A pure shooter if ever one existed, Battle Engine Aquila suffers from a bipolar personality: one minute, the game is letting you kick its ass, the next thing you know, you're on the receiving end of the boot.
As an amateur racer turned test pilot, you're at the wheel/stick/whatever of an experimental battlemech called – appropriately enough –the Aquila. Apparently, the government spent billions on developing this thing, but never thought to make it easy enough to control for anyone but an illegal dock racer. Military Intelligence indeed!
Aquila looks shiny and new on the Xbox, and downright average on the PS2. While the sights and sounds of war come alive on Microsoft's system with beautiful weapon effects, crisp, defined graphics, and lighting that can best be described as shimmering; mech war on the PS2 is dragged down by muddy, flat textures; as well as colors that seem to have been put through the washing machine one too many times. The PS2 also seems to be slightly inferior in the audio department, but only the most discerning of audiophiles will truly care to nitpick that one.
Aquila's gameplay can be likened to a slightly more involved version of Mechassault, and indeed, it certainly has a more promising engine – targeting enemies with your Vulcan Cannon is a breeze, yet it never seems to get old, and the alternate payloads are satisfying alternatives to destroy larger targets with. Much of your time is spent in the air, but you have to touch ground every so often to recharge. It's important to keep an eye on your jet energy, as crashing in the water will instantly kill you. Dogfights with enemies are quite satisfying, and everytime you blow up a fighter mid-air, you'll giggle with glee like it was the first time.
Aquila's biggest flaws, unfortunately, aren't confined to one system – shooters should either be easy, hard, or gradual in their difficulty, and Battle Engine Aquila has one hell of an identity crisis. Does it want to be a walk in the park like REZ? Does it want to be a ball-buster like Panzer Dragoon Orta? It certainly doesn't want to be anywhere in between, and it certainly can't make up its damn mind. And even though nobody plays shooters for the cohesive storylines, Aquila's is so generic that it makes me think of every sci-fi movie that I ever thought I forgot ten minutes after walking out of the theater. Also, the Xbox version of this game needs Live support in the worst way.
Battle Engine Aqulia is a good game, and certainly worth your attention, but many gamers will find its faults too much to put up with to be worth paying out for. A rental is advised first, but what we have here is a solid foundation for future installments in what could be a classic series.
-George
Company Line
A sudden climatic change triggers a global crisis and a dramatic betrayal propels an adolescent misfit into a heroic battle for survival. The Battle Engine Aquila world consists of a series of islands that result from devastating climatic changes brought on by centuries of atmospheric pollution. With land at a premium, tensions have built between the surviving nations, as each tries to stake claim to the precious dry land.
Battle Engine Aquila is a graphically stunning arcade experience that gives players direct control of the biggest gun in a planet-wide shoot-out. Presented in an engaging first-person perspective, our hero, Hawk, is suddenly swept from obscurity to pilot the precious Battle Engine-a land and flight-based tanks armed to the gills, where he alone can turn the tide of war if he possesses the prowess and skill. Towering over photo-realistic battlefields as two warring sides battle it out, players will control a unique, prototype fighting machine – the single most powerful unit on the battlefield – and lead their nation to victory, devastating the enemy front lines, and trailblazing a path for the rest of their army to follow.
Key Features:
Feel the thrill of immediate, frenetic action as you engage in conflict from a first-person perspective
Immerse yourself in lush, expansive environments lit up by massive, raging battles
Shape the direction of each battle by choosing where and how you launch your offensive
Sniff out the opposition's weaknesses and deliver crippling blows with the most feared weapon on the battlefield
Live the life of the reluctand hero, Hawk Aquila, and progress through a captivating plot as you seek final victory over the enemy
Multiplayer split-screen mode where 2 players can take each other on in set battle pieces
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