A blast from the past that came to the future, but is it enough?
We all knew it was only a matter of time before someone revived a series that left its mark on the world, and it looks like Slipgate Ironworks took the chance. The aforementioned Danish studio has been around since 2010, and they’re far from new to the scene. With their earlier releases like Rise of the Triad in 2013 and Bombshell in 2016, their creations only received a lukewarm reception. However, the sky is the limit, and they started climbing to fame after co-developing Ghostrunner in 2020.
Jumping ahead a few more co-developed releases and a few solo developments, we eventually stop at their latest creation, Tempest Rising. Now, what makes this so notable is that Tempest Rising basically copied almost everything from Command & Conquer’s playbook. Granted, this all happens with a new game engine, new tactics to abuse, and new factions. Bear in mind, Tempest Rising has no affiliation with Command & Conquer but instead relies heavily on the playstyle of the games.
With the 24 April release fast approaching, expectations are more than likely incredibly high, and it’s understandable as to why. One does not simply revive an old style of RTS like that without the bar being damn near unreachable, but here we are. Starting off strong, Tempest Rising takes place after a massive nuclear war that left most of the planet devastated.
However, interesting things can rise from the ashes of old, and in this case, it’s called Tempest. It’s essentially a somewhat alien plant that’s still vastly underresearched, but the sap from it can generate massive amounts of clean energy.
Though, as can be expected, there will always be a power struggle, and Tempest Rising is no exception here as the power struggle between the GDF (Global Defense Force) and the Tempest Dynasty rages on. Both factions have their own reasons for doing what they do; one is driven by good and evil, while the other is motivated by the pursuit of knowledge and understanding. However, there’s almost always a deeper or darker motive driving things forward, but we’ll touch on this later.
On the story front, both factions have their own campaigns to play through, and you’ll get a nice bit of insight into each side. Tempest Rising seems to excel at storytelling, with an overabundance of cutscenes and voiceovers, but it has one flaw that gives off a very uncanny valley feeling. The flaw in question is the characters you meet during cutscenes. We’re all for as much detail as possible, but there are limits, and pushing for too much realistic detail can lead to other issues down the line.
Uncanny valley faces aside, there’s a lot more to see and some interesting differences between the two factions in Tempest Rising. In typical CNC fashion, the GDF and Dynasty have their unique approaches to combat and espionage. For example, The GDF focuses more on research and technological advances, which can give them an interesting edge in combat with fewer units.
Meanwhile, Dynasty leans more towards a ‘less is more’ approach since while they don’t have the technology, they have copious amounts of firepower and bodies to throw at any problem. Reminds you of the Allied Forces and Soviets from CNC, doesn’t it?
So, with that out of the way, we can finally take a closer look at the inner workings of Tempest Rising, and it’s exactly what you’d expect, but with a few twists. Just like any CNC game, any form of construction needs an MCV (Mobile Construction Yard). From there, you’ll need to set up a power grid with power plants or generators, and start getting the one thing that makes the world go round…. Money, or Credits.
Credits make almost everything possible in Tempest Rising, from buildings to your armies. You can’t live without it, but you can never have enough of it either. This is where the Tempest comes in, easily harvestable as long as you have a Refinery or Tempest Rig built.
However, they might not look like much, but when they fuel your entire war effort, they become the linchpin that keeps your operation running. Unfortunately, while you might be able to easily defend those buildings in the campaign, you might need a lot more to keep the lights on if you’re going up against other players.
Now, for the really interesting twist in terms of currency, credits will cover the cost of your buildings and most of your units, but Intel plays an entirely different role. Intel is paramount to adding an extra edge to your armies with specialist units and abilities, and knowing how or when to use them can turn just about every fight in your favour. Granted, Intel is much more valuable to the GDF, which relies on technology, whereas the Dynasty rarely needs it. Luckily, you can generate intel pretty easily for both factions.
Another interesting twist to the CNC playstyle is that you’ll have access to more than one specialist unit. These super units, in a manner of speaking, have their unique weapons and abilities, and a cost to match, but they bring something extra to the fight that adds a lot more diversity. Although, for the sake of balancing, you can only have a single unit of each specialist in most cases, how you use them is what makes the biggest difference.
There is one glaring issue that might cause a bit of a stir within several fandoms; GDF and Dynasty have a lot to offer, but what made CNC so iconic is the fact that their factions had that one ‘superpower’ that set them apart.
Something unique and absolutely massive that can add endless strategic advantage in all the best ways, sadly, you won’t find that here. It might seem a little odd to point it out since there are specialist units and so much more added in other places, but it feels like something is still missing.
There is one nice change that still awaits you in Tempest Rising, at least, Doctrines and the Armory. These probably add the biggest gameplay changes because you’re not just unlocking new units or buildings; instead, you get to make changes to things like weapons and buildings.
A random example would be swapping micro missiles for lasers in the Armory, or giving any infantry the ability to generate intel under Doctrines. There’s a whole new world of possibilities to explore and interesting playstyles to experiment with.
To save the best for last, Tempest Rising does have one surprise that’ll excite and disappoint you. Sooner or later in either campaign, you’ll be introduced to the Veti, an ancient alien race that shares a very close connection to the Tempest. Not only do they come with more firepower, but they also have their unique buildings and units for you to go up against.
However, that’s as far as their presence goes; it’s a campaign only, and they’re not a playable faction. In all fairness, having the Veti as a playable race would add so much more to Tempest Rising, but we can only hope that it’ll happen soon.
With the inner workings of Tempest Rising covered, there is still the visual side of things to look at. First off, kudos for building an RTS like this in Unreal Engine. Between cutscenes and actual gameplay, there really isn’t much missing and everything seems well designed but Tempest Rising has a crippling flaw… The ever-present, and sometimes frustrating, lack of optimization can cause massive frame drops in-game and audio desync in cutscenes.
Issues aside, there is a redeeming quality in the voice acting and music of Tempest Rising that will throw you back to the glory days. The music and ambient are what would usually get you into any game, but Tempest Rising goes way beyond what’s needed to make this happen with a mix of electro rock and several other genres that somehow just work way too well together.
Overall, Tempest Rising is a fun blast from the past that has come to the future with some upgrades, making any Command & Conquer fan have a fangirl moment. With an interesting mix of new and old alongside playstyle changes, there’s never a dull moment to be had, whether you’re playing the campaign or multiplayer. Sadly, some might notice that missing extra, and others will find some disappointment in how short-lived the Veti as a faction is.
