Insurgency

🎮 Steam ⏳ 30 hours ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Realism Over Arcade #

The first Insurgency entry is a tactical first-person shooter that sets itself apart from mainstream military shooters with its focus on realism and teamwork. The gunplay is unforgiving, with players often going down after just a few shots, which makes every movement and decision matter. The lack of a traditional HUD and minimal on-screen guidance amplify the tension, pushing you to rely on awareness, communication, and coordination rather than arcade-style reflexes.

Gritty Multiplayer Focus #

The atmosphere is one of the game’s strongest aspects. Weapons feel powerful, the sound design is sharp and immersive, and firefights carry a gritty, high-stakes intensity. While the graphics were already modest at release, the design choices still manage to create a grounded and believable setting. Multiplayer is where the game shines, with modes that reward patience, precision, and working together with your team. Overall, Insurgency is a demanding but rewarding experience.

Niche Yet Demanding #

It isn’t built for casual play or those looking for cinematic campaigns, but for fans of realistic shooters who value tension, lethality, and teamwork, it delivers a gripping and memorable multiplayer experience. I don’t recommend this game nowadays because it’s player-base is very small, instead I recommend trying it’s sequel, called Insurgency Sandstorm, which improves the base game on every aspect possible.

Source Engine Showcase #

One of it’s biggest standouts is that this game was made using the Source Engine, the Valve engine which powers games like Half Life and Portal. This shows how flexible and powerful this engine is, even when creating such a niche videogame, which is this tactical realistic slow-paced FPS. Unfortunately I could never experience it’s sequel since there are no South America servers, so the high ping level makes this unplayable, even more so because it is as intensive as the first entry.