Teamwork is one of those key skills to have in order to be successful in life, but in the video game world most of it is focused around a single player experience, with just a few games that focus on a team dynamic. I love these types of games, being a fan of the Rainbow 6 series and other similar titles. So I was very interested to check out “Insurgency” from New World Interactive which is a squad-based tactical FPS that promises to be highly competitive and realistic.
First a word of note, at the time of this writing Insurgency is still being worked on by the developers. So gameplay and new additions to the game might have been made in the interim – forgive me if something is slightly off or different from what you may experience if you purchase access to the beta. Personally, I enjoy getting early access to games, because watching a game develop right in front of your eyes, and possibly getting to chat with the developers as things progress is rather cool.
So to begin with, currently there is no pesky single player game, which means you will have to get used to the controls during multiplayer matches. However, if you are familiar with other online FPS, this won’t be much of a concern, as the learning curve is not too steep. I am not sure if the developers plan to add a single player mode or some other sort of training area in the future, but for now I focused on the multiplayer game available.
First stop is to bring up the dedicated server lists and find an active one near you so you can dive into some gameplay. There are (right now) four different game modes to choose from, all challenging your team in different ways. First off there is “Fire fight”, where there are three objectives to achieve, in a small-ish level, which is fun for close-quarter combat. Objectives mainly consist of moving to a set location usually marked on your map that you can bring up or see on the screen mark with a distance meter. Once at the objective you have to stay put to capture that point after a few seconds. It can get kind of nerve racking at times waiting to capture it and trying not to get shot from behind or picked off by a sniper.
The game mode “Battle” has five objectives that need to be done in a certain order in a set time frame by one team, while the other team tries to stop them.
Another game mode called “Push” has three objectives that are being guarded by a portion of the opposing team. The objectives must be captured in sequence and when one of those objectives are captured, the attacking team gains more players waiting in standby, and is given more time to continue the match.
The final mode of play – and perhaps my favorite – is called “Skirmish”, which has five objectives that can be captured in any order, and usually set on huge maps.
All these modes play similarly to each other, but the amount of time per game, the number of players allowed on the field of play at once, and the different objectives give each a distinct feel. When you do choose which mode you want to play, you’ll be given the choice between two teams: security and insurgents. From there you’ll enter a team lobby where you will see classes of fighters to choose from, broken down into squads. The number of squads depends on how many players are set for that server you are on. In some modes of play, if you die you can’t respawn right away, instead having to wait until an objective is completed by the rest of your surviving team – and there may be a limited number of times you can respawn. What is also evil is that the number of respawns (or reinforcements as the game calls it) is usually for the whole team. So the team can go through them quickly if you have someone that keeps dying a lot! This does, however, make cooperative team strategy a must.
Player classes are well-rounded, with a bit of everything, from soldiers, heavy weapons experts, scouts, and snipers, each equipped with appropriate weapons for their class. They are rounded out with a standard knife, a few grenades, and a handgun. The speed of your character depends on the class you take. You are able to pick up fallen combatants’ weapons, but I mainly stuck with what I came with. You can switch class at any time, so long as there is an open slot on a squad for that class.
It should be noted that in this game, you can’t run and gun – or, rather, you can, but you’ll likely end up dead very quickly. Instead, you really need to use the environment as cover, crouch, and crawl on your stomach a lot in order to survive. Having team members that work with you is a must, and VOIP comes in handy: communication is key to survival.
For what they are charging for the game, I was really surprised at the quality of the graphics. Maps are well designed and detailed with plenty of nooks and crannies to hide in (I don’t endorse camping, so I suggest not staying in one spot too long!). There are eight maps right now, ranging from differently-sized towns, markets, deserts, and large buildings to explore. Custom maps will be possible in the future using the Insurgency SDK and scripting system when it becomes available, allowing creative users to contribute their own scenarios.
My only gripe is with the character models, mainly the faces. It might just be me, but it seemed like everyone in the game was cross-eyed, which had me chuckling. I would expect in the future the developers will add new skins and other customisations to choose from to make yourself more unique, as right now there isn’t too much personality in the character models.
The audio in the game is done well and very atmospheric; something every good FPS needs. There isn’t much in the way of music; instead the focus is on the environmental sounds. From the sounds of you trudging through various terrains, to bullets glancing off what you are trying to take cover behind, they are all there, and done well.
In the end, I enjoyed my time with the Insurgency beta. Sure it is far from a polished experience and the developers still need to iron out some of the wrinkles; however, it is a tactical shooter game PC fans will want to keep their eye on. New World Interactive’s shooter is now available through Steam Early Access on Mac and PC. For the price this might be something you will want to check out.
