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2003 · Lost Toys · First-person shooter · Shooter

Battle Engine Aquila

An epic battle rages between the Forseti and the Muspell as the oceans rise and land disappears. The Forseti compel you to help protect their remaining land by taking charge of a powerful war machine--the Battle Engine. Whether in walking or in flying mode, you have access to an array of destructive weapons to use in expansive environments. You'll command a device so powerful and advanced that your battlefield decisions will shape the direction of each engagement and, ultimately, the entire war.

Released: 20 January 2003
Platforms: PlayStation 2 Windows Xbox
Genres: First-person shooter Shooter Simulation
Developers: Lost Toys
Publishers: Atari
Modes: Co-op Multiplayer Single-player
Perspective: First person
Themes: Action Science fiction
Country: United Kingdom
Age ratings: ESRB T USK 12 CLASS_IND 14
Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish (Spain)
Time to beat: 5.5hmain story16hcompletionist
Composers: Nathan McCree

About

Battle Engine Aquila is a 2003 video game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox developed by Lost Toys and published by Infogrames Europe. In the game the player pilots the Battle Engine for the Forseti military in their wars against the Muspell to decide who will rule what's left of the world. Battle Engine Aquila received little attention from the public despite overall good reviews from critics. It was listed as #86 in the Top 100 Games for PlayStation 2 by IGN. A later Microsoft Windows port was published by Encore Software.

Players say

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

The Battle Engine has two modes of operation: "Jet mode" allows the Battle Engine to fly for a limited time, while "Walker mode" transforms the Battle Engine into a mech-like walking tank. When the Battle Engine is in Walker Mode, its weapons are considerably stronger than when it is in Jet Mode, and is tougher but much slower.

There are 4 different types of Battle Engine that one may choose to pilot: Pulsar, Blazer, Lancer and Sniper. There are multiple weapons that are available for the Battle Engines that can be used. The Sniper Battle Engine only has 1 airborne weapon (the others have two each), the Vulcan Cannon, but it is the only ship that can engage a stealth mode, rendering it invisible. This capability drains the energy of the Battle Engine, in a similar fashion to the Jet Mode.

Story

The ice caps on the planet Allium have melted due to the greenhouse effect. As a result, most of the planet's surface ended up underwater. Only 13 islands scattered across the surface remain and only two civilizations of Allium's human-like inhabitants are left: the peaceful and technological Forseti and the aggressive Muspell. Both civilizations are at the brink of war with each other in a battle over the remaining landmasses.

Reception

The Xbox version received "generally favorable reviews", while the PC and PlayStation 2 versions received "mixed or average reviews", according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. Edge gave the PS2 and Xbox versions 7 out of 10. GamePro gave the PS2 version an average review over a month before the game's release.

Despite positive critical reception, Battle Engine Aquila received poor sales. IGN ranked it as the 86th best PlayStation 2 game.