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

From the moment I launched the Tempest Rising demo, I was filled with anticipation. The opening cinematic, complete with its delightfully cheesy dialogue from bulky armored soldiers and a reedy scientist, set the perfect nostalgic tone. The music, user interface design, and units all felt like a throwback to my high school days, staying up late with friends, fueled by Mountain Dew, taco-flavored Pringles, and sleep deprivation, immersed in Command & Conquer. Playing Tempest Rising in the modern era is a refreshing blast from the past, and I'm eagerly looking forward to what Slipgate Ironworks has planned for the full release and beyond. Whether jumping into Skirmish mode to battle clever AI bots or diving into Ranked Multiplayer, playing Tempest Rising feels as comfortable as slipping on a well-worn baseball glove.

This nostalgic feeling was no accident. The developers at Slipgate Ironworks intentionally set out to craft a real-time strategy (RTS) game that harks back to the classics of the 90s and 2000s, while incorporating modern quality-of-life improvements. Set in an alternate 1997 where the Cuban Missile Crisis escalated into World War 3, Tempest Rising unfolds in a world recovering from nuclear devastation. Amidst this chaos, mysterious flowering vines emerge, brimming with electrical energy, heralding a new age of power for those brave enough to harvest them amidst the fallout.

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Since the build I played focused solely on multiplayer, I'll need to wait to experience the story mode, which promises two replayable 11-mission campaigns, one for each of the main factions showcased in the preview. The Tempest Dynasty (TD), an alliance of Eastern European and Asian countries ravaged by WW3, and the Global Defense Forces (GDF), comprising the United States, Canada, and Western Europe, are the two factions available. A third faction remains a mystery, as it isn't playable in the preview build, the Steam RTS Fest demo, or at launch.

The Tempest Dynasty immediately captured my interest, not only due to their quirky 'death ball' vehicle, the Tempest Sphere, which amusingly rolls over and crushes enemy infantry. The Dynasty also offers 'plans,' special faction-wide bonuses activated from the Construction Yard, requiring only additional power generation and a 30-second cooldown to switch between them.

The Logistics Plan accelerated my building and resource gathering, making mobile harvesters move faster. The Martial Plan enhanced my units' attack speed, provided resistance to explosives, and allowed Machinist units to sacrifice health for a 50% attack speed boost. Lastly, the Security Plan reduced the cost of units and buildings, improved repair functions, and expanded Radar vision. I enjoyed cycling through these plans, boosting my economy with Logistics, speeding up construction with Security, and then launching aggressive assaults with the enhanced combat of Martial.

The flexibility of the Dynasty extends beyond plans. Instead of establishing a base with a Refinery like the GDF, the Dynasty uses Tempest Rigs, mobile units that harvest resources until depleted and then move to new locations. This made my favorite 'fast expand' strategy in RTS games easier than ever, as these self-contained units could operate far from my base, safely gathering resources without detection.

Another fun unit, the Salvage Van, repairs nearby vehicles but can switch to Salvage Mode, destroying any nearby vehicles and returning resources to the player. I relished sneaking up on inattentive opponents, parking a salvage truck next to their vehicles, and destroying them to both weaken their forces and claim their resources.

The Dynasty's power plants can also switch to 'Distribution Mode,' boosting the construction and attack speed of nearby buildings (some of which have cannons, adding to the excitement) at the cost of taking damage. Fortunately, the mode deactivates at critical health levels, preventing self-destruction.

While I'm drawn to the Tempest Dynasty, the GDF has its own appeal, 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 upon defeat, which is used for advanced units and structures. With specific Doctrine upgrades, marked enemies suffer various debuffs, enhancing strategic gameplay.

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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 enhances the marking mechanic, while the Dynasty's tree boosts the effectiveness of their 'Plans.' Additionally, advanced buildings unlock cooldown abilities that can significantly impact battles, from area damage to spawning extra troops. The GDF can also deploy spy drones, create remote building beacons, and temporarily disable enemy vehicles.

Given the Dynasty's fewer but upgradable buildings, losing one to an enemy Engineer can be detrimental. To mitigate this, the Dynasty has a Lockdown ability that prevents enemy takeovers, albeit at the cost of the building's functionality. The Field Infirmary ability, which allows me to deploy a stationary troop-healing area anywhere on the map, complemented the Dynasty's existing repair capabilities for both infantry and mechanized units.

There's much more to explore, and I'm excited to do so, especially with the launch version's Custom Lobbies, where I can team up with friends against the clever AI bots that employed hit-and-run and harrying tactics during my Skirmishes. Until then, I'll continue battling alone, crushing my bot enemies with swarms of death balls.