Insurgency Review | Hey Poor Player

Hey Poor Player's Jonathan Trussler writes: "Have you ever wanted to experience the life of an embattled solider having to clean up the mess of one of George Bush’s ill-fated oil wars? Well, if you do, you’re out of luck! If you just want an abbreviated version of that experience focusing on the battles, you might enjoy Insurgency: a multiplayer team-focused FPS set during the occupation of Iraq. Insurgency’s selling point is its more down to earth depiction of the well worn trope of being a soldier who shoots dudes in wars. Even in the game’s only single-player mission – the tutorial that introduces you to the basics – your rugged sergeant is quick to inform you: “Stand back, this ain’t the movies, those C4 make a big bang” as if to underline the focus on realism. It’s pretty silly for Insurgency to advertise itself as being realistic though, when it’s about two precisely balanced teams standing on equidistant glowing objective letters to capture them."

[PixelGateUk]

I disagree with some of points highlighted. Not all games need to have a reward system or unlocks.

[BrickHardcastle]

If it's a multiplayer only game, rewards and unlocks are important to many people in the absence of a more conventional campaign or story mode. Sure, it'd be fine if the base game was really fun, but it isn't, so the lack of unlocks just magnifies the futility of playing.

[PixelGateUk]

It's a £10.99 game that nails tactical multiplayer action. How would it be better to have weapon unlocks hidden by some forced in levelling system?

I get it's a niche game, the same way it was a niche mod, but it accomplishes what it sets out to do. It's not for everyone, the harshness of the closing paragraph certainly confirms it in this case :P

[BrickHardcastle]

@PixelGateUk

It doesn't have to have that, but it would be nice if there was some sort of sense of progression. Also, I never once went into a lobby to encounter anything resembling tactical action or teamwork. Just a lot of dudes yelling racist jokes over voicechat.

There are countless other multiplayer games that reward players for working well as a team or for playing skillfully. A lot of them have far more complex systems, original premises or outright fun to them than Insurgency.

If you want a more realistic, multi-player only CoD then great, Insurgency is a somewhat flawed version of that. For those of us outside that niche, there's very little interesting here, hence why I feel the harshness is justified.

[Shadowgate]

Amazing game so much better then BF/COD.

[Codewow]

I'm mixed on this review. I disagree that the game needs a leveling/unlock system. I agree that game modes need to be more varied. I bought into insurgency at the price of $5 for 4 copies on humble bundle. The sole reason was to have a shooter that was hardcore fun, without the hardcore "ebola" that games like CS:GO consist of.