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

As soon as I fired up the Tempest Rising demo for the first time, I was hit with a wave of nostalgia. The opening cinematic, filled with cheesy dialogue from bulky armored soldiers and a reedy scientist, made me grin from ear to ear. The music, UI design, and units were all crafted to transport me back to high school, where I'd stay up late playing Command & Conquer with my friends, fueled by Mountain Dew, taco-flavored Pringles, and sleep deprivation. Recapturing that feeling through a new game in the modern era is exhilarating, and I'm eager to see what else the developers at Slipgate Ironworks have planned for the launch and beyond. Whether I was diving into Skirmish mode to battle clever AI bots or engaging in Ranked Multiplayer, playing Tempest Rising felt as comfortable as slipping on my well-worn baseball glove.

This initial reaction was no coincidence. The developers at Slipgate Ironworks intentionally set out to create a nostalgic real-time strategy (RTS) game that evokes the classics of the 90s and 2000s, while incorporating quality-of-life improvements expected in modern games. Set in an alternate 1997, Tempest Rising unfolds in a world where the Cuban Missile Crisis escalated into World War 3. In the aftermath of widespread nuclear devastation, mysterious flowering vines emerged, teeming with electrical energy and heralding a new era of power for those brave enough to harvest them amidst the fallout.

Tempest Rising Screenshots

8 Images

Since the demo I played focused solely on multiplayer, I'm eagerly awaiting the story mode, which promises two replayable 11-mission campaigns, one for each of the main factions featured in the preview. The Tempest Dynasty (TD), an alliance of Eastern European and Asian countries hardest hit by WW3, and the Global Defense Forces (GDF), an alliance of the United States, Canada, and Western Europe, are the two factions available. A third faction is teased but remains unplayable in the preview build, the Steam RTS Fest demo, and at launch.

The Tempest Dynasty immediately captured my interest, not just for its quirky 'death ball' vehicle, the Tempest Sphere, which amusingly rolls over enemy infantry, turning them into a fine paste. The Dynasty also utilizes 'plans'—faction-wide bonuses of three types, activated by the Construction Yard, the starting building for all players. With just a bit more power generation and a 30-second cooldown between switches, these plans are easily accessible.

The Logistics Plan allowed me to build structures faster and harvest resources more efficiently, with mobile resource harvesters moving quicker as well. The Martial Plan enhanced my units' attack speed and gave them resistance to rockets and explosives, enabling Machinist units to drain their health for a 50% attack speed boost. Lastly, the Security Plan reduced the cost of creating units and buildings, improved certain units' Repair functions, and expanded Radar vision. I enjoyed cycling through these plans, alternating between resource-gathering phases with the Logistics Plan, rapid building under the Security Plan, and aggressive attacks bolstered by the Martial Plan.

This versatility extends to other Dynasty features. Instead of establishing a fixed base with a Refinery like the GDF, the Tempest Dynasty uses Tempest Rigs—mobile units that harvest resources from designated areas until depleted, then relocate. This flexibility made my favorite 'fast expand' RTS strategy even easier, as it didn't matter how far from my base these units ventured. Sending a few Tempest Rigs to distant areas allowed them to harvest undisturbed, generating steady income without detection by opponents.

Another fun unit in the Dynasty's arsenal is the Salvage Van, which repairs nearby vehicles but can also switch to Salvage Mode, destroying any nearby vehicles—friend or foe—and returning resources to the salvager. I loved sneaking up on inattentive opponents, parking a Salvage Van next to their vehicles, and destroying them to weaken their forces while bolstering my resources.

Lastly, Dynasty power plants can switch from generating power to 'Distribution Mode,' which accelerates the construction and attack speed of nearby buildings (some of which boast cannons after upgrades—it's thrilling), albeit at the cost of taking damage while active. Fortunately, the mode automatically deactivates if a building reaches critical health, preventing self-destruction for the speed boost.

While I gravitate towards the Tempest Dynasty, the GDF has its own charm, focusing on buffing allies, debuffing enemies, and controlling the battlefield. My favorite GDF synergy involves the Marking mechanic, where certain units can mark enemies, causing them to drop Intel (used for advanced units and structures) upon defeat. With specific Doctrine upgrades (Tempest Rising's version of 'tech trees'), marked enemies receive debuffs such as reduced damage output, increased damage taken, and extended attack range for units targeting them.

Tempest Rising3D RealmsApr 24, 2025 Wishlist

Each faction offers three tech trees to explore, allowing players to specialize in different aspects of their faction. For instance, the GDF's 'Marking & Intel' tree complements the Dynasty's 'Plans' enhancement tree. Beyond tech trees, constructing specific advanced buildings unlocks cooldown abilities, which, while costly and time-limited, can significantly influence the battlefield and add depth to each faction's strategy. While both factions have abilities that deal area damage or spawn additional troops, the GDF can also deploy spy drones, create remote building beacons, and temporarily disable enemy vehicles' attack capabilities.

The Dynasty's fewer but upgradable buildings make losing one to an enemy Engineer particularly painful. To mitigate this, the Dynasty has a Lockdown ability that prevents enemy takeovers but also halts the building's functions. The Field Infirmary ability, which I used extensively, allows for dropping a stationary healing area anywhere on the map, perfectly complementing the Dynasty's mix of special infantry and repair vehicles.

There's much more to explore, and I'm excited to do so, especially with the launch version's Custom Lobbies, allowing me to team up with friends against the cleverly designed AI bots, which employed impressive hit-and-run and harrying tactics during my Skirmishes. Until then, I'll continue to enjoy solo battles, crushing my bot enemies with swarms of death balls.