Impulse is GameStop’s answer to Steam and is GameStop’s long-anticipated leap into digital distribution. Originally the online store of publisher and developer Stardock, Impulse was purchased by Gamestop in May and has since become a large part of the company’s Web store. The service shares many similarities with Steam, but GameStop lacks the years of experience Valve has in digital distribution and online matchmaking features.

Impulse’s selection is similar to Steam’s in size. Newer games like Dungeon Siege III and Alice: Madness Returns can be found on Impulse, along with preorders for upcoming games, but the catalog’s navigation is clunkier than Steam’s. A large collection of smaller and independent games are also available over Impulse, just like Steam.

Impulse’s older game selection isn’t quite as robust, with classics found on Steam missing on GameStop’s system. Notable classics that aren’t available on Impulse but can be found on Steam include Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines and X-Com: UFO Defense. Curiously, the beloved strategy game Total Annihilation can be bought through Impulse, but not through Steam. If you’re really interested in classic games, your best bet is GOG.com.

Game prices run about the same as retail prices, but Impulse offers regular sales to offset the cost of prominent games. The service offers a daily deal in which a major title gets a solid discount, usually around 50%.

Impulse incorporates tons of multiplayer features, including friends lists, forums, and even an IRC client. None of it feels quite as integrated or complete as Steam’s features, and nearly everything is tucked away under the Community tab instead of constantly present in some form.

Installation functions in nearly the same was as Steam’s installation process: each game is downloaded and installed locally to its own directory and connected through the Impulse browser for launching. Multiple systems can access the same account and install the same game, but only one can be logged in to the account at a time.

Gamestop’s online PC game marketplace offers a large library and plenty of deals, but its still-developing multiplayer features pale in comparison to Steam’s. Impulse might stand up against Valve’s service some day, but it needs a lot more polish first.