Most Xbox owners will be very familiar with the works of Bioware, having created the incredible Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic role playing game. Blending superb graphics and sounds with incredible character development and storylines, it was no surprise that it was a runaway hit a couple of years ago. Well, Bioware are back and this time instead of placing you into an immersing science fiction setting, you are flung back to an era where Chinese mythology meets fantasy normally left to old masters like H.G. Wells. Jade Empire attempts to take you into a world fuelled by martial arts, ancient wisdom and political intrigue, while at the same time introducing spirits, demons, magic and bizarre apparatus normally found in the more outlandish works of fiction.

The story alone will appeal immediately to fans of kung fu flicks everywhere, as you play a young student who begins blissfully unaware of his heritage, place in the world and his ultimate destiny. Beginning in a martial arts school in the backwaters of the Jade Empire itself, you are taught your skills by an old master with a dark past, which only comes to light after a chance encounter with an assassin from the heart of the Imperial City. After defeating the assassin, the old master reveals that you are the only survivor of an ancient religious sect, the Spirit Monks, who once ensured the continued harmony between the gods and mortal men. However, the Emperor broke this uneasy truce by wiping out the Spirit Monks and taking these powers for his own ends. You were rushed away as a child and now have to set on a path of self-discovery and adventure, as you try to realise your true position in this ancient world.

So far, so predictable - it doesn't sound entirely unlike Knights of the Old Republic but instead of a futuristic world you have an ancient world and instead of Jedi Knights you have Spirit Monks. In fact, it's true to say that a lot of the game is very similar to KOTOR, most notably in gameplay. This isn't really surprising, considering the success of KOTOR - why mend what isn't broken, you might say.

For those not familiar with KOTOR, both games take a third person approach when controlling your character, guiding him or her through different areas, be they towns, forests, cities, caverns and so on. Throughout the exploration you come across people and objects that can either help or hinder you in your quest and interacting with key characters can advance or delay your quest depending upon your choice of actions with them. Some characters may choose to join you, dependent on your actions and which of the three heroes you choose to play. Also, as with the Jedi Order there is a light path and a dark path that can be followed, each demanding different criteria to succeed and also encouraging the story to develop in a different manner. In this game however, it's not light or dark side, but the path of the Open Hand or the Closed Fist. No prizes for guessing which is the darker of the two.

However, there are some crucial differences between the two games. First of all, your initial character customisation is severely stunted, being able to only choose from one of three already created characters. One features strength, another balance between strength, speed and magic and the last is reliant almost purely on speed. Unlike KOTOR there's very little customisation of appearance or outfit - if you don't like these features on your hero, tough. Also, once you work your way through the menus you'll soon discover this is in fact KOTOR lite, as the skills you employ throughout the quest are pretty much limited to a number of combat styles and where you deploy points around three main factors - Body, Chi and Focus. The characters who choose to come with you also are extremely limited, so you don't have the skills and force power upgrades or tweaks of the original title. To simplify even further, when you explore an area even though you may have several people in your party you're only able to take one with you on quests.

Although this simplification may turn away hardened RPG fans, it does have distinct advantages. First of all, you can dive straight into the game and get absorbed in the plot without worrying if one character has enough computer skill or another has enough force points for the required special power. Not having to wend your way through several menus each time your characters level up is a distinct plus point. Also, the fact only one character at a time can travel around an area with you lends itself to some interesting tactical thinking. Do you take with you someone who can support you with some serious magic, or is it likely you'll come across a foe that requires blunt force to take it down? Some characters are able to provide 'support' combat styles too, which means while you're in the thick of the fight your chum can't harm the opposition but can hinder them, such as slowing them down and suchlike.

In fact, this is where Jade Empire differs drastically from KOTOR. Instead of turn-based combat you're flung into some real-time roughhousing, employing any and all kung fu styles you may have come across or been taught throughout your journey. A quick flick of the D-pad and you can change between any of four styles you allocated before the fight, all of which have distinct advantages and disadvantages. One uses a chosen weapon of destiny but eats your focus up quickly, while another burns your Chi through magical powers (which you can also use to generate health points), while yet another is just down and dirty bare knuckle fighting. The brawl itself can be with anything from one to six aggressors at a time and a red circle highlights the one you're focused on. All moves, including sidestepping and mid-air somersaults are done in the direction of this focus, but if you decide someone else needs a beating first, a quick tug of the shoulder triggers allows you to choose a different guy to bring down.

Once you're happy with your selection, if they haven't moved in for the kill already, it's time to take the fight to them. The combat is by no means as elaborate as Tekken 3 or Soul Calibur II but can still be immensely satisfying when done correctly. Hammering the A button gets you some pretty instant results but mashing that doesn't always guarantee a win. If an opponent blocks you then you have to hit X to do a much slower but block-breakingly powerful strike. If six opponents come at you at once then it's often a good idea to do a forward or backward somersault over them to get out of danger and regain some footing with your intended target. One thing I did find though, was that if you forward flipped over an opponent ending up behind him, he is incredibly slow to turn around and will often still be punching or stabbing at the empty air in front of him when you're busy giving the back of his head a right going over. I found this a very reliable tactic for some of the harder bosses at the end of each quest, which did mean the challenge is a little lacking compared to other game combat systems.

