6.0

Review: Insurgency Sandstorm

Insurgency Sandstorm on the PS5 is a game that shows at startup that it's actually coming from a different time. The original version was released on December 12, 2018, and you can feel it all. What we get on the PS5 is not a modern reissue or remaster with renewed graphics or improved control, but simply a polished version of that old game. The resolution is slightly sharper, the loading times are shorter, but there is little that suggests that this is a title that really uses the power of a new console. It feels more like someone just switched over the old PC version and then put a PS5 sticker on it.

That is a shame, because the basis of Insurgency Sandstorm remains essentially strong. The game has always been meant as a realistic tactical shooter, in which bullets are deadly, communication is crucial and één wrong motion can make the difference between life and death. No excessive perks, no nonsense killstreaks, but raw battles in which every shot counts. That realism still occasionally creates moments of tension and satisfaction. When you're in cover, the dust flies around you and you gently take out an enemy with ééNice shot, then you can see why this game was once so popular with fans of tactical shooters.

It's just too bad there's hardly anyone left to share that feeling these days. The multiplayer is as good as dead. Servers are empty, waiting times are long, and if you already find a game, chances are half the opponents are bots. That takes away a huge piece of charm. Insurgency was at its best when players worked together, covered each other and slowly advanced through narrow streets or dusty villages. Now it all feels empty, like you're floating around in an old abandoned game that once had life in it. That may be the biggest loss of this PS5 version: The soul of the multiplayer is gone.

Fortunately, the single player and co-op mode is still worth a while. The missions are not particularly original, but they offer enough challenge to continue playing. The AI is not brilliant, but sometimes surprisingly bright, so you still have to stay sharp. The fights are exciting enough, especially because your health is limited and ééA bullet could be fatal. That tension is what the game still excels in. Yet you also notice here that the age of the game sounds. The missions are quite monotonous, the environment is often bald and the presentation is dated. There's no real story that you take with you or characters that impress. Everything is purely about the action, and that is sometimes nice, but after a few hours you start to feel the repetition.

Graphically, the PS5 version is disappointing. Of course, the game looks a little sharper than before, but it remains clearly a product of 2018. The textures are vague, the lighting is flat and the animations are woody. At a time when shooters such as Modern Warfare III and Battlefield 2042 present visually impressive worlds, Sandstorm feels outdated. It is not an ugly game, but certainly not something that impresses. The environments are functional, but lack atmosphere. Explosions have little impact, dust and smoke eyes artificially, and the characters sometimes move as if they were from a previous generation. The PS5 can do so much more, and it is frustrating to see that so little effort has been made to use it.

The control doesn't feel good either. At times buttons react slowly or not at all, especially when actions like reloading or throwing grenades. That seems small, but in a game where precision and timing are everything, it disturbs enormously. It seems that the switch from PC to console has not been carefully addressed. On the PC the game once felt tight and precise; Here it sometimes feels log and clumsy. For example, the triggers of the DualSense controller are hardly exploited, which is a missed opportunity. With a little attention, the game here could have really benefited from what the PS5 has to offer, but that has not happened.

I'm glad you're all right. The weapons sounds are raw and realistic, and that still contributes a lot to the atmosphere. Every bullet sounds powerful and every explosion has weight. The soundtrack is minimal, but that actually fits the style of the game. The silence between the gunfights makes it more exciting, and the shots feel extra intense. Sandstorm is still convincing in that respect.

What is particularly striking is that the game feels like a missed opportunity. The base is still solid, the gameplay is tight, realism speaks and the tension of each fight is unique. But everything around it has stuck in the past. No technical improvements, no new content and especially no living community to play with. If this had been a completely renewed version, with better graphics, improved control and active multiplayer, then Insurgency Sandstorm could really have meant something on the PS5. Now it feels like you're trying out an old relic that once was impressive, but now out of date.

For new players who have never tried it, it can be fun to experience the game for a while. The single player is entertaining enough for a few evenings and the realistic shooting is still satisfactory. But for those looking for a modern shooter experience with active online fights, smooth controls and strong graphics, this is not the right choice. The PS5 version simply offers too little news to recommend.

Insurgency Sandstorm once had a clear identity: realistic action without fuss, a game that rewards you for patience and cooperation. That identity is still visible, but faded by time. On the PS5 it feels like a game that accidentally stuck between two generations, too old to be fresh but too recent to become really nostalgic. That makes it hard to stay really excited.

If you add all aspects together, the dead multiplayer, the moderate graphic upgrade, the clumsy control and the lack of new content, there's nothing left but a game that just oké is. Not bad, but not particularly. A shooter that you can try if you want something tactical and realistic, but probably soon forget.