Xbox has just dropped its latest Xbox Game Pass roundup for November 2022, and by far the biggest news is that New World Interactive's authentic first-person shooter Insurgency: Sandstorm is coming to the library later this month.
In just a few short hours since the announcement, this reveal has been getting a fair bit of attention from Xbox fans and for good reason! Sandstorm is one of the best first-person shooters to hit consoles in years, especially if you're keen on a more tactical FPS offering.
In fact, the latest Insurgency has been in our regular rotation since the day it came to Xbox consoles back in late 2021. After a long, long wait (with multiple delays), the port finally arrived last September, and both New World and Saber Interactive did an amazing job at translating the game's mechanics to console.
If you're unaware of what Sandstorm brings to the table, it's a modern-day FPS that focuses on realism and authenticity, while still delivering a fun online multiplayer experience. Weapon handling is a lot more demanding than most console shooters, as are player health levels, resulting in a more lethal experience all around.
The shooting itself probably most resembles something like Rainbow Six: Siege in the console space, but Sandstorm strips all of those 'Operator' shenanigans back from Siege to create a more classic shooter vibe. It has a lot more modes than Ubisoft's shooter as well, with respawn game types, tug-of-war territory fights, and even co-op AI action all present in Insurgency: Sandstorm.
We will add one caveat to this though; it's not as enjoyable if you're still playing on Xbox One. Sandstorm is boosted to 60FPS on Xbox Series X and S, and the game just doesn't play well on last-gen at 30 frames. Sure, it's passable, but handling these weapons at 30FPS is no easy feat, and can make for a more frustrating experience.
So, if you have a current-gen Xbox with Game Pass, and are interested in online FPS games, Insurgency: Sandstorm is an absolute must-play in our opinion. It's one of the best shooters in the Xbox library!
Look out for Insurgency: Sandstorm on Xbox Game Pass beginning November 29th, 2022.