Battle Engine Aquila

Did You Know?

• The ice caps on the planet Allium melted due to the greenhouse effect, leaving only 13 islands above water.
• Only two civilizations of Allium's human-like inhabitants remain: the peaceful, technological Forseti and the aggressive Muspell.
• The Xbox version received 'generally favorable reviews' while the PC and PlayStation 2 versions received 'mixed or average reviews' on Metacritic.

Story

Hawk Winter works the docks of Forseti and races his loader for fun. After a race, his friend Tatiana Kiralova, who oversees the Aquila program, convinces Air Force colonel Chuck Kramer to secretly assign Hawk as the Battle Engine's pilot. War breaks out when the Muspell attack RI-04 island, located near Forseti Major, the Forseti homeland and site of the Aquila R&D facilities. Hawk destroys the entire Muspell strike force and then fights through the rest of the conflict.

Gameplay

The Battle Engine has two modes: Jet mode allows limited flight, while Walker mode transforms it into a mech-like walking tank with stronger weapons and greater toughness but much slower speed. The Sniper has only one airborne weapon, the Vulcan Cannon, but can engage stealth mode to become invisible, draining energy like Jet mode. The campaign offers at least 8 hours on the easiest difficulty, with each level presenting a new threat or dilemma. Boss-style unique enemies play key roles, and a variety of standard units appear. The story and characters do little to enhance entertainment value. Battles are well simulated, featuring beach landings, ambushes, airborne landing craft, naval artillery, and aerial combat. The game involves strategic thinking, letting players prioritize targets such as enemy factories, fighters, incoming landing craft, or specific units rather than following a single objective.