Besides this lack of challenge in the combat, I also found a bit of bland gameplay in the form of a mini-game I wasn't expecting and certainly like nothing I've found in KOTOR. I was initially pleasantly surprised to find when I jumped into a flying machine for the first time it turned into a top down scrolling shoot 'em up in a similar fashion to 1942 or Xevious of old, having at all kinds of large and small planes with your cannons, gaining upgrades along the way. However, these sections are relatively sparse and also not particularly well done. It's certainly no Ikaruga, that's for sure, and while adding another gameplay factor it did break up the flow of the third person RPG element a bit.

There are couple of minor niggles graphically also, but as the rest is pretty outstanding I'll get these out of the way now. First of all, when your character moves to inspect something, such as a barrel or chest, the motion is a bit jerky. Also, when you explore areas the graphics don't make it that clear what sections you can investigate and which you can't. Slightly higher grass or some low obstacles makes an area deliberately non-traversable. A bit more distinction would have been nice. Other than that though, Jade Empire is certainly beautiful to look at.

Each person you come across is very detailed, particularly the major players. These vary from wrinkly old sages to young upstarts, from grand masters to guild masters, each displaying a unique look right from the tops of their heads to the tips of their toes. Many are mobile too and are very well animated, including the character you play. The sashes wave in the wind as you move and you can see the muscles rippling impressively on the backs of the strongest of your chosen characters. You're also up against many ethereal characters, both friend and foe, who have such a ghostly pallor it's as creepy as anything seen in games like Project Zero. Entering into combat and the fluidity of movement is remarkable; each antagonist and protagonist's moves are beautifully executed and great to watch. Even sidestepping around an opponent is done with such grace and careful placing of steps as to be taken directly from a martial arts class. Back flips and overhead somersaults are both flawlessly performed and spectacular to watch, while the sight of one your opponents being sent flying is immensely gratifying.

Then you have the landscapes, which is where you can see most of the time, care and attention to detail has been spent. While you can't interact with that much in each area, you're going to be too busy standing slack jawed as you gaze around to really notice. Each town captures that essential Asian influence perfectly, from the smallest shanty to the loftiest pagoda. The ornamentation on each seems chiselled to perfection and there doesn't appear to be a drop in resolution the closer you get to something to inspect it. As you progress through each landscape you'll also discover equally splendid caves, swamps, forests and the Imperial City itself, a vast and both ugly yet beautiful fusion of ancient China and modern fantasy technology.

The lighting effects really add something to the game and as you work your way through each area you see the rising and setting sun adding a beautiful hue to your surroundings, while at night the lamps and other illuminations glance off buildings, weapons and people to superb effect. These lighting effects also highlight your character and often gives you an otherworldly glow which is at times startling, but always appropriate given the background of your hero. Overall the graphics, besides those minor niggles I mentioned, are spectacular and you're going to spend as much time gazing around as you are exploring them for the various quests on offer.

Part of this exploration revolves around chatting to characters you meet and in doing this you find something remarkable for most computer games - good voice acting! It seems they found bona fide actors from TV programmes (such as Nathan Fillion from Firefly) and enlisted their help here, working to great effect. Each character is made all the more convincing for the use of good voice talents and adds to the atmosphere and feel of the game as much as, if not more than, the graphics. The music is entirely in keeping with this, ranging from the distinctive plinking of traditional Asian stringed instruments to out and out full orchestral pieces during some of the major bouts. On top of this you're treated to some quite outlandish sounds of magic going off, bizarre technology whizzing by and the obligatory smacks, crunches and squeals of people being knocked flat on their face. It's all very satisfying.

There's a minimum of about 30 hours gameplay in this, as once you have completed your game with one character you can go all the way back and do it again with the other two. The story varies a little playing as someone else, as they each interact with characters differently. Also, you could go back and play it as the Dark Si… er, I mean Closed Fist, which gives you some interesting diversions as opposed to playing it as a good guy. However, the story is pretty formulaic and whether you'll want to play it again to see the predictable plot from a different perspective is another matter.

Despite some mixed-bag gameplay, Jade Empire will satiate the appetites of players of most genres. The RPG element may not be as detail heavy as Knights of the Old Republic but will keep fans of this genre amused and for those a bit daunted by RPGs, Jade Empire is a great place to start. There's even something here for beat 'em up addicts, because although combat is a little repetitive it does feel meaty and rewarding. I am prepared to overlook the rather predictable storyline in favour of the beautiful landscapes and masterful sound, each capturing the very essence of every science fiction fantasy martial arts film on the planet. It may not be my game of the year but it's definitely one I urge you to consider if any of the above appeals.

Reviewed by Dave Wynn for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).