Insurgency: Sandstorm

Played a lot. Liked the game.

Now they added kernel level anti-cheat.

I only play online with friends, so I don't want some random software running at kernel level and the having to get a degree in computer science to manually remove it from my computer.

Chinese account rug pull. Anyone who gets past level 300 is a target of account attacks and swiping because of its value. 1,000s of bot accounts which sit at spawn the whole game. Only leaving or getting kicked when they are the last man alive, despite the 2 minutes and 30 seconds idle auto kicker (this has slowly gotten better). I've already had several accounts and they all get swiped around level 400. This also explains why almost every level 1000+ account doesn't even sprint or aim. The game is also extremely horrible with its servers always crashing, in the wrong regions, having no other players, and server side save issues after its removal of the developer team. These save issues reset settings, loadouts, and cosmetics, even paid ones. If this wasn't bad enough, this game falls into a gray area of realism shooters. Causing chaos within the fanbase between normal, chill people and milslim nerds who kick and teamkill you for taking their role or getting more kills. This also comes with no punishments of any amount for teamkilling or trolls.

A game made for fat dudes who almost joined, but "Woulda punched the drill sergeant in the face". Gunplay is fun, but overall I feel like the game gets repetitive fast.

This is by far one of my most favourite coop games. It all started with the original insurgency and a love bloomed for fighting with people against the ai. PvE became my home.

So it pains me to have to not recommend this game, even tho I do recommend it, its just the developers need to listen.. it would be real nice if the developers could stop screwing things up instead of making things better. Every year it seems like we players are struggling or having to work around an update that breaks things or adds unwanted features... now this all wouldnt be a problem if the fixes came fast but they NEVER do!!! Don't get me wrong there is many many months of awesome game time in between these monumental screw ups once they fix what they broke.. and then the next update that adds amazing content arrives but then breaks something else thats been working for ages...

PvE, some maps are straight up broken for outpost mode, enemies getting stuck or grouping up away from the obj.. how can things work flawlessly for so long then after an update that has nothing to do with that certain mechanic, just somehow break?! Wheres the playtesting?!

Now everytime you start the game it resets your cosmetic loadout so you have to rebuild it.. ok im sure that will be fixed but then you realize something while trying to rebuild your look.. you CANT!! Theyve made so many changes/ removals of cosmetic items which makes no sense... the options have been limited like never before..

At the end of the day, im just blown away that the developers do this.. like don't you love your own game?

One of the best shooter games with a poor management.

I had played this game before in Xbox Gamepass, now that is not longer there I just bought on Steam.

The game is so fun. But often the game experiece is so bad;
- The lack of good servers outside the U.S or Europe makes the game experience often unfair or unplayable, I had never got ping below 88, and the average ping is 120, wich in a Shooter FPS game is very high.

- Also the game has a poor administration in the running game balance, there's times where you are just 3 guys against a team of 8, and the game does nothing about it. I wish there was a better player and server managment on play time.

Beside all that, the game is tactically good, it has good balance in strategy and average Shooter Gameplay, if the game didn't have those issues that I mentioned before, I would give it a 9/10, but the game is 6.5/10 right now. So the game is just worth it.

Bought 2 DLCs for this game, have the steam receipts and everything, both of them failed to process as purchased, restarted to game twice, uninstalled and reinstalled, Steam told me the content was installed. Only 2.69 per, but that don't matter, this is an issue which I have seen isn't unique to me and is costing people actual money. Stupid it hasn't been addressed at all.

Despite how much it hurts me to say this, I cannot recommend this game to a new player, as it is on a steady player-base decline, and it seems like no amount of updates can resuscitate it. Despite the steam community tab stating it has over 2000 players active, I can't seem to match into more than one server per gamemode, even when trying multiple times. This was during the most active hours in EU.

The game has a horrendous new-player experience, with an outdated tutorial, unbalanced matches, and so on.

I don't even wanna mention the auto-balance. Manage to carry your entire team of babbling morons to the last objective so hard the enemy team leaves? Have fun getting swtiched to the losing team, as everything you worked for is instantly undone. Just fire the person that designed this shit.

Worst of all is the popularity of team stacking - that is, multiple experienced players getting into large groups and all stacking into the same team - which often leads to a match where one side has no-one over level 150, while the other team has 6+ players sweating their nuts off in a VC. As players in groups cannot be auto-balanced to the losing team, this leads to 90% of matches being complete steamrolls, where one team ends a Push match in less than 10 minutes. I should know how bad it's gotten - I'm guilty of that myself. It gets boring pretty quick - for both sides.

