Insurgency: Sandstorm

If you want a legitimate alternative to the yearly churn of Call of Duty and Battlefield, Insurgency: Sandstorm is just what the doctor ordered. Our review.

83%Game Brain Score

gameplay, graphics

optimization, stability

87% User Score Based on 110,248 reviews

Critic Score 79%Based on 22 reviews

Platforms

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About

Insurgency: Sandstorm Ultimate Edition includes the base game and passes for Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3. Feel every bullet in thrilling close-quarters combat as your team fights toward victory in intense co-op and PvP multiplayer modes.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 110,270 reviews

gameplay4.6k positive mentions

optimization2.3k negative mentions

gameplay
11,129 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
55%
4%
The gameplay of *Insurgency: Sandstorm* is characterized by a blend of tactical realism and fast-paced action, appealing to both casual and hardcore players. Many reviews highlight the game's intense gun mechanics, quick time-to-kill, and the necessity for teamwork and strategy, making each encounter feel significant. However, some players express frustration with performance issues, repetitive gameplay, and certain mechanics that can detract from the overall experience, indicating a need for further optimization and content updates.
- “Unlike other fast-paced FPS games, *Sandstorm* stands out with its focus on realism, teamwork, and strategic gameplay.”
- “This game offers a unique, adrenaline-pumping FPS experience that doesn’t rely on flashy gimmicks but instead on pure, tactical gameplay.”
- “Awesome gunplay, good movement, easy-to-play yet hard-to-master gameplay that allows for many different approaches.”
- “Enemies make zero movement sounds, so gameplay devolves into sitting in a corner and clicking on heads when they pop up.”
- “The gameplay is ruthless and it's definitely not for everyone; it's slow and tactical, requiring keen eyesight and demanding hard decisions all the time.”
- “Gameplay is repetitive, maps are linear and artificially restricted for literally zero reason; AI shoot you through walls and smoke and randomly change direction in the most unnatural way possible.”
optimization
7,911 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
57%
28%
The optimization of "Insurgency: Sandstorm" has been a contentious issue among players, with many reporting significant performance problems, including stuttering, frame drops, and inconsistent FPS, even on high-end systems. While some users have noted improvements over time and commend the developers for ongoing updates, others still find the game poorly optimized and unplayable, particularly on lower-end hardware. Overall, while the game offers engaging gameplay and graphics, its optimization remains a critical area needing attention.
- “After years of updates and content along with massive optimization improvements, it's a game I've played on and off since release.”
- “The optimization allows the game to run on a variety of hardware configurations, ensuring accessibility for a broad player base.”
- “Regular updates and patches demonstrate the developer's commitment to refining the game's performance.”
- “Game regularly crashes due to bugs and malfunctions, terrible servers often suffer from lags that last until everybody disconnects from the server. Game performance is very unstable, with FPS drops and lags even in a setup far beyond the best recommended settings.”
- “As of recently, performance is pure doo doo, constant rubber banding, ping jumping from 40/60 to 400, unstable connection, bugs and glitches, just not worth it anymore.”
- “This is the least optimized game I have ever seen!”
graphics
6,282 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
48%
4%
The graphics in "Insurgency: Sandstorm" receive mixed reviews, with many players praising the stunning visuals and attention to detail, particularly in weapon models and environments. However, there are significant concerns regarding optimization, with numerous reports of graphical glitches, stuttering, and inconsistent frame rates, even on high-end systems. Overall, while the game showcases impressive graphics, the performance issues detract from the experience for many players.
- “The graphics are outstanding, the gameplay is amazing, and the realism is pretty dang good.”
- “The game's attention to detail in its realistic weaponry, sound design, and environmental graphics is truly impressive, transporting you right into the heart of the action.”
- “The graphics are beautiful and the gunplay is addicting.”
- “Bland gameplay, bad graphics, and overall, it's just not very fun.”
- “I have max graphics on every setting and even with render scale being increased it still looks like dogshit and blurry for anything that is past 70m.”
- “The game is plagued by aesthetic DLC, currently listed 44 things!”
stability
1,888 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
92%
The stability of "Insurgency: Sandstorm" has been a significant point of contention among players, with many reporting a plethora of bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay. Common issues include frequent freezes, crashes, and graphical glitches, which can disrupt the experience and lead to frustration. While some players acknowledge improvements over time, the game is still perceived as unstable and poorly optimized, with many recommending caution before purchasing until further fixes are implemented.
- “The game is not very buggy, has excellent gunplay, and there are at least a few full matches in the evening on each gamemode.”
- “Out of alpha, the game is mostly bug free and a smooth balanced coop/multiplayer game and was well worth the money spent with an incredible amount of improvement from the original while still keeping the same chaotic feel.”
- “They continue to optimize the game and it runs great now.”
- “As of recently, performance is pure doo doo, constant rubber banding, ping jumping from 40/60 to 400, unstable connection, bugs and glitches, just not worth it anymore.”
