The game can be quite challenging that way. The Student level is too easy (and it was designed to be that way) for it to truly give you a sense of accomplishment when you complete the game.
I'd love to see more from Bioware along the lines of this game. This is a truly solid game, and is an Xbox exclusive for good reason.