In December indie development studio New World Interactive released its shooter game Insurgency: Sandstorm following a seemingly last-minute decision to delay the game in September. How does it play now that it has had more time in the oven?

Insurgency has always been somewhat of an outlier in the over-saturated shooter market. Its focus on tactical gameplay over the generic, perhaps more simplistic, shooter gameplay mechanics meant that it alienated those who strongly preferred the latter.

However, that focus on tactical gameplay is what currently gives Insurgency: Sandstorm the upper hand over many popular shooter games. Counter-Strike, Call of Duty and Battlefield still dominate the market, but you won't find true innovation there, at least not in terms of mechanics.