Words can’t begin to describe the loyal following fans of
Japanese anime have for stories involving powerful mechs fighting against the
forces of evil in a futuristic setting world where things are looking pretty
bleak for civilization. And while this theme seems to have been done to death
already, Battle Engine Aquila for the Xbox is still a thrilling mech
ride.
The story revolves around Hawk, the character you play, who just
happens to be the best (and fastest) forklift driver in a futuristic Earth-like
planet called Allium. In this world the polar ice caps have melted, leaving
only a few areas of dry land as well as a few survivors (sounds suspiciously
like a certain Hollywood bomb starring you know who). The survivors formed
factions–the Forseti (the good guys) and the Muspell (the bad guys)–that have
been fighting over sections of dry land for years. Yet despite a ceasefire, the
Muspell’s plans to dominate the world have lead them to resort to dirty tactics
and launches a massive strike against the Forseti. As their only hope, the
Forseti forces recruit Hawk and puts him behind the controls of their only
powerful mech known as Aquila that can actually transform into a flying
fighter. Your job is to help the Forseti as war erupts before your very eyes.
The game takes you through a training mission in order for you to
become accustomed to the controls. As a first-person mech simulator, Aquila’s
controls are actually very easy to manage. In Walker Mode, the mech moves
across the terrain easily and has the ability to dodge incoming missiles swiftly
by double tapping the right thumbstick. It also has powerful range weapons that
can be shot rapidly (although the gun does heat up this way) or holding back the
shot to be released as a powerful burst. In Jet Mode, though, the controls are
a lot trickier since the game turns into a flight/combat simulator that makes
landings a bit awkward. The only let down about Jet Mode is that the Battle
Engine runs on energy and the energy used during flight is limited so if you’re
fighting high above and the energy is depleted, be prepared to drop out of the
sky.
There are missions aplenty here and are directly tied to the
story, which you will see by all the cut scenes featured in the game. The game
has a total of forty-three missions (and that’s not including the Evo Missions
that are just variations of the normal missions and the two-player multiplayer
games) that span through eight episodes. The missions have primary and
secondary objectives that have you defending Forseti bases as well as carrier
ships trying to make it to their destination. You are also sent to attack enemy
ships and keep them from landing or join your allies as they fight back wave
after wave of enemy tanks, jets and even squads of foot soldiers. Completing
the objectives allows you to move on to the next level of each episode.
The game does make good use of the mech transformation feature
and you’ll know exactly what situation calls for Walker Mode and what calls for
Jet Mode. Certain characters will communicate with you and tell you where you
need to be. Then again the Battle Line Indicator shows you where on the map the
enemy is so you can come up with your own battle strategy . . . just as long as
you don’t forget the primary objectives, which is something that’s very easy to
do in this game.
Visually, Battle Engine Aquila is great looking in some
places and not-so great in others. For example, the backgrounds found in this
game are amazingly rich in details and even the sky looks wonderful from up in
the sky or down on the ground. Then again, the textures found in the ground,
especially the grassy plains that looked amazing from far away, are actually
flat and weak looking. Still the explosions are something else to look at and
even more so when it’s an enemy structure you just blew into pieces.
You might expect a game that piles on enemies and fiery
explosions to sound spectacular and–surprise–it does. Weapon fire can be
heard throughout the battlefield and when you damage enemy vehicles, they
explode phenomenally and shattering into metallic debris. When a missile is
heading toward you from above, it really does sound like it’s coming from up
above. The voice acting is decent and the dialogue is delivered without being
cheesy in any way. The game’s score is also outstanding, although sometimes
absent.
Battle Engine Aquila
has its share of weak spots here
and there, but its action-packed levels and nifty extras will keep mech fans
more than happy. If you enjoy a solid first-person, arcade-styled mech shooter,
then this is definitely the game to buy. And while there’s no Xbox Live
support, the multiplayer fun has enough split-screen action for you and a
friend. Not bad at all, huh?
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#Reviewer’s |
Gameplay: 8.2
Having played
both Robotech: Battlecry and Gun Metal, the controls in this game
just feel a lot more solid and thankfully this gives gamers the opportunity to
concentrate on the action rather than making heads or tails of complex
controls. While this game is purely an action-packed shooter, strategy is the
main focus so you’ll find yourself moving from Walker Mode to Jet Mode fairly
often.
The mission objects also don’t pile on one after another, but it
is still easy to lose track of what you were asked to do since it’s fun just
destroying tanks and killing foot soldiers by the dozens with a single burst
blast. Many of the objectives require you to give your fellow troopers a hand
in fighting back the Muspell and there are even times when you are given a
wingman to help you out.
Graphics: 7.2
Battle
Engine Aquila
has a lot of things going for it in the graphics department. For one thing, the
backgrounds are alive with details such a trees you can knock down just by
walking over them or the sky with its amazing sunsets. It’s astonishing to see
enemy carriers land and drop off tanks and dozens of infantrymen that march
across the field to join the massive battle. Then again, up close, even that
impressive communication tower looks awfully pixilated.
The game is also packed with animated cut-scenes, most of them
looking pretty decent but not really impressive either. The special effects,
though, make up for this by showcasing some really awesome explosions that pack
quite an impact.
Sound: 7.8
The game’s
sound also does a great job of displaying some great special effects noises such
as explosions and the sound of your own weapons. Enemy tanks and structures
explode loudly and rain down nicely. If you have a good sound system hooked up
to your console turn the volume up; you’ll love the Dolby Digital sound in this
game.
Still, the game doesn’t feature a soundtrack that is present
throughout the action sequences. The score that is there is done right and it
compliments the good voice acting. Thankfully the characters’ dialogue doesn’t
sound forced in anyway and, despite the accents, is never cheesy. Although the
use of accents does raise a question: Why does everyone sound like they come
from England and Texas?
Difficulty: Medium
The powerful
enemy AI makes the game something of a real challenge, especially when the enemy
forces decide to launch an assault on Forseti bases. This is also a game where
you have to watch your ammo gauge so you can’t really get too trigger-happy.
You also have to watch you Battle Engine’s energy gauge, especially if the
energy depletes over a body of water–water, for some reason, means instant
death for you and your mech.
Concept: 8.0
This is
certainly a first-person mech shooter that is done right and while the story and
objectives aren’t anything new, it still manages to be quite entertaining. It
also adds a number of extras that you get to unlock including the Evo Missions
that become available when you complete a level’s secondary objective. The Evo
Missions are basically the same level only “evolved” to the point that they add
an altogether new challenge. The many secrets found in the game are also worthy
of gamers’ attention as well.
Multiplayer: 8.0
Thankfully the
game’s designers realized that this is the type of game that would benefit from
some multiplayer levels and sure enough the game offers some great split-screen
multiplayer fun for two players. You can play against a friend in Skirmish mode
where a friend can join the Forseti forces while the other takes up with the
Muspell. There’s also Versus mode, which is basically one-on-one combat in a
tournament arena in a fight to the death. Or you can play a co-op game in
Cooperative mode where you and a friend can team up and go up against the
Muspell forces. My only gripe is that there is no Xbox Live support for this
game–it truly would have put this game over the top.
Overall: 8.2
Despite some
rough spots in the gameplay, there is no denying the fact that this is a fun and
addictive action game that will keep you (and even a friend) busy for awhile.
And while the game isn’t completely innovative–in fact, you’ll feel as if you
played this game before–this is one of the most solid and entertaining mech
games out there.
