If I had high hopes for one game this year, I’d have to say it was Jade Empire. I have found Bioware can do little wrong in my eyes, and I hold that the original Knights of the Old Republic is one of the best RPG’s around. They bowed out of making a KOTOR sequel to develop a purely original game, and what’s better – the world they chose was a mystical ancient China – something rarely seen in gaming and almost never in RPG form. Perhaps those high hopes influenced my feelings towards the Jade, but with a short play time, lessened RPG fundamentals, and not a whole lot of innovation over the KOTOR games, I feel my slight disappointment is warranted. Don’t get me wrong, Jade Empire is a fine game. Damn fine, even. I just hoped for something more.