It is certainly not the first time that a popular mod has become a successful commercial product. There are examples from various sources: Red Orchestra was originally a mod for Unreal Tournament 2004. Then there is Counter-Strike, the most canonical of examples, a mod that has become more popular than the original title itself (Half-Life), and then evolved into stand-alone format. Still on the subject of Half-Life, it is precisely from its following that it is born Insurgency, winner of the “Mod of the Year 2007” award on the ModDB portal, and now available as a standalone game.
Videogame realism
Insurgency is a multiplayer shooter set in modern conflicts, which pits American soldiers and terrorists against each other in various game modes. Nothing new so far, but you should know that the mod was born from the idea of a Canadian ex-soldier disappointed by the lack of realism in multiplayer shooters - a realism not to be sought in the graphics and effects, but in the characteristics of the weapons, in their lethality, and in tactical combat.
Upon entering a game, the first thing you notice is the minimal HUD: there is no scope, there is no health gauge, there is no ammo counter. The only information on the screen is the amount of magazines left, the position of the objectives and that of the diamonds that identify the allies - but only when they have been in your field of view for at least two seconds, otherwise nothing appears.
The last point is particularly significant, as, by default, each server has friendly fire enabled: playing as lone wolves and shooting on sight often runs the risk of tragic results, especially since most weapons kill in a maximum of two shots.
Another factor of realism is the inventory and its weight: at the beginning of each round a class must be chosen, which gives access to a specific range of equipment and weapons, which in turn can be selected and modified - but be careful , since every change or addition has its own weight, which prevents you from being able to select everything indiscriminately and, above all, affects the soldier's abilities in a directly proportional way. These capabilities are running speed and fatigue, which, following a prolonged sprint, prevents aiming with a steady hand.
The distinctive elements of the gameplay clearly do not end there: among the elements not mentioned so far it is interesting to mention the penetration of the materials by the larger caliber bullets, as well as the absence of a killcam that allows to identify the position of an opponent when is killed.
Hardcore
After what has been said so far, it is hardly surprising to know that Insurgency is certainly not a fast-paced game for players used to running and shooting. The game modes are five, all including defined objectives such as the conquest of territorial points, escorting a VIP or destroying enemy reinforcements. The pure direct elimination between teams is something opposed and difficult, not only because you die easily, but also because in any type of match the respawn is immediate, indeed, it occurs only when a goal is reached or does not happen at all until the end of the game. end of the round.
This makes it clear that caution and team play are the key to victory. Move discreetly and shoot with precision, follow the instructions of the (presumably capable) leader and communicate with your teammates: these are all strongly determining elements on the outcome of the match.
The game succeeds in the aim of creating a challenging but not frustrating experience, thanks to the excellent care of its balance, visible both in specific characteristics such as the behavior of the weapons, and in general characteristics, such as the game and level design, which prevent the peculiarities of the gameplay may harm the user experience. For example, the aforementioned absence of killcam could lead to fear of the depopulation of the so-called campers, but the objective game mode, combined with the absence of too covered corners, oppose the static nature of the players.
News and technical aspect
Compared to the mod, Insurgency sees the addition of two cooperative game modes against bots, but at the time of the review it is very rare to find servers that use them, as the main purpose of the game is clearly competition. Some of the classic maps have been revisited, and new ones have obviously been added, some of which are characterized by a greater presence of open spaces, always with a maximum limit of 32 players.
Logically, the most visible change concerns the technical quality of the title: the graphic engine is the latest version of the Source, with all the benefits of the case in terms of graphic effects, and, thanks to the transition from mod to independent title, each visual element (such as textures and animations) has been redone from scratch. A good job also for the audio component, especially as regards the noise of the weapons. Sound, however, involves the gameplay more than many other games, since listening and trying to identify the enemy's position can be crucial.
Synthesis
Those who know the games mentioned in the introduction will have noticed many similarities between the aforementioned titles and Insurgency, which takes the tactical component of multiplayer shooters to extremes more than any other. The purpose of this stand-alone re-edition of the mod is to revive the community of its players, renewing the original experience and expanding it with elements designed to attract new generations.
This succeeds only partially: the benefit of the graphics, the new modes and the new maps are certainly a good reason to "go back" to play, but they will hardly attract those who are tired of the theme of modern conflicts, and, even less, those who do not have the patience to dedicate themselves to a title that certainly does not enjoy immediate usability. In other words, it is a game dedicated to a niche of “hardcore” players, who enjoy the fruits of dedication, and which not many will appreciate.
