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 gruff soldiers and a nervous scientist, instantly charmed me. The music, UI, and units perfectly channeled my high school days, fueled by Mountain Dew, Pringles, and late-night Command & Conquer sessions with friends. This game expertly recreates that feeling, and I'm eager to see what Slipgate Ironworks has planned for the full release. Whether battling AI in Skirmish or facing off in Ranked Multiplayer, Tempest Rising felt instantly familiar and comfortable.

This nostalgic vibe is intentional. The developers aimed to create an RTS game that captured the spirit of 90s and 2000s classics, while incorporating modern quality-of-life improvements. Set in 1997 in an alternate history where the Cuban Missile Crisis escalated into World War 3, Tempest Rising introduces strange, energy-rich vines that grow from the nuclear fallout, ushering in a new era of power.

Tempest Rising Screenshots

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Since the demo focused solely on multiplayer, I'll have to wait for the story mode, which will feature two 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 faction exists, but details remain shrouded in mystery until the campaign's release.

The Tempest Dynasty immediately caught my eye, largely due to the hilariously destructive Tempest Sphere, a rolling death machine that obliterates 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 plans: Logistics (faster building and resource harvesting), Martial (increased unit attack speed and explosive resistance, plus a Machinist health-for-attack-speed boost), and Security (reduced unit and building costs, improved repair, and expanded radar). I found a satisfying rhythm cycling through these plans, boosting economy, construction, and then launching offensives.

Unlike the GDF's refinery-based resource harvesting, the Dynasty employs Tempest Rigs—mobile harvesters that move to resource fields, harvest until depleted, and then relocate. This facilitates a rapid expansion strategy, as the rigs' distance from the base is inconsequential. Deploying them to remote locations proved highly effective for generating resources without detection.

The Dynasty's Salvage Van is another highlight. It repairs vehicles but can also switch to Salvage Mode, destroying nearby vehicles (regardless of ownership) and returning resources to the player. Ambushing unsuspecting opponents and using the Salvage Van to cripple their forces and steal resources was incredibly satisfying.

Power plants can switch to Distribution Mode, boosting construction and attack speed of nearby buildings (some upgraded Dynasty buildings have cannons!), at the cost of taking damage. Fortunately, it 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 targets for debuffs (reduced damage, increased damage taken, increased attack range), combined with Intel acquisition upon marked enemy defeat, creates a powerful synergy.

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Each faction has three tech trees, offering strategic depth. Beyond the tech trees, constructing specific advanced buildings unlocks powerful cooldown abilities that can dramatically shift the battle's momentum. While both factions have area-of-effect damage and troop-spawning abilities, the GDF also has spy drones, remote building beacons, and a vehicle-immobilization ability.

The Dynasty's fewer, upgradable buildings make structure loss impactful. However, the Lockdown ability prevents enemy takeovers (though temporarily disabling the building). The Field Infirmary, a deployable healing zone, proved particularly useful, complementing the Dynasty's repair units and special infantry.

There's much more to explore, especially the custom lobbies for teaming up against the challenging AI. Until then, I'll be content crushing bots with my army of death balls.