- “The servers have never been this worse, some old glitches/bugs were never fixed but new ones keep coming up, some maps are really unbalanced, etc. I feel like at this point the developers only care about making more money (more DLC) instead of making this game better, until this game finally dies.”
- “Do not buy... I purchased this game and it's an instant regret.. at the loading screen the game freezes and the only way I can get past this is if I bring up task control.”
story
1,182 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
75%
14%
The reviews overwhelmingly indicate that "Insurgency: Sandstorm" lacks a traditional story or campaign mode, with many players expressing disappointment over the cancellation of a promised single-player narrative. While the game excels in multiplayer and co-op missions, players feel that the absence of a storyline detracts from the overall experience, leaving them craving more depth and context to the gameplay. Despite this, some players appreciate the intense action and tactical gameplay, suggesting that the game could benefit from future updates that include a narrative element.
- “Here, the story is told in bullet casings and victories.”
- “I would highly recommend this game for its storytelling and the way it shows you the struggle of soldiers and civilians in modern conflict.”
- “I'll start with the false promise of a campaign; when this game was announced, we were told we were going to get a campaign, the idea and story seemed great and fresh, a female freedom fighter traveling throughout the Middle East with her companions on essentially what was a badass road trip for the ages.”
- “The major thing this game lacks is a story mode; it would be truly wonderful to have it.”
- “I was hoping for something with a storyline and actual missions to accomplish... very disappointed with how that message was relayed.”
- “The much-hyped story mode never made it into the game.”
humor
937 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
1%
The humor in the game is largely driven by its vibrant community and the use of proximity voice chat, which leads to hilarious interactions and memorable moments during gameplay. Players often find themselves laughing at both the absurdity of in-game situations and the antics of their teammates and opponents, although the community can also exhibit toxic behavior. Overall, the game is described as a fun and entertaining experience, with many players highlighting the comedic elements as a significant draw.
- “The community is hilarious, to boot.”
- “The proximity chat makes for some hilarious encounters with enemy players as you trash talk each-other while camping in the same house.”
- “I always love coming back to this game because of the player base I always find people in chat just being goofy and by the time I leave I'm laughing till my sides hurt.”
- “Pretty fun game if you can tolerate the extremely unfunny and lowkey racist playerbase, bad weapon and support balancing, and horrible maps.”
- “[b]- the community:[/b] majority of players are the kind of unfunny, edgy, toxic, immature casual.”
- “It is not funny; in any case, it is sad because everyone expected it to be a good game like Insurgency, but obviously it is not.”
monetization
602 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
42%
54%
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn mixed reviews, with many players criticizing the increasing prevalence of microtransactions and cosmetic DLCs, which they perceive as cash grabs that detract from the overall experience. While some players appreciate that the game avoids pay-to-win mechanics and offers cosmetic options that can be earned through gameplay, others express frustration over the focus on monetization rather than meaningful content updates. Overall, the sentiment leans towards disappointment regarding the direction of the game's monetization strategy, especially following the studio's acquisition by a larger corporation.
- “The game is updated fairly frequently, and although there's plenty of monetization, it remains free of pay-to-win elements.”
- “Great game as it doesn't have too many in-game purchase items nor does it have a generic battle pass system, plus the game doesn't constantly shove in-game purchase bundles in your face.”
- “There are no microtransactions whatsoever at this time.”
- “Don't buy the DLC as it's a sneaky cash grab that doesn't add anything worthwhile.”
- “The game doesn't know what it wants to be or what it wanted to do better or different than the original Insurgency; it just feels like a mediocre cash grab game that lacks vision or focus.”
- “This is a classic cash grab situation, leaving a once-promising game in a disappointing state.”
atmosphere
580 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
39%
2%
The atmosphere in "Insurgency: Sandstorm" is widely praised for its immersive and intense qualities, driven by exceptional sound design and realistic visuals that effectively capture the chaos of modern warfare. Players appreciate the attention to detail in environmental design, which enhances the overall experience, making each firefight feel authentic and gripping. While some critiques mention a decline in atmospheric quality compared to its predecessor, the game's ability to create a visceral and engaging battlefield environment remains a standout feature.
- “The sound design is especially impressive—bullets whizzing by, explosions rattling your surroundings, and the shouts of your squad create an atmosphere that is unparalleled.”
- “The atmosphere in this game is what really sells it for me.”
- “The immersive environment, perfect audio, tense atmosphere, limited HUD makes for one of the best realistic shooters I have seen so far.”
- “Combined with mediocre sound design and forgettable music, Sandstorm Insurgency fails to create a captivating atmosphere that would have elevated the overall experience.”
- “Unfortunately, the devs are slowly but surely betraying their loyal fanbase by ruining this very atmosphere, with extremely ugly and unimmersive Fortnite skins.”
- “This game has been a disappointment; some parts of it, like the general atmosphere of being under fire and the sound design, are just amazing.”
grinding
416 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
39%
55%
