When it
was released on consoles earlier this year, Battle Engine Aquila presented a
well executed concept and non-stop action arcade gameplay. Now, the game is
hitting the PC, and except for a few expected changes, is essentially the same
game. PC gamers can look forward to a solid mech combat game that, while not
terribly deep, will provide some exciting action and fluid gameplay.
Battle
Engine Aquila puts you in the shoes of Hawk Winter, the pilot of Battle Engine
Aquila, the most advanced war machine in the world. You must fight your way
through 40+ missions, from rescue and escort missions to just plain blowing away
any and all enemies. As you progress through the game, you can unlock more
Battle Engines with different abilities.
Battle
Engine Aquila prefers to take the action road as opposed to the heavy simulation
route. Missions have no shortage of enemies, and the action is furious and
intense. The innovative twist that Battle Engine Aquila brings to the mech
combat arena is the ability to transform your land unit mech into a flying ship
and take to the skies. You can only do this in limited bursts, as it takes a
significant chunk of your shield energy to do so. However, it is extremely
useful for sweeping enemy land units, dogfighting airborne enemies or escaping
when the action on land gets to hairy.
The
controls in the game are superb. The targeting system is very user-friendly and
moving your mech around feels like second nature before too long. Switching
between mech and aircraft is extremely fluid, with absolutely no disruption to
the flow of the action.
I did
have a few problems with the gameplay, however. The action, while intense, could
get a little repetitive at times. Also the mission goals do grow redundant, as
you’ll find yourself doing the same things over and over again. Plus, there
isn’t a real variety in the enemies, as you’ll find yourself destroying the same
three or four enemy unit types over and over again.
Another
problem I had was the complete lack of online play. This game, with its instant
action and fluid controls would be a blast to play online. That’s not to say
that the game isn’t multiplayer; there is a two player split screen mode that
allows you and a friend to play a few different gameplay modes, like co-op or
versus. However, in this day and age, it’s really not too much to ask to have
some online action thrown into the mix.
The
graphics are a noted improvement over the console version, with the given higher
resolutions and textures. The look was fast and smooth, even during the two
player split screen mode. There were a few noted rough spots however, like
simplistic explosions and some buggy looking water reflections. However, the
overall appearance is quite good.
The
sound effects leave a lot of room for improvement. The music is not bad, a kind
of technoesque sound that goes well with the futuristic theme of the game. The
other sound effects are very tinny, the explosions are compressed and
repetitive, and the voice acting is a bit cheesy and hard to hear.
If
you’re looking for a good mech simulation, look elsewhere, because Battle Engine
Aquila is all action. However, if you’d like a solid action/arcade game that
controls like a dream, then give this Battle Engine a test drive.
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Gameplay: 8.0
Battle Engine Aquila is all action as the gameplay is fast and intense. The
controls are great; the gameplay fluidly switches from land-based mech combat to
airborne fighting without a single hiccup to the flow. However, the mission
structure can get a little repetitive before too long.
Graphics: 8.3
The
graphics look good and move smoothly. The higher resolutions and textures give
the game a very clean look. However, there are a few sore spots, like some buggy
special effects and weak explosions.
Sound: 6.5
The
music sounds appropriate for the game’s futuristic subject matter. However, the
rest of the sound effects are quite compressed and tinny and the voice acting is
cheesy.
Difficulty:
Medium
Concept: 8.5
The
idea of a mech transforming into something else isn’t a particularly original
one, but the concept is extremely well executed here and feels smooth and
natural.
Multiplayer:
6.0
Two player split screen on a PC? I think we can do better than that.
Overall: 7.9
Aside from a few flaws, Battle Engine Aquila is a solid action/arcade game with
great controls that should keep mech fans entertained for a little while.