Of course, the decreasing playerbase is pretty normal for a niche game like this, and as mutch as I'm sad to admit it - Insurgency is at the end of it's lifecycle.

If you're interested, please look for greener pastures. This game is breathing it's last dying breaths.

P.S.: Not to mention the large amount of - seemingly inconsequential - bugs, their sheer number slowly degrading your ability to enjoy the game. The more you play - the more you notice them. And with each new update, something else breaks in an annoying way. There's always something with this game.

Currently giving this game a negative review right now, while the Gameplay is good and fun, the issue i have currently is with the Year 3 DLC Pass, which despite being purchased, hasn't unlocked any of the cosmetic content for me.

Great game, great FPS, enjoyable maps, repeat play value, and good team feels. Most of my experiences have been positive.

got called a un-loved child for using a sniper....they aint wrong 10/10 game doe

If you're sick of the same copy-paste military shooters pumped out by AAA studios with bloated budgets and nothing to say, Insurgency: Sandstorm might just be your antidote.

Forget the press releases disguised as reviews from corporate games media. You won’t find a patronizing breakdown of how “problematic” guns are or a weird obsession with whether the game is “inclusive” enough. Most players aren't here for that. What Insurgency: Sandstorm actually offers is a tight, immersive, and brutally unforgiving tactical FPS that values skill, communication, and realism over flashy unlocks or killstreak gimmicks.

Gameplay: Punishing, Precise, and Immersive
This is where Sandstorm shines. Gunplay has actual weight. There’s no hitmarker dopamine rush or arcade nonsense. A single bullet can take you down, and every engagement matters. Recoil isn’t something you ignore with attachments—it’s a core mechanic you have to learn and respect.

The game doesn’t handhold. There’s no minimap, no magical HUD markers showing you where enemies are hiding. You rely on your squad, your ears, and your instincts. That’s what makes this game hit different. You feel the tension in every corner you clear.

YouTubers like OperatorDrewski and Controlled Pairs have sung the game’s praises for years, not because it’s perfect, but because it gets what tactical shooters are supposed to be. Their content highlights just how immersive it can be when you actually communicate with your squad and treat each life like it matters.

Visuals and Audio: Grit Over Glamour
Don’t expect Call of Duty level visuals here, but that's not a complaint—it’s deliberate. Sandstorm goes for gritty realism. Environments feel lived-in, war-torn, and dirty. Audio design is phenomenal. Gunfire cracks with terrifying volume, distant screams echo through alleyways, and airstrikes shake your entire screen. The chaos isn’t Hollywood—it’s grounded. You’ll duck when you hear a sniper shot ring out near you. That’s how good the sound design is.

Community and Mods: A Double-Edged Sword
One thing indie gamers love is modding and community content. Sandstorm has support for this, and that’s a massive plus. From custom maps to total overhauls, the community keeps breathing new life into the game—especially when official updates slow down.

That said, the game isn’t without its flaws. Matchmaking can be rough, some updates have broken more than they’ve fixed, and new content rolls out slower than players would like. But again, this isn’t a live-service cash grab. You’re not paying $70 for a broken game and then more for a battle pass. You’re paying for an experience that, when it works, is damn satisfying.

Verdict: Not for Everyone, but That’s the Point
Insurgency: Sandstorm is the kind of game mainstream reviewers don't know how to talk about. It doesn’t check their boxes. It’s not “approachable,” it doesn’t have a political agenda, and it’s not trying to please everyone. And thank god for that.

This is a shooter for people who want guns to be scary, who want voice chat to matter, who want stakes and strategy instead of unlock trees and KD ratios. It’s a game that earns your respect, not your attention span.

Really fun game would highly recommend. Feels a bit laggy and weird after classic insurgency - but still fun and playable. I played 322 hours on it I definitely got my moneys worth. I hope you enjoy it. Have a great day!

7 years later, still a banger. I keep coming back to this game constantly every few months

I have a love-hate relationship with this game. Love it because of the larp. Hate it because I'm dogsht at the game lol

Good shooter, best graphics and fun

Propably the best weapon handling in any game I've ever played. Also, my first game where I've made a russian speaking guy screaming is lungs out. I've now experienced gaming culture to its fullest.

the game overall is pretty fun, played it on xbox and now steam. shooting feels gritty and heavy like it should in a tactical shooter. the game gets occasional updates, has a solid community, and recently started nativity in game supporting mods which is a great addition.

my only real cons with the game is once you reach lvl 20 you simply have everything so your level just becomes a flexing contest, another problem i had was i bought paid cosmetics and they simply never showed up in game not sure why, so i refunded that.

picked the game up for $10 USD 8/10 for the price

Go to hеll with your broken game! First learn how to do service, then release updates with free trash cosmetics which breaks personalized presets that took a lot of time to make it.
I've had enough this was the last straw, I'm not going to feed any more talentless people who are unable to release updates without breaking something in the game!

