Insurgency: Sandstorm Reviews
Insurgency: Sandstorm is a solid shooter that offers the series' best intense, tactical thrills, but can't help but feel behind the times in both theme and looks.
A uniquely excellent team-based tactical shooter that's held back by some design choices and performance issues.
Insurgency: Sandstorm needs a bit more polish to be the outstanding sequel it should be but if you overlook the issues you'll find a fairly enjoyable multiplayer title.
Overall, I enjoyed my time with Insurgency: Sandstorm, and whenever the mood strikes for an intense, realistic shooter, this will probably be my game of choice. It isn't as punishing as something like Arma, but it still offers fantastic audio and a brutal TTK that forces the player to slow down, think about their steps, and use all the tools the game puts at their disposal. One can't go into this game hoping for a sleek experience. The technical side of the game is just as gritty as its combat. In the heat of an intense battle, your processor will also put out some heat. Hopefully, New World Interactive can devote some time toward the technical side of things and put as much care into that as it did the audio and gameplay. If the developer can fix those issues, Insurgency: Sandstorm would be one of the better competitive shooters available on Steam.
Insurgency: Sandstorm sits between two worlds. In one hand, it tries to make more approachable to newcomers. On the other, its matchmaking system, lack of interesting and unique maps makes it a game only for the most dedicated players.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
If you're a staunch fan of tactical shooters like CS: GO, Rainbow Six Siege or the former Insurgency, you're likely to enjoy this game. It features a fun challenge, strategic gameplay and realistic fights.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Overall, if you know what you’re getting into with Insurgency Sandstorm, I am confident it will be an enjoyable game. It is a competent and decently fleshed-out mil-sim shooter that is rarely found outside of the PC space. Otherwise, you might just end up playing in silence, get sniped a few times from an unseen enemy, and decide to spend your time elsewhere as the game doesn’t do much in terms of catering to solo players thanks to its hardcore nature.
It is a demanding title that requires the player's patience and willingness to collaborate in order to be victorious in the confrontations against the AI and in the multiplayer mode.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Insurgency: Sandstorm is a really great and realistic shooter for the most demanding players, but the current technical condition of the game is simply poor.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Insurgency: Sandstorm aims for the hardcore in a way that’s hard not to appreciate. The frighteningly realistic weaponry, excellent sound design and mechanical reinforcement of communication and strategy make it a winner for those who may be tired of the more whimsical and approachable shooter staples available today. While it may currently be a bit thin on the ground in the way of actual maps to play on, there’s plenty of meat on Sandstorm’s PTSD-addled bones, with tight, tactical combat that’ll have your nerves shot but your mind sharp by the end of each match.
The realistic focus of Insurgency: Sandstorm may be off putting to some, but in practice it features a decent balance of simulation and fast-paced twitch-shooter elements. The setting may be somewhat cliche, but the gameplay speaks for itself in how masterfully everything has been done. Multiplayer matchmaking happens quickly too thanks to the game’s crossplatform nature, and matches can last anywhere between 15 to 30 minutes – sometimes much longer if there is a constant back and forth in certain game modes, making it a nice and easy one to pick up and play after work or during lunch breaks. The game is essentially a mix between Escape From Tarkov‘s hardcore simulation and Call of Duty‘s casual and bum-rush fun. Overall, it is a good game and one that will likely be played by more hardcore fans for the foreseeable future.
Insurgency: Sandstorm is not for everyone. But if it hooks you, if you like a true hardcore military shooter, this might be one of the best games you will ever play.
Thanks to this quite unusual combination of tonal sensitivity, hardcore shooting mechanics and maps full of interesting wrinkles and choke points, I’ve enjoyed Insurgency Sandstorm as much as any multiplayer game released this year.
I think I’m having a good time?
In summary, if you are after an intense team-based tactical first person shooter game, Insurgency Sandstorm will be for you. If you’re used to more casual FPS experiences, the intensity might just be a little too much for you. If you like games like Battlefield, Arma, DayZ, Escape From Tarkov, you’ll love Insurgency.