"Edge" commended the game for its storytelling and design, but criticized its plot as unable to "match Jade's initial appeal," becoming "fairly mundane" without "the darkness and moral ambiguity suggested by the title," with Jade's everyman appeal undermined by the revelation of her "mysterious hidden identity." Dan Toose of "SMH" called the game's setting "dark, baroque and earthy, a far cry from the squeaky-clean action of the "Final Fantasy" games," and described the game as "a very European take on the role-playing genre" and "one of the best adventure games in years." Star Dingo of "GamePro" commented that the game was a "jack of all trades, master of none" that "never really lives up to its title," adding that its vision could have been more focused. Among complaints were control issues and a lack of gameplay depth. "Game Informer"s Lisa Mason wrote that the game's controls were serviceable, but simplistic, and that she wished she could do more with the character. "PC Gamer"s Kevin Rice found most of the gameplay and its exploration refreshing, but called hovercraft races "not much fun" and felt combat was the game's weakest element. "Edge" called the gameplay interaction "hollowed out," as an unintended consequence of Ancel's attempt to streamline the game.