The reviews indicate a mixed sentiment regarding grinding in the game. While some players find the grinding for cosmetics and upgrades to be tedious and time-consuming, others appreciate that the core gameplay allows for enjoyment without excessive grinding, particularly for weapon unlocks and loadouts. Overall, the experience varies, with some players feeling that grinding detracts from the fun, while others enjoy the challenge it presents.
- “The loadout system is fun and leads to diversity in your kit, with no grinding needed to unlock upgrades.”
- “Best tactical shooter out there... period... easy on the wallet... no grinding required... everything is already unlocked... just pure gunplay and brutal atmosphere... deserves a lot more players than it already has.”
- “Great maps, lots of guns and no grinding of different guns or some silly perks or kill streaks like in some other modern FPS.”
- “On the downside, getting from spawn to the nearest objective can feel tedious, and the game introduces a significant element of randomness due to large maps with numerous rooms and hiding spots.”
- “Game got me farming a hundred hours just to drip off as a counter-terrorist security operator.”
- “It's unremarkable and unlocking anything is a tedious chore.”
music
272 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
74%
6%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the ambient sound and thematic elements, particularly the use of Middle Eastern music, while others criticize the disruptive behavior of players blasting music over voice chat. Many recommend turning off in-game music for a better experience, as the community's tendency to mic spam can detract from gameplay. Overall, the sound design is noted as a highlight, but the player base's behavior often overshadows the musical elements.
- “And this music in survival on the last objective is just great!”
- “Impressive sound design and music arrangement.”
- “This is a pretty immersive game and the music suits the theme, I would highly recommend this to hardcore FPS players.”
- “Combined with mediocre sound design and forgettable music, Sandstorm Insurgency fails to create a captivating atmosphere that would have elevated the overall experience.”
- “The most annoying thing is when people hot mic and blast music which interrupts gameplay.”
- “After 1 hour, yes 1 hour, of this unending, soul-sapping event where I killed more enemy soldiers than I can count, with a constant incredibly annoying soundtrack of grunts and screams on a seemingly fixed 2-second loop which sounded like a really bad dance loop, I eventually lost the will to live and turned this god-awful excuse for a game off.”
replayability
252 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
55%
4%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players praising the cooperative and competitive modes, modding community, and challenging gameplay that keeps them engaged for hours. However, some users express frustration over the lack of private/custom matches and limited progression systems, which can lead to repetitiveness. Overall, while many find it highly replayable, others note that certain elements could be improved to enhance long-term enjoyment.
- “The cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes offer plenty of replayability.”
- “The modding community has created a range of custom maps, weapons, and other content, adding significant replayability.”
- “It's infinitely replayable with new weapons, gear, and maps added regularly.”
- “I absolutely love this game and would love to recommend it to people; unfortunately, the lack of a reasonable way to fire up a custom/private match with friends and custom rules makes the game drop in replayability.”
- “Replayability: 3.5/10 (no option to play private/customs with friends and bots in any gamemode with custom rules, this makes it a bit repetitive, especially for those who don't want to play PvP).”
- “One thing I hate about this game is how there's almost no progression, and everything (aside from the cosmetics) is given to you for free, giving the game little replay value aside from having to level up to unlock cosmetics.”
emotional
100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional responses to the game are mixed, with players expressing feelings of heartbreak over persistent technical issues and a declining player community that oscillates between wholesome interactions and toxic behavior. While some players find deep emotional connections and memorable experiences within the game, others feel frustrated and disappointed by its current state, leading to a sense of loss for what it once was. Overall, the game elicits a range of emotions, from nostalgia and joy to frustration and sadness.
- “No game will ever hit the emotions this game made me feel.”
- “One time I was super fried and the guy I was following got blown up by an RPG right in front of me and it made me cry.”
- “This game is so heartbreaking compared to the first.”
character development
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
Character development in "Insurgency: Sandstorm" has received mixed reviews, with players noting that while there have been improvements over time, the character designs often appear unfinished or rushed, leading to awkward animations and a strong sense of the uncanny valley. The graphics are described as passable, with standard designs and average cosmetic options, though some appreciate the uniqueness that prevents all characters from looking identical. Overall, while there are positive updates, the character development still feels lacking in fluidity and polish.
- “My other gripe was the character design, but it has improved a lot with updates.”
- “It has unique character design, so everyone doesn't look the same.”
- “Character designs, uniforms, and clothing are another feature in Insurgency: Sandstorm.”
- “The character designs and rigs seem unfinished or rushed, and they look weird in the main menu, like the arms are separate from their bodies and hunched over awkwardly.”
- “Animations and character design are stiff, and the uncanny valley effect is strong in this one.”
- “Passable graphics with somewhat standard character designs and average cosmetic choices.”