Battle Engine Aquila: An Amazing Game You've Never Heard Of
Dec 8, 2013 23:21:20 GMT -5
JMMREVIEW likes this
Post by Foof811 on Dec 8, 2013 23:21:20 GMT -5
When I had my PS2 back in "ye olden days," (around 2004) I fondly remember a game called "Battle Engine Aquila." The concept of it was that you're the pilot of what is basically a Battle Mech/Jet Fighter called "Aquila," and your objective is to assist the Forseti (good guys) and defeat the Muspell (bad guys). It's a "Waterworld" planet where due to melting ice caps, it leaves the world almost entirely flooded, and the two factions fighting over control of the last few remaining land masses. The main premise of the game is as follows: Clear the islands of bad guys with your badass mech jet thing with help of your comrades and wing-men, occasionally fight a tough boss, and save the planet. The battles are pretty large in the game, and you take control over the island one piece at a time as you destroy enemy bases and your troops roll through.
It's important to remember while playing though, that you aren't invincible. You're a part of the whole force, so if you fly straight into the enemy's bases expecting to plow right through, prepare to be annihilated. It's quite fun to sit back and see your troops waging epic battles against the enemies, although you won't win this way. It's designed that you are not to win the war, but to fight in it. Missions usually entail D-Day like scenarios where your forces land on a beach in boat transports with your help, and they gradually push past the beach into the enemy's main base, where an epic showdown of lazer rifle armed infantry, tanks, and aircraft takes place. There are also missions in the ocean between ships and aircraft which are also quite fun.
The one thing I remember that distinctly sticks out from the game, is the difficult boss battles and missions in general. Since there are to my knowledge, no checkpoints, you had to beat the entire level of enemies, complete all the objectives, and then (sometimes) fight a tough boss all in one go. I especially remember the final boss was ridiculously tough to beat. In order to damage it, you had to fly right at it's massive beam cannon that could destroy you in one hit, shoot a bit at a very small target inside the cannon to damage it, and then fly away before it could shoot it's lazer cannon at you. This, combined with the fact that there were seldom any healing pads, and the island was covered with lava, meaning you can't really land on it, means that this is probably the hardest boss I have ever defeated in a game. It took me at least 50 tries to beat the boss. Don't let this be a turn-off though, because you feel like you're on top of the world once you defeat the boss.
I had a lot of fun with the game though, and to boot, it had a co-op mode. I had a bit of trouble with co-op though because the game would lag for the second player (my cousin) quite a bit, but it was fun. Some of the missions are really intense, and require you to think fast to complete an objective in time. At the time, the graphics were good, although they've haven't aged the best, and the presentation was great. You really felt like you were piloting a massive battle mech jet. If you can manage to get your hands on a copy of this game for Xbox, PS2 or even PC, then by all means play this game. It's an amazing experience, and although the story is a bit short, it shouldn't be passed up. I'm surprised that the game didn't get more recognition when it came out. Lost Toys (The company that made it) poured their heart and soul into this game, and if you're a retro buff looking for good old games, or just someone who wants to play a fantastic game, then Battle Engine Aquila is right for you.
Foof's Review Score: 11/10
Final Note: The funny thing is, I can't remember how I got a hold of the game in the first place.
Screenshots: