Game Info

Developer: New World Interactive
Publisher: New World Interactive
Review Platform: PC (Steam)
Review Copy Provided By: New World Interactive
Release Date:  January 21, 2014

Review

I feel as if the majority of us are about done with modern first person shooters, but, it seems developers are not exactly done giving them to us. The main problem that I have with most of these games is that they attempt to portray a realistic situation, while simultaneously striping the gameplay of any and all realism. Insurgency is one of a dying breed, a game of unapologetically tactical combat and a reliance on actual teamwork, but for all of its promise, it still has the feeling of being unfinished.

When it comes to combat, there is very little to complain about. Action is intense and heart pounding, while still maintaining some more stealth elements. Lone wolf gameplay is largely ineffective, because one group of two can easily out maneuver and gun you down. This is due to the fact that only one or two bullets are required to eliminate an opponent. Watching my first enemy drop from a well-placed bullet to the head left me with a feeling of utter satisfaction.

This is a tactical game through and through. Fighting in a PvP style match might make you realize that you aren’t in Call of Duty anymore. People don’t get “360 Quick Scope” kills nor can they “Drop-shot” you, because if you were to attempt any of that, it would most likely result in a quick kill for the enemy. This game is not meant for the person who requires a 24/7 sensory overload, but for the ones who can relish quiet moments of nail-biting anticipation, followed by quick, yet satisfying moments of combat. There is also a fairly unique inventory system where you can only carry a certain amount of items based off of the total weight of the items that you have equipped already. Items range from a silencer for a pistol to a heavy combat jacket.

One of the most triumphant successes and tragic failures of Insurgency takes the form of the cooperative mode. Playing through the match and completing various objectives with a group of fellow players feels so real and intense. Watching your entire team slowly approach the target building only to engage in gut-wrenching combat a few moments later is truly amazing. The real problems of the co-op mode start and end with the enemy AI. When they are not hitting you with pin point accuracy across the map, they are staring blankly and motionless at you. If they are able to at least make the AI as intelligent as the rest of Insurgency, this would be a mode I would frequent long after this review.

The maps did little to blow my mind, but there was nothing inherently wrong with them. I found no points on any maps that were used unfairly, and both close and long range combat is encouraged on all maps. My main issue with these maps is that they are just so generic. It is hard create a map in a modern combat shooter that is wholly unique, but these felt aesthetically lazy.

Thanks to the help of a few pre and post launch patches, Insurgency is now a fully functional game with very limited technical problems. After the last of these patches had been implemented, I noticed almost no hiccups whatsoever, and while co-op mode still remains fairly broken, matches no longer crash randomly.

3.5/5

I enjoyed Insurgency a lot. Slower paced, more deliberate combat is my preferred kind of multiplayer, and this did an exemplary job. I do find it unfortunate that nothing interesting could be done with the maps, and that cooperative mode was not as functional as I would have liked it to be, but if you are solely interested in playing against other players, then this would be a game to look at.