19.5 hours played
Written 6 days ago
[h1]DECENT GAME, BUT WITH SERIOUS ISSUES[/h1]
Insurgency: Sandstorm is a first-person shooter that strikes a balance between casual and hardcore gameplay. It’s not overly punishing, but it definitely demands more thought and tactical awareness than your typical Call of Duty or Battlefield experience.
I can understand why some players are passionate about this game. Despite looking a bit outdated visually, its core mechanics are rock solid. Unfortunately, the experience for new players is rough - matchmaking is poor, and the community can be extremely toxic.
I don’t expect these issues to improve anytime soon. The current studio maintaining the game seems to be doing the bare minimum - just enough to keep it running and squeeze what revenue they can from the remaining player base.
[b]If it were possible, I'd give this a mixed review.[/b]
[b]Toxicity[/b]
I'll start with something I noticed from my very first PvP match: the player base in this game can be extremely toxic. I'm not saying the majority are like this, but hearing screaming Russians or watching people flame each other was noticeably more common than seeing teammates actually share useful information.
If you're a new player just looking to relax and enjoy the game, this could sour your experience with Insurgency very quickly.
[b]Matchmaking[/b]
I know this game isn't hugely popular, so the player base is limited, but the number of level 1000+ players in my matches was insane. If you're a beginner (like I am), you'll constantly get destroyed by these guys, and that kills your enjoyment very quickly.
[b]Story[/b]
There’s no story mode, but you can play solo against bots.
[b]Game Modes[/b]
The game offers a variety of PvP modes: Push (very divisive, but I enjoyed it), Frontline (meh), Ambush, Domination (not a fan), Firefight (also not a fan), Skirmish, and some occasional limited-time modes you can play from time to time.
Honestly, most of them felt pretty similar - just run and gun. I don’t think it’s an issue with the game modes themselves tho. Maybe I’m just unlucky, but most players seemed unwilling to play in a coordinated way.
[b]Gameplay[/b]
The gameplay loop is straightforward: you choose a role and weapons, then fight in objective-based modes. As I mentioned earlier, Sandstorm aims to be "hardcore" without being overly punishing, and it succeeds. Features like friendly fire, no kill confirmation, fast TTK, proximity chat, limited roles, and more all contribute to that experience.
There’s a good reason I didn’t use the word “tactical” at the start. Unless you play on specific servers with like-minded people, most players just run and gun without any real teamwork.
I definitely enjoyed the gunplay in Sandstorm. The guns hit a “sweet spot” where they’re not too difficult to handle, but also not so easy that they feel like laser guns. The fast TTK makes the weapons feel authentic and impactful. Sure, the quick TTK can be frustrating at times - especially against skilled snipers or campers - but that’s always subjective.
On the other hand, I’m not a fan of the Fire Support abilities - helicopters, artillery, mortars, and more - that the Commander class can call in. I understand why they’re there, but they often feel out of place. I don’t really think Insurgency needed that kind of feature.
[b]Maps[/b]
For Insurgency fans, this might sound like blasphemy, but I really dislike the maps in Sandstorm. I like the general concept - various locations across the Middle East - but the final result is simply mediocre. There are two or three enjoyable maps, but the rest are just boring to play. There’s not enough variety. The maps all feel similar because they basically boil down to a series of connected corridors, just sometimes larger than others.
[b]Year Passes[/b]
Not gonna lie, the new owners of the IP seem to be squeezing every last dollar with minimal effort. The Year Passes are a joke - just some uninspired skin and gear sets, and nothing else. Why do they cost so much? Look at other FPS games with seasonal content: even when their updates aren’t huge, they still offer way more than Insurgency Sandstorm does.
[b]HUD & UI[/b]
I like the limited HUD. It shows you everything you need, right when you need it, without overwhelming you.
On the other hand, the UI leaves much to be desired. The menus are often cluttered, and the loadout screen is especially frustrating to look at and navigate.
[b]Visuals[/b]
The game aims to capture the raw, realistic feeling of war on a modest budget - and it does so fairly well. Sandstorm isn’t exactly pretty, but the Middle Eastern locations have a certain charm. The muted color palette helps mask some of the less polished models and textures.
I’d love to see improvements in the animations - the movement can feel quite clunky, and reload animations on certain weapons look awkward.
If you’re not into over-the-top customization, you won’t find that here. There are skins with brighter colors, but they never look out of place.
[b]Audio[/b]
Soundtrack? What soundtrack? Honestly, I can’t recall much from it, except the Operation Overrun theme. It’s not that the music is bad - it’s simply not memorable.
I don’t have any complaints about the other sounds. Guns, explosions, grenades, even the voices - all sound great and really help build the atmosphere.
[b]Technicalities[/b]
Great performance with a mostly stable 120 FPS.
I didn’t notice any game-breaking bugs - just some minor visual glitches like floating equipment and flickering textures. That obviously doesn’t mean the game is completely problem-free. I simply haven’t played enough to know where to look.