When Insurgency: Sandstorm released in 2018 it was universally praised for its no-nonsense approach to gritty realism and spectacular gunplay. Widely lauded as one of the best indie titles in years, the game has finally made its way to consoles three years later. But does it translate? And how does it fair in 2021? Lace up your boots and make sure to double check your magazine, this is one hell of a ride!



You would be forgiven for thinking Insurgency: Sandstorm is another romp to the middle-east a-la Call of Duty or Battlefield. On the surface, it smacks of a generic shooter, but under the hood there’s a lot more going on and this is where it deviates wildly.

First and foremost, Sandstorm features no campaign whatsoever, it is a purely tactical co-op and multiplayer affair. Team-based objectives are the name of the game whether you're playing in co-op vs AI or in multiplayer. Each mode features unique objectives which are diverse enough to keep players entertained for hour on end. One of these modes, Checkpoint, casts a particularly addictive spell. As a team, your goal is to move across large and diverse maps from one objective to another, capturing, holding, or destroying key assets on the way. If you fall in battle the only way to respawn is by waiting for your team to capture the next objective.



Should you fail in the hailstorm of bullets, you will all reset right at the start and must try again. This isn’t a run and gun affair either; you’ll need to be extremely strategic, particularly in PVP, to win the day. Caution and observation are the name of the game. Everything needs to be checked and communicated. A fantastic in-game VOIP system can and should be used if you’re to operate successfully as a unit.

This isn’t a run and gun affair either; you’ll need to be extremely strategic, particularly in PVP, to win the day.

Complimenting the many modes are 14 diverse maps in a variety of locales, whether fighting tooth and nail block by block, or in more open terrain, there is more than enough to keep things fresh. It is imperative for new players to familiarize themselves with nuances of each of these locales because combat is where the real meat and potatoes of Sandstorm reside.



Insurgency: Sandstorm is not for the feint of heart - this is a no frills, hardcore realistic shooter with all the bells and whistles to boot. It sets itself apart from other modern shooters with some of the most realistic and unforgiving gunplay. You won’t find any auto-aim or assist here, nor will your crosshair ever be dead center of the screen. Guns jam, overheat and become downright unusable in the most inopportune times. The raw feel of recoil and drift are exceptionally well-crafted. Developer New World have pulled no punches in making their guns feel as true to life as possible. Small details like quick reloads which essentially drop the remainder of your magazine are present and so well implemented.

While the game's AI proves to be challenging at times, this is more due to the game's TTK and sheer overwhelming numbers and not so much well-designed AI. In fact, for the most part, AI can be fairly stupid, often blocking a choke point and staring you down for a few seconds before raising their rifle in an attempt to kill you. As mentioned, there is a very short TTK, and often, a single bullet will put you in the dirt. In co-op modes, thanks to the AI, this is forgiving, but jump into player versus player multiplayer and the learning curve is steep here.



Off the bat, the controls can feel a little counter-intuitive. Clearly the devs are trying to break in the COD and Battlefield players easily. The base controls definitely make things feel a little more heavy, however a bit of tweaking and you’ll be peaking corners in no time with ease. These genre-friendly controls are the way Insurgency: Sandstorm is meant to be played; it is strongly recommended you start playing with these as soon as possible to get into the groove.

Beyond the gunfire, the bleats and moans of downed enemies choking on their blood is quite jarring.

Sound plays a crucial role in Insurgency and I cannot stress how great of a difference it made to switch from TV audio to a headset. In a quiet build-up to an inevitable crescendo of bullets, listening for footsteps can give one the upper edge on the enemy, and when things inevitably do go up in riots of gunfire, it’s downright scary. The deafening gunfire is enough to give anyone PTSD. Beyond the gunfire, the bleats and moans of downed enemies choking on their blood is quite jarring. It all adds up to some fairly realistic, if not traumatic immersion.



Insurgency: Sandstorm is not, however, very good looking. To be frank, it feels like a step back in time to the late 2010s. Muddy textures and lack of visual fidelity can be a bit jarring. It certainly won’t win any awards in the visual department but it more than makes up for it with its stellar gameplay. There is a huge degree of customization, however. You can deck out your insurgent or security avatar with a crazy number of add-ons. From head to toe, you can create a unique in-game character. This extends into the armory too, with a toybox of slap-on sights, lasers, grips, and skins for weapons that will be sure to impress arm-chair Marines.



While it hasn’t done anything particularly new, Insurgency: Sandstorm is easily one of the best in its field at what it does best: provide a realistic and brutal modern-day team based tactical shooter. It certainly wont be turning heads in the visual department, but underneath it all, it’s a solid and engaging title with reams of content and hours of tactical team play to be discovered. It would be worth watching some gameplay before you take the plunge on this one.

*Review code provided by Focus Home Interactive | Reviewed on PS5