Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 299 sampled Steam reviews (235 positive / 64 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Multiplayer & servers10% mention it
- Performance4% mention it
- Combat4% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Multiplayer & servers23% mention it
- Bugs & crashes9% mention it
- Difficulty & balance9% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
65%
48 reviews
5-15h
84%
45 reviews
15-40h
74%
65 reviews
40-100h
85%
59 reviews
100h+
83%
82 reviews
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 79 | 25 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 85% | 78 | 1124 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 80% | 74 | 3000 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Dec 5, 2024) · 300 reviews sampled · 11150 total reviews in window · weighted 185.9 up / 57.6 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (54)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 80
“Insurgency: Sandstorm is a well-crafted PvP tactical shooter that holds its own against the big titles in the genre. Unlike them, however, it places a strong emphasis on atmosphere and tactical thinking. It’s more of a hardcore multiplayer shooter built on clearly defined gameplay principles, mechanics, modes, and maps. However, this isn’t a game for everyone, if you’re looking for an arena shooter with nonstop shooting, running, and jumping, you won’t find it here. On the contrary, it’s important to think through every move you make, and it’s also wise to carefully plan your gear and the strategy you’ll use to take down your opponents.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Insurgency: Sandstorm sits between two worlds. In one hand, it tries to make more approachable to newcomers. On the other, its matchmaking system, lack of interesting and unique maps makes it a game only for the most dedicated players.”
read full review ↗ - 80
- 75
“Insurgency: Sandstorm offers an intense tactical FPS experience, but needs more polish and content”
read full review ↗ - 75
“A very good game that needs some amount of polishing and balancing to really shine.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Insurgency: Sandstorm is finally coming to Xbox. It is a fresh proposal for fans of multiplayer shooters with a realistic and tactical aspect. And the adaptation to console meets what was expected at a technical level, with good performance, which was what we were most concerned about.”
read full review ↗ - 87
“Insurgency: Sandstorm is one of the most surprising games of this generation. With amazing sound design, solid gunplay and original ideas, it has become perfect game for FPS gamers.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Insurgency: Sandstorm was a bit of a mystery to me going into it; I grew up playing countless hours of Team Fortress (the original!), Counterstrike, and Unreal Tournament, leading all the way through to modern shooters like Call of Duty, Player Unknown's Battlegrounds, Arma, and Battlefield, so I was not sure what to think going in. Boy was I shaken to my core; my daughter would often pop her head into the room to check up on me as I giddily laughed or made some exclamation at the awesomeness that will be found throughout the entirety of Insurgency: Sandstorm. Well done I say, well done indeed.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“Insurgency: Sandstorm is a really great and realistic shooter for the most demanding players, but the current technical condition of the game is simply poor.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Overall, I enjoyed my time with Insurgency: Sandstorm, and whenever the mood strikes for an intense, realistic shooter, this will probably be my game of choice. It isn't as punishing as something like Arma, but it still offers fantastic audio and a brutal TTK that forces the player to slow down, think about their steps, and use all the tools the game puts at their disposal. One can't go into this game hoping for a sleek experience. The technical side of the game is just as gritty as its combat. In the heat of an intense battle, your processor will also put out some heat. Hopefully, New World Interactive can devote some time toward the technical side of things and put as much care into that as it did the audio and gameplay. If the developer can fix those issues, Insurgency: Sandstorm would be one of the better competitive shooters available on Steam.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Insurgency: Sandstorm offers a brutal, satisfying and bleak FPS experience for those willing to immerse themselves in its tactical, punishing offering. Despite some glitches and slightly repetitive design, it stands tall as an inspiring shooter that will improve not only your skills as a player, but will also have you thinking like a soldier. The desert may be a Hellish place to be, but damn is it a rewarding and satisfying experience too. If you enjoy multiplayer shooters, there are firefights here you need to engage in for yourself.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Insurgency: Sandstorm needs a bit more polish to be the outstanding sequel it should be but if you overlook the issues you'll find a fairly enjoyable multiplayer title.”
read full review ↗
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Worth Playing
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GameGrin…and 42 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Update 1.21 Operation: Breachpoint – Minor PatchJul 15, 2026
- Update 1.19 Operation: Shell Shock - Hotfix 1Nov 17, 2025
- Update 1.18 Operation: Overrun - Release NotesApr 22, 2025
- Update 1.17 Operation: Resurgence - Hotfix 1Dec 12, 2024
- Update 1.17 Operation: Resurgence - Release NotesDec 5, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Update 1.16 Operation: Crisis is out now!Jun 18, 2024
- Update 1.16 Operation: Crisis - Release NotesJun 11, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- State of SandstormJun 10, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Update 1.15 Operation: Onslaught - Release NotesOct 24, 2023
- 1.14 OPERATION: ACCOLADE HOTFIX - RELEASE NOTESApr 20, 2023
- UPDATE 1.14 OPERATION: ACCOLADE - RELEASE NOTESMar 30, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Update 1.14 Operation: Accolade is coming soonMar 24, 2023
- Mod Feature - Star Wars: Saga Update!Jan 6, 2023
- Update 1.13 Operation: Livewire - PC HotfixJan 5, 2023