Jade Empire goes gold in US

Microsoft Game Studios has announced that Xbox exclusive Jade Empire has gone gold in the US, with the game set to hit North American shelves on April 12, followed by a European release on April 22.

Described as an action RPG, Jade Empire is inspired by Hong Kong action movies and challenges players to master dozens of martial arts fighting styles. It's been developed by BioWare, who also produced Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and forthcoming RPG Dragon Age for PC.

A Limited Edition version of Jade Empire will be available in the US, featuring a unique bonus character called Monk Zeng. It comes packaged in a foil hologram box and is available to pre-order at the same price as the standard version, which carries an RRP of $49.95.

It's likely that a similar Limited Edition will be launched in Europe, but Microsoft said that final details are "to be confirmed".