Battle Engine Aquila

Battle Engine Aquila, released in 2003 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox, was developed by Lost Toys and published by Infogrames Europe. Players take on the role of a Forseti pilot controlling the titular Battle Engine in a conflict against the Muspell for control of the world's remaining land.

Although critics generally gave it positive reviews, the game failed to attract a wide audience. IGN later ranked it 86th on its list of the top 100 PlayStation 2 games. A Windows port was later released by Encore Software.

Setting

The game is set on the planet Allium, where melting ice caps have submerged most of the surface, leaving only thirteen islands. Two human-like civilizations remain: the peaceful, technologically advanced Forseti and the aggressive Muspell, who are on the brink of war over the remaining land.

Story

Players control Hawk Winter, a Forseti dockworker and dock racer. After one of his races, his friend Tatiana Kiralova, an overseer of the Aquila program, convinces Colonel Chuck Kramer to secretly assign Hawk as the Battle Engine pilot. War begins when the Muspell attack the island RI-04 near Forseti Major, home to the Aquila R&D facilities. The player destroys the entire Muspell strike force and continues fighting through the rest of the war.

Gameplay

The Battle Engine has two modes: Jet mode, which allows limited flight, and Walker mode, which transforms it into a slower, tougher mech-like tank with stronger weapons. Four engine types are available: Pulsar, Blazer, Lancer, and Sniper. The Sniper has only one airborne weapon (the Vulcan Cannon) but can engage a stealth mode that drains energy, similar to Jet mode. The campaign offers at least eight hours of gameplay on the easiest difficulty, with each level introducing new threats and dilemmas.

Boss-style enemies and a variety of standard units appear, though the story and characters do little to enhance the experience. Battles are well-simulated, featuring beach landings, ambushes, airborne landing craft, naval artillery, and aerial combat. The game also requires strategic thinking, letting players prioritize targets such as enemy factories, fighters, or incoming landing craft rather than following a set objective.

Reception

The Xbox version received "generally favorable reviews" from Metacritic, while the PC and PlayStation 2 versions got "mixed or average reviews." Edge gave the PS2 and Xbox versions a 7 out of 10.