A quality sci-fi piece...
GRAPHICS - The squadron of mercenary fighters taking on a Hivez cruiser are well modelled and textured, and so are good to look at. The cruiser, too, looks the part, with thought clearly having been put into it's design. Previous reviews have dwelt upon the pilot, so I'll address that matter. Nothing is visually wrong with the scene itself - it does, however, clash with the rest of the flash (ba dum tish). Cartoony graphics (the pilot) and graphics that closely resemble a computer game (the rest of the flash) don't mix very well unless you're playing a game such as the cel-shaded-style 13. Another slight criticism is that the ships look like low-quality JPEG images up close, which is a shame given the obvious effort given to their texturing. However, the graphics are good overall, and so earn a score of 8.
STYLE - The camera chases the fighters during the flash, and occasionally the viewpoint is switched to a fighter cockpit or cruiser gun turret. This serves to render the fight more interesting to watch, just as the far-from-static camera did during combat sequences in Final Fantasy VII. Near the end of the flash, one of the fighters cuts his engines and allows inertia to carry him through a gap in the cruiser, leaving the missiles following him to hit the cruiser instead. This was a show of style on his part, and so contributes to the score of 8 :)
SOUND - I found the music to serve the situation very well. Attention was shown on the author's part as different parts of the song are synchronised with certain events during the flash. For example, the music picks up tempo after a pilot collides with the cruiser, emphasising that the 'gloves are off'. The sound effects weren't flawless, as there was some repetition in the sound effects. For instance, the Purgatory missiles gave off a high-pitched sound that noticeably repeated every second or so. However, the sounds produced by the cannon weapons were spot-on, with the Vulcan sounding suitably powerful and the fighter cannons producing appropriate clanks upon the cruiser's steel armour. The dialogue was okay, but there were some discrepancies. The pilot sounds quite laid back and understated while informing his wingmen that evasive maneuvres would be a good idea, and the closing line, though technically valid, is phrased a little awkwardly. Overall, sound receives a score of 8.
VIOLENCE: The battle between the fighters and the cruiser is interesting to watch, as the fighters try to take out various subsystems rather than simply attempting to damage and destroy the cruiser. Fighter explosions look a little lacklustre, which is a shame given that are so many fighters bite the dust :) The exploding ships more closely resembled popping balloons than dramatically-exploding fighter craft. The Hivez cruiser utilised it's thrusters for evasive purposes, emphasising the effectiveness of its design, and this was a high point of the flash. I wouldn't be surprised if this was inspired by a particular capital ship in Homeworld that rotated to try and ram smaller vessels :) Overall, this category receives a score of 7.
INTERACTIVITY - Not applicable.
HUMOR - Not applicable, unless you found the pilot's kamikaze run good for a giggle.
OVERALL - I enjoyed this immersive piece of sci-fi action. The battle was a pleasure to watch, and the rare slight dip in quality is made up for by the evident thought and effort put into the intense firefight. 8 gold stars for you McFretN, and further releases from you would be welcome.
-Xine