Recent reviews by Vlad the Impala

Halo - Good
Halo 2 - Great
Halo 3 - Great
ODST - Great
Reach - Good
Halo 4 - Crap
All in all a good bunch.

A very nice entry into Warhammer 40k's ever growing library of games in recent years. It does a rather good job in capturing the essence of the tabletop game (R.I.P.) in real time.
The game lacks polish in some aspects, but for such a rare sub-genre as Fleet-centric RTS that should really come as no surprise it won't be up to golden standards. Furthermore it is not an easy game, it is not a kind game, it will kick you when you're down in ways that will make X-Com feel like a hike through the woods. Sadly too, the battles all tend to feel very small scale, more skirmishes than outright naval warfare.

Having said all that it is still good. It is very good. The level of detail on the ships and stations is outstanding, and if you're at all familiar with the baroque battle barges and cloistered cathedralic cruisers you'll know just how many small details make such a difference. If not - imagine yourself standing in front of Notre Dame Cathedral. Now the large circular stained glass window at the front is a giant plasma spewing engine, it's bristling with guns, cannons on the side that you could walk through. That's a frigate of the Imperium of Man, and they only get bigger.
Gameplaywise it faithfully takes the tabletop's rules and slams them into real time making your judgement of turning and firing arcs run twenty seconds ahead of each engagement, which even with only four ships in your flotilla becomes micro-management heaven (or hell), this is made a little simpler and newbie friendly though thanks to the "cogiatator" system which slows everything down to a crawl for your convenience for a short while.

All in all, it's a very worthy try and if you enjoyed the likes of Empire at War's space battles or FTL you will find something to challenge and entice you in this game.

P.S. - ORKZ IZ DA BEST YA GROTZ!!!

Live out your childhood dreams in this fantastic RPG.
No, not those childhood dreams. No, not that one either. Y'know the one where you're crossdressing in a chainmail bikini fighting nazi zombie cows.

Was that just me?

First thing's first this game needs a preface; "WARNING - May result in cardiac palpitation, do not play if you have a weak heart!"

That being out the way, this is an extremely charming little VN with some slightly unusual subject matter which sould be pretty obvious if you're looking at this. It's a short VN, one route, no choices, some neat extras, on paper nothing special.
However with the rather unique subject matter of wooing a cyclops, some scenes that touch on some rather awkward subjects (nothing particularly explicit, violent or gruesome, just to put your mind at rest), the very fitting art style and instantly lovable heroine that you just wanna hug and protect and take home with you it all comes together as a very enjoyable read.
It's a little bit on the short side, however it is well worth picking up if you're looking for some light romantic reading with a twist.

Again - Please consult your doctor before playing if you have a history of heart problems. May cause severe bouts of the HNNNGGGGGGGGGs. You have been warned.

Some games have no right to be as enjoyable as they are. This is absolutely one of those games.
For an MMO, there is virtually no grind, for a F2P game there are virtually no strings to trip you up into purchases, my only broad qualm about the game would be that for Star Trek there's enough shooting going on to make the Dominion War look like a border skirmish. And lets face it, it would be pretty boring without.

You'll be hard pressed to find a game that better portrays the nuances of 3-D space-fleet combat, especially for the price label, outfitting your ship which can be anything from a shuttle Kirk would ride in to the intimidating dreadnoughts of the Jem'Hadar flocked by wings of fighters to suit your style whether it's making broadside passes or hit and runs there's weapons for everything. The game also boasts an exceptoional level of customization, want to be a midget clone of Picard in neon pink swim shorts? Go for it. Want to honour your favourite OCDNs by making it one of your bridge bunnies? Can't guarantee 100% match but you will get damn close. Not the creative type? No worries pick your favourite Star Trek species and you've got it (barring perhaps an 8472 or Q).

Well worth a shot, even if you're not remotely a Star Trek fan. It's free to play, what do you have to lose?

Play it.
Do it.
Now.

Let me preface this by saying that I do not particularly like third person shooters.
The enemies are bullet sponges. Bosses involve hitting small moving targets (often while moving about yourself) while aiming in a narrowed field of vision and being unable to see attacks that will stagger, stunlock or OHK you. And that's pretty much everything wrong with the game.

The characters are brilliant, the banter between your squadmates makes them instantly lovable (though they will nag the hell out of you if you decide to go hunting for secrets), the level designs really give off the sort of air you expect from a near future society, mechanical designs are superb ranging from floating cameras to the sort of thing that will make you scream at your monitor "How do you make something like this and not call yourself an evil genius!?" (true quote), music and sound effects are solid even to the point of making sure that many of the Japanese you will encounter actually speak Japanese and their accents nail it when they speak English too. There will be scenes throughout the game that will make you question "Did that happen because I chose to take X with me?" and are executed flawlessly in line with the story. Which speaking of story, if you enjoy your cyberpunk stuff this has a bit of a typical subject matter but it is told exceedingly well.

Really, this game is a hidden gem if ever there was one and for the price tag it's a crime against gaming not to at least give it a try. There's even a demo, so no excuses.

Do you want deep story? Epic lore? Engaging character growth? If so, stop reading this and pick up a book.

This game is about nothing more, nor less, than over the top, badass 80's style action. That's what it promises, that's what it delivers in everything from the superb electronic score to the classic cut-scenes and everything in between. This game is unimpeachable in what it tries to be.

You want a game that is fun and will leave you feeling like a total 80's action hero by the end? This is the game for you.