The game is ridiculously underrated. It took a bit of time learning the flow of the game, but after that it was smooth sailing.
REMEMBER, in this game your KD DOES NOT MATTER. You're going to die very quickly to people you don't see sometimes, but you'll be also killing people very quickly in places they can't see sometimes too. KD does not matter, PLAYING THE OBJECTIVE IS ALL THAT MATTERS. Staying alive and picking off random enemies is not always beneficial to your team, but if you take points and give support, NO ONE CARES EVEN IF YOU'RE GOING 2:5:10 (KAD). Once I understood this the game became super fun, and honestly for me personally it hits the perfect line between realism and arcade. Your character isn't handling their guns like an unexperienced 10 year old with an AR 15 (like in squad), games don't take too long to the point your life is sucked away (like 10-20 minutes and smooth transitions to the next game), and the TTK is quick but rewarding. Also shotguns in this game are as strong as rifles, as unlike games like cod they can actually kill people from pretty damn far away even with buckshot (I FUCKING LOVE THE KS 23). Also even though the game isn't super popular its still not hard to find a lobby, sometimes the game gets me one in like under 5 or 10 seconds.
tl;dr: the game is fucking fun, please try it, it IS worth it in 2025. 8.5/10 nice c0ck

great game but they sold and abandoned it now only useless gun additions or cosmetic bundles

A good game on a technical level held back by terribly unbalanced win conditions. A game that could definitely be good, if the devs bothered to let it be.

Imagine an alcoholic spending $10-15 on a bottle and able to drink it for 400+ hours, anytime they want. Insurgency: Sandstorm is like that to me. It is a great game that trains my eye and reaction, a game that keeps reminding me of a lesson that David Goggins has learnt and talked about in his book "Can't Hurt Me". It was that a leader should lift everyone up and together complete the objective, instead of just focusing on being the best in the team. If you like shooting guns and having fun with your friends or random strangers on the weekend, this game is worth a try!

Fun i have played many matches of the game and it never gets old it is always a refreshing time when playing.

I love Insurgency: Sandstorm for its perfect balance of arcade action and military simulation - it's intense, realistic, but still fun to play on PC or console.

This game is a cross between a military sim and COD. It doesn't have 10 ways of crouching but its not run and gun either. You kill in 1 or 2 shots, you rarely see the enemy, but it's not CONFUSING. Maps are long hallways with open areas and a lot of CQC. Running is not advised and you are constantly crouching and peeking, Definitely recommend 100%. Extremely easy to run if your PC is not good.

Server lag is horrendous. I've had server latency and bad ping since i started playing this game. the game itself is amazing.

Brutal game that requires dedication to understand fully, not for the faint of heart.

Do you want to play ARMA or Squad, but don't want to march hours, only to die without ever seeing anyone? Do you like to feel like you are actually under fire when bullets start raining towards you? Then this might be for you. It's relatively fast paced, it's fun, you get to modify guns, and you can play your role in the team. Even the community is quite alright, at least compared to any other game scene. HINT: disable cross-play with consoles by disabling the option to allow matches with different input devices. This increases your experience by 6000% by locking out console players from your matches.

Few complaints:

- Team killing is punished way too little. It should give -3000xp match XP for teamkill, and for 3 team kills in a match it should substract a level from you in addition to current kicking from match. This should not apply to commander, as they have no control for morons running under their artillery. Currently 3/4 deaths I suffer are from team kills.

- Match should not start without commander and observer.

alacaksanız ilk oyunu alın daha stabil daha çok keyif alırsınız bu oyunda + olarak pek birşey yok ayrıca oyun bozuk çileden çıkarsınız

t'aime defoncer des sacrer fripouille vers la stratosphère, c'est le jeu idéal. Par contre, je ne vais pas te mentir, les graphique ressemblent à un quart de livre tout foiré chez Mcdo. Bref, si tu veux éviter les embrouilles, pogne-toi une tabanrak de bateuse de QC Joe Rambo

Le jeu est bon, quand ca prend pas 3 business day trouver une game.

Les graphiques ca ressemble un peu a de la plastine, mais bon.

C'est quand même pas pire voir les fripouille foutre le camp quand tu les ddefonce avec ta sacrament de batteuse.

