Tempest Rising: A Nostalgic RTS Masterpiece

From the moment I launched the Tempest Rising demo, I was hooked. The opening cinematic, complete with cheesy dialogue from heavily armored soldiers and a nervous scientist, brought a smile to my face. The music, UI, and units perfectly captured the essence of my high school days, spent late nights playing Command & Conquer with friends, fueled by energy drinks and sleep deprivation. This game expertly recreates that feeling, and I'm eager to see what Slipgate Ironworks delivers at launch and beyond. Whether battling AI in Skirmish or facing off in Ranked Multiplayer, Tempest Rising felt instantly familiar and comfortable.

This nostalgic experience is no accident. The developers aimed to create a real-time strategy (RTS) game reminiscent of 90s and 2000s classics, enhanced with modern quality-of-life improvements. Set in an alternate 1997, following a devastating World War 3 sparked by the Cuban Missile Crisis, the game introduces strange, energy-rich vines, transforming the power landscape.

Tempest Rising Screenshots

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The preview focused on multiplayer, leaving the story mode – featuring two 11-mission campaigns for each faction – for later exploration. The Tempest Dynasty (TD), an alliance of Eastern European and Asian nations, and the Global Defense Forces (GDF), a US-Canada-Western Europe alliance, are the playable factions. A third faction remains shrouded in mystery.

I gravitated towards the Tempest Dynasty, partly due to their amusing Tempest Sphere, a death-dealing vehicle that crushes infantry. The Dynasty also utilizes "Plans," faction-wide bonuses activated through the Construction Yard. These include the Logistics Plan (faster building and resource harvesting), the Martial Plan (increased unit attack speed and explosive resistance), and the Security Plan (reduced unit and building costs, improved repair, and expanded radar). Switching between these plans created a dynamic gameplay rhythm.

The Dynasty's mobile Tempest Rigs, which harvest resources independently, facilitated a streamlined expansion strategy. Deploying these rigs to distant locations provided a secure, consistent resource stream. The Salvage Van, convertible to Salvage Mode for resource-gaining destruction of enemy vehicles, added a thrilling element of tactical sabotage. Power plants can switch to Distribution Mode, boosting nearby construction and attack speed at the cost of taking damage.

The GDF, conversely, emphasizes buffing allies and debuffing enemies through the Marking mechanic. Marked enemies provide Intel upon defeat and suffer various debuffs when specific Doctrine upgrades are researched.

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Both factions boast three tech trees and cooldown abilities accessed through advanced buildings, offering strategic depth. The Dynasty's Lockdown ability prevents enemy takeovers but halts building functions, while the Field Infirmary provides mobile healing. The launch version's Custom Lobbies will allow cooperative play against challenging AI opponents. Until then, I'll continue my solo campaign, crushing bots with my unstoppable death ball army.