Tempest Rising Preview: An RTS That Takes Me Back to the ‘90s

From the moment I launched the Tempest Rising demo, I had a great feeling. The opening cinematic, with its cheesy dialogue from heavily armored soldiers and a nervous scientist, instantly brought a smile to my face. The music, UI, and unit designs perfectly channeled the nostalgia of my high school days, spent late nights playing Command & Conquer with friends, fueled by Mountain Dew, Pringles, and sleep deprivation. This new game expertly recreates that feeling, and I'm thrilled to see what Slipgate Ironworks has planned for launch and beyond. Whether battling bots with surprisingly clever AI in Skirmish or diving into Ranked Multiplayer, Tempest Rising felt instantly familiar and comfortable.

This wasn't accidental. The developers explicitly aimed to create a nostalgic real-time strategy (RTS) game reminiscent of 90s and 2000s classics, enhanced with modern quality-of-life improvements. Set in 1997 in an alternate history where the Cuban Missile Crisis escalated into World War 3, Tempest Rising unfolds in a world ravaged by nuclear war and overrun by strange, energy-rich vines. These plants provide a new power source for those daring enough to harvest them amidst the fallout.

Tempest Rising Screenshots

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As the preview build focused solely on multiplayer, I'll have to wait for the story mode, which will feature two replayable 11-mission campaigns, one for each main faction. The Tempest Dynasty (TD) is an alliance of Eastern European and Asian nations devastated by WW3, while the Global Defense Forces (GDF) unites the US, Canada, and Western Europe. A third, currently unannounced faction will be revealed later.

I gravitated towards the Tempest Dynasty, partly due to their ridiculously fun "Tempest Sphere"—a death ball that crushes infantry. The Dynasty also utilizes "Plans," faction-wide bonuses activated through the Construction Yard (your starting building). With sufficient power generation and a 30-second cooldown, you can switch between three Plans: Logistics (faster building and resource harvesting), Martial (increased unit attack speed and explosive resistance, plus a Machinist health-draining attack boost), and Security (reduced unit and building costs, improved repair, and expanded radar). I found a satisfying rhythm cycling through these Plans, boosting my economy, speeding up construction, and then launching offensives.

Unlike the GDF's stationary refineries, the Dynasty uses mobile Tempest Rigs to harvest resources, allowing for flexible expansion. Sending Rigs to distant locations provided a safe, consistent income stream. The Dynasty's Salvage Van is another standout unit; it can repair allies or, in Salvage Mode, destroy enemy vehicles for resource gain. Ambushing opponents and reclaiming their resources proved surprisingly effective. Finally, Dynasty power plants can switch to Distribution Mode, boosting nearby building construction and attack speed at the cost of taking damage (some upgraded buildings have cannons!). The mode wisely stops at critical health, preventing accidental self-destruction.

While I favored the Dynasty, the GDF offers its own appeal, focusing on buffing allies, debuffing enemies, and battlefield control. The Marking mechanic, where units mark targeted enemies for debuffs (reduced damage, increased damage taken, etc.) and Intel upon defeat, is particularly effective when combined with specific Doctrine upgrades.

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Each faction boasts three tech trees, offering strategic depth. Beyond the tech trees, constructing advanced buildings unlocks powerful, cooldown-based abilities that significantly impact battles. While both factions have area-of-effect damage and troop-spawning abilities, the GDF also features spy drones, remote building beacons, and a vehicle-immobilizing ability.

The Dynasty's fewer, upgradable buildings make losing structures costly. The Lockdown ability prevents enemy takeovers but temporarily disables the building. The Field Infirmary, a mobile healing zone, proved invaluable, complementing the Dynasty's already strong repair capabilities.

There's much more to explore, especially the Custom Lobbies for teaming up against the challenging AI. Until then, I'll happily continue my solo campaign, crushing bots with my unstoppable death ball swarms.