Generally, the niche of tactical shooters is often less well known than other much more popular shooters, such as Call of Duty and its frenetic combat, or Battlefield, with vehicles and large maps. But these others are capable of representing battles in a much more faithful and realistic method. However, realism doesn’t always translate to fun, as requires specific skills that are not as fun as assaulting all our enemies with our weapon. But there are some titles capable of entertaining a lot. One of them, without a doubt, Insurgency: Sandstorm, finally coming to consoles after years of success on PC. and to which we have made a thorough analysis in its version for PS4.
Insurgency: Sandstorm, sequel to the well-known Insurgency, is the latest tactical shooter Posted by New World Interactive for PC last December 2018. A delivery that follows the path of its predecessor and that works wonderfully in its new version for consoles, since, in addition to PS4, it has also reached Xbox One, and their respective new generation versions of PS5 and Xbox Series X. It is not a graphic marvel, but its operation allows us to ignore this point in which it does not stands out.
This title presents many strengths that add value to the gaming experience. One of them, for example, is the realism of the shots, a key element in shooters that does not usually take too much care. Another of them is in the wheel of weapons, increasingly common in shooting games but that solves particularly well. Another one, without a doubt, the importance of team play and meeting objectives in the face of killing for killing. These details and many more will be discussed below. Here we go.
Tactical shooter with a lot of collective weight
When we talk about what this title is a tactical shooter, we do not skimp on nuances. Leaving unknowingly at any battle point will make us die dejected immediately, since the scenarios have a multitude of open points that leave us defenseless without prior coverage. We won’t be able to do many battles on our own and the smartest thing will be to collaborate with our colleagues. Efficient communication can also be essential, although automatic messages from characters communicating also go a long way.
In fact, on the pre-fight screen, we will have to choose a class of soldier that will have a limited number of troops to keep the battles balanced. For example, it would be difficult and unrealistic for a battlefield to be packed with shooters, so the selection usually reduced to two snipers per side. To start playing, in addition, it is best to start as a rifleman until the mechanics that make this title special are settled. When we go up high enough, we will have the option to lead the team and order bombardments to strategic points.
At the time of the battle, realism prevails. Like we said that a bad move on stage will make us die dejected For the enemies, we can use smoke grenades to reduce the field of vision or fragmentation grenades to force them to retreat, thus giving a lot of weight to the explosives that we equip. We will also have to be selective with our sights, since, even in assault, a scope of x1.5 or x2 will allow us to attack enemies at medium distance with greater precision. Each weapon has a particular recoil and, in fact, it is considerably more pronounced than in other shooting games. Automatic weapons will run amok if we don’t handle the bursts properly, and that can be key to living or dying in a shooting situation.
Cooperative battles against AI or competitive against players
Insurgency: Sandstorm offers us multiple game modes divided into two large groups. One of them, ideal to start or for more enjoyable games, will be cooperative games against AI. Soldiers controlled by the machine they are not so lethal like those controlled by an intermediate player, but in return, in many of these game modes we will not have the option to reappear if our team does not achieve the objectives set. So if the entire team falls down on one of the objectives, it will be a defeat for our side, while, to defeat them, we will have to push them back during several checkpoints while we fulfill our mission. This game mode is not that difficult, but it is still fun and entertaining with added as night maps.
As for competitive multiplayerProbably the game mode that the community will play the most, it has different types of battle to choose from, although the most popular are the classic Dominion and Push. These variations are not particularly novel, so they will be familiar to many gamers who are regular shooters. Nevertheless, the tactical factor of this game will make the first contacts hard, until we get used to the playing methods of our opponents. It will be important to know the basic mechanics playing against other people, because unlike the AI, they will beat us to the slightest hesitation.
Besides, also we will have a local mode in case we want to play any type of game without real rivals. It can be useful to discover good corners on the maps and adapt to the controls and mechanics of the game. Of course, in this mode, our performance will be important to win, since the cooperative operation of the AI depends a bit on how we lead the attack. Anyway, local mode has a lot of value to explore the large pool of maps that we have at our disposal.
A fully customizable avatar
In this tactical shooter it is important to arm yourself properly. Games can be extended for more than 20 minutes, so we will have to be very clear about the set of weapons that we want to equip ourselves. Luckily, Insurgency: Sandstorm has it all figured out, and allows us to customize all kinds of soldier that we have on both sides before each fight. Both military and insurgents will have multiple classes that we will unlock as we play games and level up.
To choose our set of weapons, we will have the classic elements: primary weapon and add-ons, secondary weapon and add-ons, explosives, and optional equipment as a bag for extra explosives, gas mask, night vision goggles, light and heavy armor, and other useful accessories for the battlefield. Our selection of weapons and objects will be limited, so we will have to choose what kind of weapons, accessories and explosives we equip ourselves for the role we have in combat. Also, during the battle, we can activate or deactivate various elements, like the bursts of automatic weapons, combat lasers, or taking off and putting on gas masks or night vision goggles.
The customization possibilities are not limited to only the weapons that we want to equip. Besides that, also we can customize our avatar from top to bottom. In the case of the military side, we can choose the gender of our avatar, eye color, voice, hairstyle, and the design of all the garments of their uniform: helmet, jacket, pants and boots. In addition, on the insurgent side, although we have no option to change their sixth, we can change their shoes, pants, shirt, and the scarf or mask with which they hide their face. Unlocking these clothes will cost us coins that we will get when playing games, although we also have the option to buy them.
Real battles are slower and cruder
Insurgency: Sandstorm is firmly committed to games full of realism in very rugged scenarios. Moving in open spaces can be lethal without cover, and attacking a base without the collaboration of the team, unless we have a supine dexterity, simply will weaken our side. In a tactical battle, we must collaborate with our companions, attack as a group and complement each other. For example, if three teammates get together to attack a base, two of them can dedicate themselves to the assault and one of them to support with smoke grenades, cover fire, and back surveillance.
Such a title may not be as fun for certain types of players, but for many others, the possibilities offered by Insurgency: Sandstorm will be a delight. The careful selection of weapons, the vigilance of recoil, the caution in the most open spaces, the assault or defense missions in which we must have different game mentalities, and the fact that the game rewards the achievement of objectives versus killing for fun, there are many additions that will make many shooters lovers enjoy everything that Insurgency: Sandstorm can give us. Graphically it will not catch up with other giants in the industry, but in terms of mechanics and game experience, this installment is a magnificent option.
▪ Release date: 12/12/2018