Developer BioWare is responsible for some of the greatest games ever made, Neverwinter Nights and the sensational Knights of the Old Republic being two of them, so with that being said, the company has already left its mark upon the industry. However, the true visionaries and masters of the craft never quit, but rather work to best their previous efforts, and such is the case with BioWare's upcoming ambitious action RPG Jade Empire. A martial arts extravaganza set in mythical China, we've been spellbound by this game ever since first laying eyes on it at last year's E3, and with its Xbox release a mere two months away, our anticipation has reached a fevered pitch.

Jade Empire is in some ways like Knights of the Old Republic in that you create a character and then embark upon this lengthy adventure, choosing to walk the path of light or dark through decisions that pop up along the way. However, that's really quite a loose description, for Jade Empire is much deeper as well as more ambitious than its sci-fi counterpart. It's a third person adventure that features real-time combat (you know, as opposed to that "Press A to Run" turn-based stuff) that takes place in mythical China. You're a young student who's training to become the ultimate martial arts master when your studies are interrupted by strange goings on. Ghosts and demons have been seen a lot more than usual, and they've been attacking people. Sensing that something is seriously amiss, you embark upon a journey to investigate these disturbances, and in the process will explore a world full of both beauty and darkness, order and utter chaos, and your decisions, how you decide to live your life, will effect the shaping of the entire world.

Like all good RPGS (or just BioWare ones), your journey begins with character creation. While Jade Empire has pre-made martial artists for your convenience (such as the powerful Monk Zeng, the brawler Tiger Shen, the lightning quick Furious Ming, and the balanced Wu The Lotus Blossom), it also allows you to craft your world warrior from scratch. There are numerous combinations, and not only can you fiddle with appearances but also voices and fighting styles (which I'll get to in a bit). You can also decide which skills you'd like to focus on, and those include speed, strength, and magic, though if you want you can also create a fighter who is good at all three.

Under the tutelage of your master, you'll learn all sorts of fighting styles that can later be used to knock monsters and other assorted baddies into next Tuesday. There are well over two dozen, and they include martial arts (such as the Mantis, Centipede, Legendary Strike, and Leaping Tiger), magic (like the Paralyzing Palm, the Storm Dragon, the Dire Flame, the Ice Shard, and the Horse Demon), and weapons (including swords, staffs, and twin hams, or all things). You can change your style whenever you want, which should help to keep the game fresh and exciting, though the abundance of missions and different enemies you'll come across should do that job nicely.

The world of Jade Empire is vast and contains all sorts of beautiful locations, some good, some not so good, and populating them are a bevy of characters, some of which will actually join up with you and can be sent on errands. For example, there is Kang the Mad, an odd fellow who invents all sorts of strange devices including his Marvelous Dragonfly flying machine. Then there's the mighty creature Chai Ka the Heavenly Gate Guardian, a horned beast of immense power. Others include the raging drunk The Black Whirlwind, and finally the innkeeper Henpecked Hou, who is supposedly skilled at "shipping" things.

While all of the aforementioned characters (as well as many more) may prove useful in your quest, much thought needs to be put into who you should send, as failure may have severe repercussions down the line, so it's strongly advised that you examine each character's skills.

Just as there are scores of allies in Jade Empire, the land is also littered with enemies, foul creatures who serve to make your life and the lives of the innocent extremely unpleasant. Here's a quick run down on some of the bad guys that you may need to beat down.

Emperor Sun Hai: Ok this guy's super sneaky mad shady. He's basically the grand poobah of the Jade Empire, the all knowing all powerful Mr. Man. However, something's not quite right about him, and it has to do with a lot more than the fact that he looks like trouble. During his reign, a great famine spread across the land, and just as the Empire was about to crumble, he mysteriously produced water. Under normal circumstances I'd just chalk it up to one fantastic miracle, but you see, ever since he restored order back to the land, the dead have been restless, leading me to believe that he's probably up to no good. Do you think he made some sort of evil pact to get that water? I'd say it's very likely.

Death's Hand: This guy's pretty much the "Darth Vader" character of Jade Empire, the right hand man to Emperor Sun Hai. The leader of a gang known as the Lotus Assassins, Death's Hand came to power during the drought and used fear as a means to gain respect. Clad in armor and his face concealed by a red mask, he strikes fear into the hearts of all who oppose him, none of whom have ever survived his attacks.

Horse Demon: Mr. Ed these guys aren't. Instead, picture a bipedal creature with hooves for feet, sharp clawed hands, a horse's skeleton head, and now light it on fire. Extremely dangerous, horse demons are vile beings who get a kick out of torturing their victims.

Toad Demon: These guys look exactly like Kermit the Frog...if he was middle aged, fat, and an alcoholic. Although slow and pretty stupid, toad demons must not be underestimated, as they're capable of quick tongue strikes.

Rat Demon: While these guys are pretty easy to kill one on one, in large numbers rat demons are formidable foes. I'm also not too keen on their insatiable appetites, as I have no intention of becoming the midnight snack of something that looks like Stewart Little with rabies.

Fox Spirit: I'm not entirely sure whether fox spirits are considered enemies, but I do know they're not to be trusted. Acting like big know-it-alls, they love to expose the faults of man and correct them in devious ways. They're also skilled in the art of the curse, so don't believe everything that they say.

Ogres: These guys are strange beings that are extremely difficult to read. Although they look scary as hell (think werewolf with ram's horns) and are known to be extremely hostile, there have been situations where they peacefully interact with humans, but not often. If you encounter one, even if it appears to be friendly, approach with caution.

Knights of the Old Republic shines for many reasons, chief among them its impressive graphics engine. The same can be said of Jade Empire, however its visual presentation is on a much grander scale. Featuring an all new engine that trumps KOTOR's, Jade Empire's design is second to none. Not only are the character models excellently detailed (featuring varied facial expressions, costumes, and tattoos), but the environments are made up of this wildly intense imagery. You'll visit beautiful villages, battle in caves, explore temples, and pilot down a river surrounded by tall grass, among other locations, and the bloom effects in this game only enhance its dreamy and mystical appearance.

This year's E3 will likely be dominated with talk of the next generation consoles, but if you're one of the many gamers who can't wait to get your hands on these new machines, I recommend that you keep in mind all of the quality games that will be releasing for the Xbox within the next few months, and the number one title you need to keep your eyes on is Jade Empire. Ambitious as hell, enormously deep, and visually delicious, it'll probably be the 2005 action RPG, and possibly game of the year. Immerse yourself in its grandeur when the game releases on April 24.