Architectural Studies -- Jade Empire

Jade Empire was a 2005 Bioware RPG set in ancient China, and is of the Wuxia genre. Wuxia is a genre of Chinese fiction that tells stories of martial artists.

Artistically, Jade Empire is influenced by many Asian cultures, the most prominent being the various dynasties that have risen and fallen within China. An interview with Matt Goldman, the art director of Jade Empire, revealled the specific dynasties that drove the direction of the game.


"Matt Goldman: I prefer the more elegant styles of the Han through Ming dynasties. They are most uniquely Chinese. Sung period monumental landscapes provide a model for the ideal landscape, Tang period green style paintings a model for the ideal color palette. Of course these artistic styles were inspired by nature and I think we have a particularly nice homage to the Huang Shan area. Shang and Zhou period bronze was perfect to represent an ancient and lost "Hyborean" civilization and is used to represent ancient artifacts.

 

From the pictures above, it becomes clear that in terms of colours, Jade Empire favours pale, neutrally coloured brickwork (yellows or greys) and deeper reds/browns for the fences, pillars and the roof. Shapewise, the rooves often begin in a narrow point and widen outward toward the bottom into triangular tips, seen below:

 The influence for these is very clear in architecture taken from the Han Dynasty. The red pillars seen are also used heavily in-game.

The pointed roofing within the game is also apparent in Taiwanese architecture. Again, red pillars are apparent.

Hanging lanterns are also seen in various locations and are of varying colours.

By looking at the original influences for the game alongside the game itself, it becomes possible to imagine further detail on the assets the artists created. Having been made seven years ago, the game suffers slightly from age and the limitations of technology at the time.

 

Chinese architecture is known for its intricate and detailed designs. Some of this is lost within the original game; while the style of the era is very well represented it could be further enhanced

Key features:

- Pointed, triangular rooftops.

- Main colours made up of reds, yellows, greys and browns.

- Maze like patterns in fences and decorations.

- Infrastructure supported by pillars.

- Slate-like rooftop material.

Areas for improvement:

- Further decoration and detailing around the flat surface walls.