Wouldn't have thought I'd review this game as negative, but the last 3 days my experience has been sub-par to say the least. For Versus, mode Push, Frontline, Domination and Firefight I cannot get into any server. Even with crossplay enabled and very leniently set. EU and West US. I can't imagine there aren't any servers.
Aside from that, matchmaking is an absolute turd of a system. For some reason I keep getting matched with people of rank 600+ on the other side and absolute newbs, like myself in this game, on my team. Because of the giant skill gap it's hard to distinguish cheater from pro.

My boyfriend and I alternate between being Observer and Commander. He usually likes being Observer but I think he is a great Commander and always uses the microphone to touch the players nicely.
(don't be shy about using the mic)

It is a perfect game except for the cheaters in PvP. Cheaters killing PvP mode.

Weapons have a realistic feel and are well optimized. Sniper zoom is sometimes bugging and weapon cannot be used. I can fix it by switch to the secondary weapon. I wanted to report it to the developers.

The Crossplay update ruined the intensity of the matches and I notice that a lot of the game modes are a lot less played. Cutting lobby max player numbers was a terrible move.

É um jogo de "TFPS" coringa pra jogar partidas rápidas com os amigos. Àqueles jogadores vindos de Squad, Arma, Ground Branch, recomendo jogar diretamente no modo hardcore. Qualquer tentativa de ser "tático" em SandStorm é um tanto boba porque o jogo é arcade de modo geral, porém ele é um jogo macio, leve e que equilibra bem o "passar batom" e dar tiro sem custar uma ou duas horas da sua vida, mas ainda assim não ser vanilleiro como BF, COD, e afins.

I have played a lot of games and I feel like this on takes the cake.
For one, it was not the most expensive game but it is one I always find myself playing.
There is not a lot of mental investment into this game which I enjoy. Coming from working full time with two kids, this is a joy to hop in and hop out.
The AI co-op mode is goat, even though sometimes the AI is lasering you, do not have to deal with all of the multiplayer sweats.
I only wish they had more maps, maybe even different eras of warfare.

Excellent game. It's a nice mix between arcade shooter and MilSim, paired with slow movement and powerful weapons requiring for every decision to be tactical if you want to live. It would be 10/10 if they remove the 40mm Grenade Launcher and nerf the AI-controlled helicopters.

I love how realistic the game is. It took some time to get used to the gameplay but since I did, I've been having the time of my life playing with friends.

really good game!. it's best of all worlds, mix of every little fps genre combined into one, beautifully crafted multiplayer fps shooter. ONE OF THE BEST! really love it!

Almost 10 years old and the devs only care about their hilarious bad skins that noone wants, money greedy slags. Servers lag constantly every day no support and all good fun modes get rotated out instant when it gets the player count up. NWI rly good at destroying their own game over the Years, I was a hardcore Insurgeny player an sandstorm aswell but its just not it anymore sadly. Thx NWI C....nts. DONT BUY

this game gives me so much satisfaction on fun play and clearing tactics

Great game. I can let out my inner Uncle Sam or gehtto arab out.

This game fucking rocks. Finally a game with realistic damage and strategies that plays tactically while still remaining casual. There still hasn't been to top this yet.

No ogólnie spoko, szkoda że nie dodają żadnych nowych map tylko w kółko męczy się te same, ale samo strzelanie i gejmplej jak najbardziej fajne, coś pomiędzy realizmem a Call of Duty

THE GREATEST GAME EVER.

The main reason I like it cause of the balance of the game and the ability to design your character based on what you prefer. There is not just a single loadout that is effective, but your loadout is effective based on the way you play.

Unlike the other games that are a lot bigger, this game allows you to enjoy the gameplay rather having hard crashes as a result of the overload of your gaming laptop or pc.

SO, if you are condering getting the game, please do so. The experience will be incredible and highly recommend it.

tbh i love this game, i cant put it down! i love playing it so much i bought a 9070 Nitro+ xD .... But idk whats up with the significant amount of negative reviews among so many other people who like the game as much as i do. but we do need more Maps Asap!! but not some manufactured crap!! keep bringing out banger after banger!

Great middle ground for all FPS tastes. Very realistic mechanics, sounds, recoil, etc but fast paced objective modes (no staging like in other milsim games). You lean in to get a better look and suddenly you get shot and feel it in real life

It still stands out even after 8 long years of it's release, I wish the servers were a little closer to my physical location and this game had a Competitive and rank based match making. Otherwise I love it, Lets see how long can this game live.

hacks. trying to play co-op and its all hacked. if your going to charge money, get your act together.

wonderful game super realistic, love the game. would recommend to anyone who loves 1st shooters