Insurgency: Sandstorm is a tactical first-person shooter that has garnered quite the cult following. Many players appreciate its intricate combat system and highly customizable loadout suite, but like anything, there are plenty of critiques to be made. That isn't to say the game is in any way bad, on the contrary, Sandstorm is an excellent first-person shooter.
However, it's important to remember that no game is perfect and that discussing flaws can lead to fixes down the road, resulting in a better game for everyone. Fortunately for Sandstorm, the things that are great about it are far more significant than the things that aren't.
8 Loved: Outstanding Combat
Insurgency: Sandstorm is known for having a very tactical-focused combat system. Mechanics like the cover system, fire suppression, explosives, specialized roles, and much more are specifically tailored to be utilized by the players on the battlefield.
The kill-times are also very low which not only forces the player to be constantly aware of possible threats but also gives them a powerful sense of agency when it comes to executing plans and strategies. All this to say, the combat system actively creates a tense experience and encourages smart and surgical maneuvering.
7 Didn't: Bot Inconsistency
Unfortunately, one of the issues that players have pointed out is the inconsistent bot performance. This refers to both allied and enemy A.I. What this means is that the A.I will behave differently, seemingly at random, without input from the player.
Bots sometimes have stormtrooper-like aim where they miss their targets constantly, but then other times they seem to be crack shots capable of insta-killing their enemy. For the most part, the bots are decently balanced, but every now and again it becomes hard not to notice the randomness in their abilities and tactics.
6 Loved: Variety of Maps and Modes
With fourteen maps to play on and tons of game types to play against both bots and other players, there is a healthy amount of content and variety. Players can experience this via local play or they can go on online servers via the server browser as well.
There are three overarching modes that contain individual game types. For example, Versus is primarily PvP (player vs player) and features Push, Frontline, Domination, and Firefight. Cooperative is players against bots, and it features Checkpoint, Survival, and Outpost. The maps even have a day stage and night stages; something that really allows for fun and unique experiences on its own. Competitive is for ranked matches and uses the Firefight game mode.
5 Didn't: Poor Performance on Last-Gen Consoles
Traditionally, Insurgency was a PC exclusive due to consoles and controllers not being well suited to its tactical controls and features. With Sandstorm, however, the series saw a console release some time after the initial PC release. Unfortunately, the consoles, specifically last generation ones such as the PS4 and Xbox One, currently have a rough time handling the game.
Aside from downgraded graphics and framerate issues, the game has been known to crash frequently. The newer consoles like the Xbox Series X seem to run it much better, though not without their own issues.
4 Loved: In-Depth Customization
There are countless opportunities for customization of both the weapons and player character themself. The loadout system allows for all kinds of attachments to be mixed and matched onto virtually every gun in the game. This includes scopes, red dots, Suppressors, grips, grenade launchers, magazines, and more.
The player can also customize how their character looks, choosing between a variety of racial presets, hair options etc. They may also customize their characters' apparel in interesting ways. There are plenty of torso, helmet, leg, and glove-related options available, alongside some extraneous items.
3 Didn't: Graphical Issues on Consoles
While the game isn't exactly "next-gen" looking to begin with, the console port of Insurgency seems to suffer from a few graphical issues. For example, anti-aliasing (or AA for short) has a tendency to make the game more blurry. The point of AA is to reduce jagged edges caused by pixels and make the models and environment look more smooth and realistic.
Poor implementation of this feature can end up making the game look smudged. The console ports also have lower resolution textures and shadows, as well as less impressive lighting effects.
2 Loved: Frequent Updates
Insurgency: Sandstorm is always receiving updates that either add new content, improve the game, or even both. Glitches are fixed while new maps and guns are added for players to experience. Granted, this is part of a larger trend in gaming, however, that doesn't make it any less sweet.
A perfect example of the benefit these updates can bring is the upcoming "next-gen" update, which promises to improve the look and performance of the console versions of the game when it launches sometime in 2022.
1 Didn't: Small And Quirky Bugs
Sandstorm is by no means a poorly made game. It is certainly a far cry from those broken and buggy releases that seem to be coming all the more common in the AAA gaming sphere. That said, it does have frustrating and somewhat odd little glitches every now and again.
These bugs are oftentimes not reproducible and happen at random. The player's weapon could disappear, they could get stuck in geometry, bots can get caught mid T-pose, and so on. The good news is that bugs of this nature often get fixed with new updates, though new ones tend to emerge as well over time.
Insurgency: Sandstorm is available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC.