2 weeks Ago
Tempest Rising doesn't try to hide where it gets its inspiration. A real-time strategy game created by Slipgate Ironworks, this title proudly displays its Command and Conquer influence as a badge of honor. From over-the-top synth-metal soundtrack to the faction-infested campaign maps, everything hollers Westwood-era RTS.
However, Tempest Rising is not just an imitation. It streamlines and adds to what was great about C&C and modernizes it for a new crowd. The game is set in 1997s, in a nuclear-decimated world that's healing.
The narrative revolves around a mysterious energy-dense plant-like organism named Tempest. It is the central resource used in the conflict between two factions, the Global Defence Force (GDF) and the Tempest Dynasty. Both factions take inspiration from GDI and Nod of C&C .
Tempest Rising does a great job of providing asymmetrical faction mechanics that extend beyond unit design. The factions affect base building and resource collection. Unlike the standard refinery system of GDF, Tempest Dynasty operates mobile harvesters that transform into small construction bots .
Deployment of buildings also varies. GDF blueprints build over time, whereas Dynasty buildings appear in an instant. The Dynasty focuses on brute firepower with flame troopers and death spheres that roll around.
All units possess active abilities. Both factions have global skills that add to tactical possibilities. For instance, a GDF sniper calling in a one-woman airstrike.
Tempest Rising's two campaigns don't just teach the fundamentals, they drop players in the deep end. The fifth GDF mission, for instance, requires players to intercept several convoys around the map while constantly under attack. At the same time, the Dynasty campaign is more focused on storytelling.
There are missions where objectives suddenly shift in the middle of the game. Thus, requiring flexibility and quick decisions. Slipgate's mission design is crisp and nicely paced.
Objectives vary from all-out battles to stealthy take-downs with minimal units. As the campaigns move forward, a third force, the enigmatic Veti, are introduced. Veti bring unusual, frightening units and a formidable presence, particularly in the later missions.
Visually, Tempest Rising delivers on spectacle. Cars raise clouds of dust, buildings shatter into pieces, and laser-laced shootouts cover huge areas of the map. The audio of the game is also loved by its fans.
A roster of composers like Adam Skorupa and Frank Klepacki provides a thunderous and retro feel . Songs such as ‘Death Squad’ and ‘Aegis’ mirror the legendary sounds of Hell March and Red Alert's best moments. Like everything in life, Tempest Rising is not without flaws.
The third faction, the Veti, appears in the campaign but isn't available to play in skirmishes or multiplayer. Although the players shouldn’t lose hope, as it is promised in a future update. The full-motion cut scenes of C&C are substituted with 3D characters that don't have the same charm.
Playing both campaigns can be repetitive because of a similar structure, reducing the effect of the second run-through. However, the game received a ‘Very Positive’ rating on Steam , with 89% of over 2,200 user reviews being favorable. Thus, showcasing that its massive appeal outranks its issues.
Slipgate Ironworks fully understood what made Command and Conquer legendary and delivered it with better gameplay and new features in Tempest Rising. The game updates old-school RTS action but respects its heritage with precision and passion. Its dual campaigns are exciting and intelligently constructed.
The gameplay mechanics are rewarding and rich, and its presentation strikes all the correct chords. Short of a few issues that need fixing, including an absent third faction, Tempest Rising offers everything a player wishes for from RTS games in 2025..
