"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, complete with cheesy dialogue from bulky armored soldiers and a reedy scientist, instantly brought a smile to my face. The music, UI design, and units are meticulously crafted to transport me back to my high school days, when I'd stay up late playing Command & Conquer with friends, fueled by Mountain Dew, taco-flavored Pringles, and sleep deprivation. Experiencing this familiar feeling through a new game in the modern era is exhilarating, and I'm eager to see what else Slipgate Ironworks has planned for the launch and beyond. Whether I'm diving into Skirmish mode to battle clever AI bots or engaging in Ranked Multiplayer, playing Tempest Rising feels as comfortable as slipping on my well-worn baseball glove.

This nostalgic experience is no coincidence. The developers at Slipgate Ironworks set out to create a real-time strategy (RTS) game that evokes the classics of the 90s and 2000s, with modern quality-of-life enhancements. Set in an alternate history of 1997, Tempest Rising unfolds in a world where the Cuban Missile Crisis escalated into World War 3. Following the nuclear devastation, mysterious flowering vines emerged, brimming with electrical energy. These plants have ushered in a new era of power for those willing to brave the fallout to harvest them.

Tempest Rising Screenshots

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Since the build I played was focused on multiplayer, I'll have to wait to explore the story mode, which will feature two replayable 11-mission campaigns, one for each of the main factions available in the preview. The Tempest Dynasty (TD) comprises an alliance of Eastern European and Asian countries, the hardest hit by WW3. On the other hand, the Global Defense Forces (GDF) are a coalition of the United States, Canada, and Western Europe. A third faction exists, but details remain under wraps until the campaign launches, as they aren't playable in the preview build, the Steam RTS Fest demo, or at launch.

The Tempest Dynasty particularly caught my attention, not just because of their hilariously named 'death ball' vehicle, the Tempest Sphere, which mercilessly rolls over enemy infantry, turning them into paste. The Dynasty also employs 'plans,' which activate faction-wide bonuses in three distinct categories. Your Construction Yard, the starting building for all players, can activate one plan at a time. With just a bit more power generation and a 30-second cooldown for switching plans, you're set to go.

The Logistics Plan allowed me to construct new structures and harvest resources more quickly, with mobile resource harvesters also moving faster. The Martial Plan enhanced my units' attack speed and provided resistance to rockets and explosives, while also enabling Machinist units to sacrifice health for a 50% attack speed boost. Finally, the Security Plan reduced the cost of creating units and buildings, improved the Repair function of certain units, and expanded Radar vision. I found a fun rhythm by alternating between economy-boosting phases with the Logistics Plan, construction phases with the Security Plan, and offensive phases with the Martial Plan's combat enhancements.

This flexibility extends to other aspects of the Dynasty as well. Instead of setting up a Refinery to harvest nearby tempest fields like the GDF, the Tempest Dynasty uses Tempest Rigs. These vehicles drive to resource-rich areas, harvest until the field is depleted, then move on. This makes my favorite 'fast expand' RTS strategy easier than ever, as these self-contained units can venture far from the base without concern. Sending a few Tempest Rigs to distant locations allowed them to harvest resources peacefully, providing a steady income without detection by opponents.

Another unique unit in the Dynasty's arsenal is the Salvage Van, which not only repairs nearby vehicles but can also switch to Salvage Mode. In this mode, it destroys nearby vehicles regardless of ownership, returning resources to the player controlling the van. I enjoyed sneaking up on inattentive opponents, parking a Salvage Van next to their vehicles, and destroying them to weaken their forces while claiming resources for myself.

Lastly, power plants in the Dynasty can switch from power generation to 'Distribution Mode,' which speeds up the construction and attack speed of nearby buildings (some of which can be upgraded to have cannons, adding to the excitement). This mode does cause damage while active, but it automatically stops affecting buildings at critical health, ensuring I don't accidentally destroy my own base for the speed boost.

While I'm partial to the Tempest Dynasty, the GDF has its own charm, focusing on buffing allies, debuffing enemies, and controlling the battlefield. My favorite GDF strategy revolves around the Marking mechanic, where certain units can 'mark' enemies. Defeating marked enemies yields Intel, used for advanced units and structures. With the right Doctrine upgrades (Tempest Rising's tech trees), marked enemies face various debuffs, including reduced damage output, increased damage taken, and extended attack ranges for units targeting them.

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Each faction has three tech trees to explore, allowing players to specialize in different aspects of their faction. For instance, the GDF's 'Marking & Intel' tree complements their strategy, while the Dynasty has a tree to boost the effectiveness of their 'Plans.' In addition to these tech trees, there are cooldown abilities unlocked by constructing specific advanced buildings. These abilities, which cost money to activate and have individual cooldowns, can significantly influence the outcome of battles and add depth to each faction's strategic approach. While both factions have area damage and troop spawning abilities, the GDF can deploy spy drones, spawn beacons for remote building, and temporarily disable enemy vehicles from attacking.

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, another useful ability, allows me to deploy a stationary troop-healing area anywhere on the map, perfectly complementing the Dynasty's mix of infantry and repair vehicles.

There's much more to explore, and I'm eagerly anticipating the launch version, which will allow me to join Custom Lobbies with friends and team up against the clever AI bots, who impressed me with their hit-and-run and harrying tactics during Skirmishes. Until then, I'll enjoy battling alone, crushing bot enemies with swarms of death balls.