Dans la pratique Battle Engine Aquila nous invite à de terribles combats en vue à la première personne. Lové derrière les commandes du Battle Engine, le joueur devra repousser des nuées de troupes adverses au moyen des nombreuses armes dont dispose le Mech. Attaques au sol avec ce quadrupède, mais également combats aériens, les missions s'enchaînent à grande vitesse en offrant pas mal de variété. Mais pour se démarquer dans un genre déjà largement éprouvé, le jeu propose quelques petites subtilités qui rendent son gameplay finalement assez original. Si le Battle Engine est une arme redoutable, il a en revanche la fâcheuse tendance à réagir assez mal au contact de l'eau. Un petit détail assez ennuyeux lorsque l'on sait que l'on évolue dans un univers presque totalement recouvert par les océans et que la machine a de plus une autonomie d'énergie en vol très limitée. Du coup il faudra multiplier les atterrissages pour recharger les batteries du Battle Engine, ce qui apportera pas mal de fun dans les niveaux où les combats se déroulent en pleine mer. Le titre nous propose plus d'une vingtaine de missions dans des environnements différents avec à chaque fois des objectifs principaux et secondaires qui permettront en cas de réussite totale de débloquer bonus et niveaux supplémentaires.

"`Battle Engine Aquila' represents an incredibly fresh and modern approach to the classic shooters of the past -- overwhelming odds, incredible weapons, and, of course, gigantic mega-bosses. The comparison really stops there, however, as `Battle Engine Aquila' breaks new ground on nearly every game play front," said Jean-Philippe Agati, senior vice president and general manager of Infogrames' Los Angeles studio. "Epic battles featuring hundreds of land, air and sea units on screen at any given moment, a first person perspective, open-ended primary and secondary mission objectives, selectable wingmen, modifiable weapon load outs and resupply ships are just a few of the many game play features that are sure to make `Battle Engine Aquila' a necessary addition to any gamer's library."  
 
The battle begins on the planet Allium where climactic changes have caused sea levels to rise creating a significant reduction in habitable land. As a result, tensions have escalated to the breaking point between the two major planetary factions, the Forseti and Muspell. As Hawk Winter, players are thrust into the rapidly escalating conflict as the pilot of the "Battle Engine Aquila" -- the most powerful weapon in the war. Modified to player specifications, and operated from a first person perspective, the "Battle Engine Aquila" is capable of unleashing its considerable might in a variety of ways. By ground, in Walker Mode, players will take advantage of the Battle Engine's most powerful weaponry, including the Pulse Cannon, Rail Gun and Flux Missile. By air, in Jet Mode, players can more effectively dispatch enemy fighters and landing craft, using Micro Missiles and the Vulcan Cannon, or move quickly to critical points in the conflict to lend a helping hand.  
 
Featuring modifiable weapon load outs, selectable wingmen and a host of allied troop, tank, air and sea craft support, "Battle Engine Aquila" presents players with a near endless variety of options with which to overcome opposing forces. However, the Battle Engine cannot accomplish the game's increasingly difficult missions alone and thus must both seek and provide support to its allied forces. Mission objectives vary significantly from surgical search and destroy strikes to minimalizing allied troop losses to escorting bomber and aircraft carrier convoys. Players who successfully complete primary and secondary objectives are graded on their performance and have an opportunity to unlock "EVO" versions of every mission in the game. "EVO" missions are significantly harder and present new challenges, such as enemy forces with more entrenched positions, greater numbers of enemy forces as well as night and daytime variations. In all, "Battle Engine Aquila" features more than 40 missions in a branching storyline with multiple endings.  
 
In addition to the single-player campaign, "Battle Engine Aquila" features several additional modes of play, including Co-Op Mode allowing two players to team up and battle through several missions together; Skirmish Mode, which pits two players and their entire armies against each other in a fight to the finish; and, Versus Mode, a one-on-one fight between two Battle Engines in deadly arenas.

Vendredi 24 octobre 2003 :
Battle Engine Aquila sort avec 2 mois d'avance  
Battle Engine Aquila commencera à apparaitre dans les magasins US en fin de semaine au prix de 30$. Le jeu, initialement prévu pour noël, sort donc avec deux mois d'avance.