Weary of Call of Duty? Insurgency: Sandstorm is your new go-to shooter

Activision has it clear: Call of Duty Vanguard has not met the expectations. The community is marking in red next October 28, the date on which what they call "the new era" for the saga will debut. Modern Warfare 2 is present in the publisher's plans, but until then it is necessary to look for alternatives in the genre. Among them is Insurgency: Sandstorm, a shooter halfway between the tactical and the high speed of the modern mainstream.

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The strengths of Insurgency: Sandstorm

Insurgency: Sandstorm proposes a set of rules that differ from the standard modern shooter. Few bullets are required to end an enemy and the damage received is not automatically regenerated. Character handling is consistent with reality: the weight of equipment on the back will slow you down, running wastes stamina and makes you inaccurate when aiming suddenly, among other elements.

Weapons are also part of the game's environment, that is to say, their size is registered and influences when it comes to leaning out of windows, doors and diverse structures. It is a game with enough components to classify it as a tactical shooter, but at the same time, it looks for a fast and intense experience. There is no room for rest.

Visual and gameplay aids are also reduced. The gunplay is exquisite: each weapon has its strengths and weaknesses, including what we mentioned earlier about space. If we take a submachine gun as an example, you'll be able to get out of the way faster than with an assault rifle. It's not enough to just reach out and aim. In addition, the type of firing discards any use of random dispersion: the bullets go where the barrel points with the characteristic pattern of the weapon. Measuring recoil and distance is part of your progression curve.

Up to 24 players can play in different game modes, which represent the most popular aspects of multiplayer shooters. We find Domination, Checkpoint and Frontline, among others. The most popular is Push, which pits attackers and defenders against each other around the capture of an objective for each zone.

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Additional content related to maps, weapons and modes are completely free; the only monetization consists of cosmetics. Characters are divided into classes whose equipment varies depending on what role they play in battle. At the time of writing, there are 15 maps that can be played both day and night.

Where can I play it?

Insurgency: Sandstorm is available on PS4, Xbox One and PC; playable on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S through the backwards compatibility system. New World Interactive expects to release a dedicated patch to take full advantage of next-gen consoles sometime in the remainder of 2022. Unfortunately, it does not feature cross-play support.

The game is currently part of the Days of Play offers on PS Store. Until June 9 you will find it at $26.79, 33% off its suggested retail price.