Insurgency Review

Insurgency is a sequel to the popular game ‘INSURGENCY: Modern Infantry Combat’ total conversion mod for Valve Software’s Source Engine.

I was excited to see what this game was like, and how it would stack up against other popular First Person Shooters like Call of Duty and Halo. Most shooters these days go for a futuristic style, which is extremely fast-paced. Insurgency takes a more realistic approach, and feels more like the Counter-Strike franchise.

There are two factions in the game, Insurgents and Security military contractors. I will start by saying that the game is really hard. Games like halo use boosts and shields that increase your survival time, but here its much more realistic. The game is set in Muslim nations, and has a nice variety of environments. The game is pretty violent, but the game is going for realism. The game doesn’t really have any type of story, and like most shooters nowadays, it focuses more on the multiplayer elements, which is a real shame in my opinion.

The game has supply points, where you can upgrade and buy your weapons and other supplies. You gain points in the game by capturing bases and eliminating enemies. It’s very important to focus your upgrades and find the best loadouts that suit your playstyle. There is a PVP mode called Firefight, where you battle to hold three objectives. Strike is a mode where you have to destroy three weapon caches. There is also a mode called Push, wherethe attacking team has to take points in order.

Insurgency is mainly focused on multiplayer and co-op gameplay. In the co-op modes you are put in a team of 6-8 players. The game then tells you what your objectives are, whether its capturing bases, holding areas or capturing weapons. The gameplay feels hard but very responsive. As I said before, the game is going for realism and you have to be aware that your player doesn’t take much damage before dying. You will probably die a lot in this game if you are expecting to take damage like you do in Call of Duty. Hit zones are realistic, like headshots actually causing heavy damage. It’s important to have a good internet connection and setup that will allow you to play the game properly.

When you join a session, you will choose from various roles that include a marksman, sniper and support. The main differences between the classes is the types of weapons you will use. This is where you can decide if you want to use sniper rifles, machine guns or other weapons. As you unlock more supply points within the game, you will have more frequent access to weapons and supplies. The weapons can have various attachments like flashlights, foregrips and scopes. These attachments can be hugely beneficial, and help you survive that little bit longer.

You also have armour in the game, which includes light and heavy versions. There are also grenades, C4 and flare guns that can be used. The game overall doesn’t have as many weapons as say Halo, but there is enough choice here to keep gameplay interesting. The game does have some issues that I encountered, like glitches and AI acting strongly, but overall it seemed decent enough.

The presentation of the game is ok, but the world can feel a bit sparse at times, and lacks the character of other modern-day shooters. The graphics feel a bit bland, but the game runs at a high framerate, that didn’t seem to drop. The texture detail is pretty poor, but I’m sure that it’s something that can be improved over time. The sound design is mixed, the weapons and sound effects sound great, but the voice acting is fairly awful.

I have to say that I’m not really a massive online multiplayer gamer, or a FPS kind of gamer, but I still enjoyed my time with Insurgency. The game has some great potential, and I appreciated the realistic approach and style. You can play the game solo, but I think it offers a better experience if you play co-op. I would have liked to have seen a bit more depth in terms of customization and upgrades to your character and equipment. Insurgency is a fun game once you get to grips with the modes and controls, but I’m concerned about the longevity of the game in a climate of highly popular shooters like Call of Duty, Halo and the upcoming Division game.

REVIEW CODE: A complimentary PC code was provided to Brash Games for this review. Please send all review code enquiries to editor@brashgames.co.uk.