When it comes to presentation, Battle Engine Aquila is average at best. The visuals are nice, and feature some really nice looking effects, but for the most part the game feels average and pales in comparison with other games on the PS2. There's a very cool sci-fi vibe throughout the game, but a definite lack of personal identity. This stems from a lack of unity in the game's graphical presentation. Looking at the design of some of the game's environments, and the Aquila itself, the game looks like it would have a very anime feel to it. However, a majority of the game looks to take a real hard-nosed, Battletech-like approach. This gave me the impression that the art team couldn't agree on a particular style for the game and opted to just throw stuff in.

Personally, I would have had an easier time accepting the stark differences in art styles had they been implemented in a different way. For example, it would have made the game much more interesting if each faction had its own style. Instead, each and every weapon on the battlefield (except, of course Aquila) looks exactly the same, regardless of faction, making the game feel like it's the 'Red Team' against the 'Blue Team', rather than an epic struggle between two different people. This also extends to each of the game's environments. This isn't to say the game's enviroments are bad looking, but I didn't see anything worth fighting for.

The sound is passable, but nothing to get excited over. The voice work is good, but not great, and the music is overused and fits with the game's generic sci-fi feel.

Battle Engine Aquila is one of those games that you have to learn to appreciate. Like everything in the game, the overall feel is very generic. You play the role of the unlikely, roughneck space pilot turned hero who happens to be the only person who can pilot a super-weapon called the Aquila. However, those who are able to stick out the clich-laden story will find an excellent tale of betrayal, intrigue, and war. Most of the story is told via in-mission chatter, but the game does have its fair share of cut scenes featuring the most unattractive cast ever rendered for a game.

For all practical purposes, this is your run-of-the-mill mission based mech game. The unique twist is that your mech is the only one in existence. So don't expect massive battles with other mechs, but rather the joy of being the biggest tank on the battlefield. The mission structure is fairly straight forward, but there are a few instances where the path branches, allowing players to choose their own mission priorities and adding a little replay value to the game.

Battle Engine Aquila isn't hard by any stretch of the imagination. I was able to play though a good half of the game without dying in my first sitting. Completing all of the mission goals provides a small challenge, but I never felt that the unlockable awards (mostly production art and 3D renders) were worth the trouble.

Taking a departure from most mech games, Battle Engine Aquila plays surprisingly similar to a FPS. The left stick moves the Aquila, while the right stick rotates her head. The guns are assigned to the shoulder buttons and very easy to get to.

I was pretty impressed by the smooth transition between ground and air modes, although some of the in-air controls (mostly having to do with landing) felt a little too loose. As cool as the air combat is, I also felt that the 'flight energy' was depleted a little too quickly, and took much of the fun out of that aspect of the game. A little more variety between air and ground weapons also would have been a big help.

As far as mech games go, Battle Engine Aquila provides a sturdy engine and a strong, yet slow, story, but a few technical glitches, as well as a lack of personal identity for the game, keeps it from being as good an experience as it could be.