Tempest Rising Review – Tempest Wars

As someone that has been playing PC games for the better part of three decades, seeing classic genres that once dominated the platform fade into obscurity has been a bitter pill to swallow. The biggest casualty of this has been the real-time strategy game. Where the genre was once dominated by heavy hitters like Age of Empires, StarCraft, Warcraft and Command & Conquer, these days only seems to be relegated to either remasters of old games, the odd sequel once every decade or so, or indie titles that try to bring their own spin to the formula. Now, we have a new RTS in Tempest Rising, by the studio that has previously shown that it has some decent ideas for the genre with Ancestors Legacy – Slipgate Ironworks.

The number one thing that becomes noticeable with Tempest Rising is the fact that the developers behind the game are very obviously massive fans of the classic Command & Conquer games. Now, I don’t mean this in a bad way; it’s not like we’re in danger of getting a new C&C game any time soon anyway. But Tempest Rising definitely feels like it is trying to build on the sturdy foundations that were once laid down by the long-dead Westwood Studios. Much like the classic, Tempest Rising has two playable factions, each with its own unique mechanics, and it even has its own special resource that is essentially the cause of conflict in the main story. Where C&C had Tiberium, Tempest Rising has the eponymous Tempest.

Once you get past that initial shock of just how similar to Command & Conquer it feels, there is quite a bit to like about Tempest Rising, be it the core minute-to-minute gameplay where you’re constantly making decisions that not only affect your short-term tactics, but your overall strategy over the course of a match as well, or even just the enthusiasm you can sense in the voice of the characters in both of the game’s campaigns. In this day and age, a real-time strategy game is only really made out of a love for the genre anymore, and it definitely feels like plenty of love went into making Tempest Rising.

"Once you get past that initial shock of just how similar to Command & Conquer it feels, there is quite a bit to like about Tempest Rising"

Speaking of which, the minute-to-minute gameplay feels like it was quite well thought out. Even the main UI is laid out quite well, and veterans of the genre will be able to pick up on things quite easily. Newcomers shouldn’t feel too overwhelmed either, since the title uses the C&C template of how buildings, units, resources, and even special abilities like airstrikes work. The most interesting thing about the title is how fast-paced it can often feel. Tempest Rising doesn’t really feel slow and clunky. Rather, it feels like it was developed with the idea that players will get good at the game, and online matches will often be decided with a few quick skirmishes rather than a drawn-out all-out war where both sides can keep pumping out new soldiers and tanks.

The core gameplay is quite simple. You start off by building a Power Core to provide power to your base. After that, just about every new building you build will unlock either more buildings, or new units that you can then use to bolster your army. To keep this going, you will have to set up harvesters that can get you the primary currency – Tempest – while also making sure that you have enough power generators being built to allow you to expand your base even further. Along the way you’ll start building various buildings that allow you to train soldiers, build tanks, and even aerial vehicles, that can then be sent into your larger army, or kept aside for scouting and quick harassment skirmishes.

The skirmish and online modes are where Tempest Rising feels like it’s at its best. This largely comes down to the fact that you aren’t locked away from any of your chosen faction’s mechanics. However, this isn’t to say that the single-player campaigns are bad. Rather, they’re quite fun. Sure, the story is cheesy as hell, and tends to be quite full of forgettable characters that bark your mission parameters at you. But when it comes to level design and missions, Tempest Rising can easily stand up there with some of the best of the genre. Along with missions that play out like a typical match, you also get more specialised missions that, for example, task you with infiltrating an enemy base to destroy key buildings with only a single unit.

"The character models that brief you on your missions during the campaign are animated quite strangely"

One of the only downsides of the main campaign is the fact that the planned third faction isn’t out yet. The story does quite well to hint at its existence, however, and there is plenty to look forward to considering the nature of Tempest as a substance that everyone is fighting over. Another downside is the fact that the character models that brief you on your missions during the campaign are animated quite strangely. Especially obvious with your original commander, the lip syncing with the dialogue feels somewhat off putting, and tends to veer into the uncanny valley at times. This problem isn’t really there with characters that wear masks, thankfully.

Much like in just about any RTS out there, the campaigns in Tempest Rising have been designed as a long tutorial. Mechanics and new units are introduced quite gradually as you make your way through the stories, and by the end, the game ultimately wants you to feel comfortable enough with its mechanics, units, and overall factions, to want to jump online and compete with other players. At its best, Tempest Rising often tends to evoke the feelings of staying awake late at night in a room lit only by my monitor as I jumped into yet another StarCraft: Brood War match online. With two playable factions, there are plenty of tricks to figure out when it comes to strategies.

Both factions – the Global Defense Forces and the Tempest Dynasty – tend to look similar in terms of gameplay style from the outset, but there are subtleties to both of them that end up feeling like much larger differences once you actually get down to it. For example, the GDF has more of an emphasis on “finesse” styled units, like Drone Operators and Specialist Snipers. Sure, they have vehicles, but a lot of them tend to be more specialised in their purposes as well, with bespoke anti-infantry and anti-armour vehicles, each serving a specific purpose.

"Tempest Rising is a really good looking RTS"

The Tempest Dynasty, on the other hand, tends to feel more like a “brute force” kind of faction when you play. Its units tend to have bigger guns that can do more damage, but there is also an emphasis on more vehicles. It’s quite common to see an entire battalion of flamethrower tanks that are being backed up by SAM-mounted trucks in a battle, compared to the more infantry-heavy approach that the GDF takes. Along with these differences, there are even smaller subtleties to how they play; where the GDF buildings are created in the field, the Tempest Dynasty instead creates its buildings internally before you then put it down. While this may not sound like much, it tends to make a huge difference when, for example, you’ve got a few turrets banked that you can just put down quickly in response to an enemy attacking your base.

It is also worth noting that Tempest Rising is a really good looking RTS. The visuals can often be jaw-dropping, especially when you see two huge armies collide. Bullets and drones will be flying all over the place, and infantry units will ragdoll away when an airstrike drops a bomb on the battle. All while flamethrower tanks are flanking your Grenadiers so that they can’t do too much damage to your buildings. The excellent visuals are coupled with some great music that, while it sounds great, ultimately tends to fall into continuous loops of the same metal music.

Tempest Rising feels like an absolutely loving throwback to the old days when RTSes were one of the biggest genres in gaming. While there are a few rough edges with the game, it feels incredibly polished. All things considered, the only things that feel missing from the game are the planned third faction, and maybe some more maps for the skirmish and multiplayer modes.

This game was reviewed on PC.