Battle Engine Aquila screenshots   The Final Say! Gameplay 9.0 Graphics 9.5 Sound 9.5 Value 9.4 Battle Engine Aquila - reviewed by Andrew B  Review Date: 31 December 2002 Review Score 9.4/10 Distributed By: GameNation

"The Ultimate first person shooter/mech game has finally hit the PlayStation 2 and it delivers big time!" In the distant future, wars are fought with advanced robotic battle engines that are controlled by the world's best pilots. These huge mechanical-like spiders can perform a variety of functions such as stealth, flight and battle modes that make these crafts the last defence of mankind.  In Battle Engine Aquila, you play the role of Hawk, a top gun pilot that has been enlisted into the war to control the battle engine codenamed Aquila. The story revolves around a civil war between two factions of humans, the Forseti and the Muspell who are vying for control of Earth after pollution and war have caused one of the world's most destructive global warming epidemics. The Earth is now flooded and the only remaining pieces of land are now polar wastelands. As Hawk, you must perform a variety of missions that include, escorts, defence and pure out battle modes that have you using your Battle Engine to take on hundreds of troops.  Battle Engine Aquila is a cross between a first person shooter meets futuristic flight simulator and comes together perfectly. Although the game does have a linear storyline, the game does change on how well you perform on a given mission. For example, by successfully completing all tasks and eliminating all enemies, the game will then increase the level of difficulty and change the storyline slightly because of your prowess in battle. The beauty of this system is that even the most novice gamer to the most compete gamer will get something out of this game.  The control system of Battle Engine Aquila does take some time getting use to but fortunately for gamers, the first level of the game is a tutorial that teaches you the basics of the game. Combat in the game is extraordinary and you will see hundreds of troops, tanks and vehicles moving around the gaming environment at one time that really gives you a sense of importance. Fortunately, your weapon systems help eliminate enemy troops. Graphically, Battle Engine Aquila is one of the most impressive arcade style flight simulators around and contains some impressive graphics, colours and more importantly, an exceptional frame rate.

The attention to detail on the levels is truly amazing, with everything having this unearthly colour to it to help establish itself from a pure planet Earth. The maps are littered with hundreds of trees, amazing water effects and beautifully designed bases to make this one of the nicest looking gaming environments around. 

All the character models and landscapes feature high quality textures to give it a realistic look and everything is animated perfectly in the game. Another impressive feature of the game is the draw distance that is quite simply amazing on the PlayStation 2 and really gives gamers a sense of depth. The developers have also done a great job in making the Aquila a beast of awe and destruction as you also get a sense of scale when you see tanks, troops and various vehicles moving around the gaming environment. The game also contains some great looking cut scenes that have this strange futuristic European feel to them. It's a little hard to explain as you must see it to understand what I am writing about. 

Battle Engine Aquila also features an impressive Hollywood-like movie soundtrack that helps get you into the spirit of the game and it also features some great, although sometimes corny voice acting. The sounds of battle sound like some futuristic Star Wars battle and through a surround sound setup, you will truly be in awe. 

In conclusion, Battle Engine Aquila will probably become the sleeper hit of 2003 and features some great graphics, gameplay and sound effects that will keep gamers of all ages happy. Best check this one out!

- Andrew B