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[Update] BioWare's Jade Empire No Longer Free On Origin
Update 2: The listing price for Jade Empire on Origin no longer free. The game is $14.99 again. It's unclear if the game's free price was an error, if it will become free later, or if it was only meant to be free for a short period of time.
Update: According to EA's support Twitter account, this issues related to players not be able to grab their free Origin copies of Jade Empire are being investigated.
@KyleMHilliard We are investigating the issue, Kyle. I appreciate your patience in the meantime. ^EC
— EA Support (@AskEASupport) November 15, 2015
Original story:
Everyone knows Mass Effect and Dragon Age, but there is another big BioWare franchise that never quite found enough of an audience to merit follow up sequels: Jade Empire. The game released as an Xbox exclusive back in 2005, and later came to PC. You can grab the game for free as part of Origin's On The House Program.
You can find a link to the listing to grab the game here, though many are reporting issues in adding the game to their account, myself included. It is likely a product of folks scrambling to download the game, but we will make sure to update this story if the game was listed for free in error, or we learn any other additional details.
When the game released in 2005, we gave it a 9.5. You can find an excerpt from Matt Kato's review below:
BioWare has not only made a sweet combat system, but the game’s universe itself is a joy. From the trademark dialogue to memorable characters at every turn, the story is replete with humor, surprises, and sidequests. As for the latter, I don’t know which was my favorite: dressing up in drag as a thespian or putting Sir Reginald the *** in his place. Of course, Jade Empire also lets you influence the plot through your “good” or “bad” character development, but it’s not as black or white as that. In fact, once you understand the philosophies present and their true significance in the plot, you’ll see that it’s about more than choosing to kick peasants or not. Much like the choices put before you in Jade Empire, BioWare has made its own to further enrich and diversify the RPG genre. Embrace this power put before you and wield it as you might.
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