If you haven’t had a reason to download EA’s digital distribution client Origin yet, maybe this one’ll get you: how about a free game? Jade Empire: Special Edition is free to download for any and all Origin users “for a limited time.” Just sign up, download, and it’s yours.
Jade Empire was a bit of a hidden gem from BioWare, overshadowed by the fact that it was wedged chronologically between Knights of the Old Republic and the first Mass Effect. While the game is a little dated graphically, the gameplay is still surprisingly entertaining, and it boasts a solid score on Metacritic to boot.
I’ll admit, I probably won’t be using Origin all that much. Steam has simply cornered the digital distribution market, but it seems that smaller digital distributors, like Origin and Gog.com, have the unique ability to throw certain games up for free or for absurdly cheap. Stunts like these are a solid way to get people to at least consider these smaller clients.
Get Jade Empire: Special Edition for free here.
