"Tempest Rising: A Nostalgic '90s RTS Experience"

From the moment I launched the Tempest Rising demo, I was hit with a wave of nostalgia. The opening cinematic, complete with its delightfully cheesy dialogue from armored soldiers and a reedy scientist, set the perfect tone. The game's music, user interface, and unit designs immediately transported me back to high school, where I'd spend late nights immersed in Command & Conquer, fueled by Mountain Dew, taco-flavored Pringles, and sheer excitement. Recapturing that feeling through a new game in today's era is thrilling, and I'm eager to see what Slipgate Ironworks has in store for us at launch and beyond. Whether diving into Skirmish to battle clever AI bots or engaging in Ranked Multiplayer, playing Tempest Rising feels as comforting as slipping on a well-worn baseball glove.

This nostalgic journey is no coincidence. The developers at Slipgate Ironworks deliberately set out to craft a real-time strategy (RTS) game that evokes the classics of the 90s and 2000s, while incorporating modern quality-of-life improvements. Set in an alternate 1997, Tempest Rising imagines a world where the Cuban Missile Crisis escalated into World War 3. Following widespread nuclear devastation, strange flowering vines emerged, brimming with electrical energy. These plants herald a new era of power, ripe for those brave enough to harvest them amidst the fallout.

Tempest Rising Screenshots

8 ImagesSince the demo I experienced focused solely on multiplayer, I'm eagerly awaiting the story mode, which will feature two replayable 11-mission campaigns for each of the main factions. The Tempest Dynasty (TD), an alliance of Eastern European and Asian countries devastated by WW3, and the Global Defense Forces (GDF), an alliance of the United States, Canada, and Western Europe, offer distinct gameplay experiences. A third faction remains a mystery for now, as it's not playable in the preview build, Steam RTS Fest demo, or at launch.

The Tempest Dynasty resonated with me, particularly because of their quirky 'death ball' vehicle, the Tempest Sphere, which humorously crushes enemy infantry into a fine paste. But it's not just the fun units that drew me in; the Dynasty's 'plans' system offers faction-wide bonuses in three distinct categories. Starting with the Construction Yard, you can activate one plan at a time, requiring only additional power generation and a brief 30-second cooldown for switching.

The Logistics Plan accelerates structure building and resource harvesting, with mobile harvesters moving faster as well. The Martial Plan enhances unit attack speed, provides resistance to explosives, and allows Machinist units to sacrifice health for a 50% attack speed boost. Lastly, the Security Plan reduces the cost of units and buildings, boosts repair functions, and expands Radar vision. I found a rhythm in alternating between these plans, enhancing my economy with the Logistics Plan, speeding up construction with the Security Plan, and then launching aggressive offensives with the Martial Plan.

The flexibility extends beyond just plans. Instead of the GDF's need for a Refinery to harvest nearby tempest fields, the Tempest Dynasty employs Tempest Rigs. These mobile units drive to resource-rich areas, harvest until depletion, and can then move to new locations. This mechanic makes executing a 'fast expand' strategy simpler and more effective, allowing Tempest Rigs to operate far from my base without detection, ensuring steady resource generation.

The Dynasty's Salvage Van is another fun unit, capable of repairing nearby vehicles or switching to Salvage Mode to destroy any nearby vehicle, reclaiming resources for the Dynasty. Sneaking up on unsuspecting opponents and using the Salvage Van to both weaken their forces and bolster my resources adds a delightful tactical layer to the gameplay.

Lastly, the Dynasty's power plants can switch to 'Distribution Mode,' enhancing nearby building construction and attack speeds at the cost of taking damage. This mode smartly stops affecting buildings at critical health, preventing self-destruction for the sake of speed.

While the Tempest Dynasty captivated me, the GDF offers its own strategic allure, focusing on buffing allies, debuffing enemies, and controlling the battlefield. The synergy between GDF units, particularly the Marking mechanic, is compelling. Marked enemies drop Intel upon defeat, which is crucial for creating advanced units and structures. With certain Doctrine upgrades, marked enemies suffer additional debuffs, enhancing strategic depth.

Tempest Rising3D RealmsApr 24, 2025 WishlistBoth factions offer three tech trees, allowing players to specialize their strategies. For instance, the GDF's 'Marking & Intel' tree enhances their marking abilities, while the Dynasty's tree boosts their 'Plans.' Additionally, cooldown abilities unlocked by advanced buildings add dynamic gameplay elements, enabling powerful battlefield maneuvers. The GDF's unique abilities, like spy drones, remote building beacons, and temporary vehicle disablement, offer strategic variety.

The Dynasty's fewer, but upgradable buildings, make losing one to an enemy Engineer particularly painful. However, their Lockdown ability prevents enemy takeovers, albeit at the cost of the building's action. The Field Infirmary ability, allowing me to drop a healing area anywhere on the map, complements the Dynasty's focus on both infantry and mechanized units.

There's much more to explore, and I'm looking forward to delving deeper, especially with the launch version's Custom Lobbies feature, where I can team up with friends against the clever AI bots. Until then, I'll continue to enjoy solo battles, crushing my bot enemies with swarms of death balls.