Tempest Rising, A C&C Wannabee RTS Review

Once upon a time, a small but beloved team was called Westwood Studios. By the end of the last century, their résumé boasted a Dungeons & Dragons game and even titles from the popular Dune franchise.

However, in what is now the ancient golden age of strategy games in the late '90s and early 2000s, Westwood Studios turned to the chaotic battles of the heroic blue West and the wicked red East. Command & Conquer games defined an era with their gameplay based on rapid base-building and assembling imaginative, diverse armies to overpower opponents. Tempest Rising, a game that pays homage to this era, is a must-play for any fan of the genre.

 Add the humour through creative single-player campaign missions and charming, delightfully cheesy live-action cutscenes with real actors, and you have the recipe for a legend. It was the C&C series that served as inspiration for the new strategy hit called Tempest Rising. Most of the ingredients are here—in the same pot—but the question is whether the same mix of elements can deliver the strategic flavour of Command & Conquer over 20 years later.

Are you looking to play something completely different? Check out our Commandos Origins review!

What Is Tempest Rising All About?

Tempest Rising puts you in the role of a nameless commander on whom everything depends, with your advisors briefing you on the war between the blue and red factions. As in any other RTS, gameplay primarily revolves around constructing buildings to process gathered resources, defensive structures to repel enemy raids, researching new technologies, and training an army.

 However, Tempest places a much greater focus on the first-mentioned resources, as they aren't just random gems scattered on the ground but the central element of the entire story.

The Story

Like its predecessors, this game is set in an alternate history of the Cold War. After a direct nuclear conflict escalated in the 1960s, Earth was left severely scarred by numerous high-radiation zones. 

This radiation fostered the rise of a new resource called Tempest. I say "rise" deliberately, as it's a kind of plant that generates energy unlike any other. Thus, even thirty years later, the Cold War hasn't cooled down. This time, the war is over the acquisition of this precious new resource, equally sought by the now-renamed warring factions—the Global Defence Forces (GDF) as the Western allies and the Tempest Dynasty as the USSR and friends.

Here, unfortunately, Tempest Rising's narrative framework essentially ends. Instead of real actors, in-game characters introduce the missions, and I guarantee you won't remember any of their names. Beyond the intriguing premise, most of the campaigns don't delve into clever or imaginative storytelling—nor into any silliness. Humour isn't the focus here; we're deadly serious about collecting that sweet, sweet Tempest! I'll only give a mild spoiler: you should definitely play at least one campaign to the end, as the final missions feature an unexpected twist that catches you off guard.

The Factions In Tempest Rising

Of course, Tempest Rising includes specific differences between the two playable factions, such as construction methods and special units. If you choose the GDF, base-building works by selecting a construction site and waiting for the structure to complete, while the Dynasty orders pre-built structures that you place like mushrooms after rain.

In both cases, you build one structure at a time, but I think the GDF's method is more convenient, as in the heat of battle, playing as the Dynasty, you might forget you ordered a building while three more wait in the queue. The Dynasty's advantage is that they don't need a resource-processing building—instead, a large vehicle "parks" and serves as the structure, and you can "re-park" it elsewhere. A similar principle applies to unit training: no matter how many barracks or factories you have, troops are trained individually, with the production menu always visible on the right edge of the screen.

The campaign features some mission variety, from classic "build a base and army and attack" to ambushes, convoys, etc. However, the lack of memorable characters is noticeable even in infiltration missions with so-called specialists. I'm sure those who played Red Alert remember Tanya or Kane well. Here, after playing, you won't remember 

Anyone.

The Look and Feel of Tempest Rising

Reading the above paragraphs, you might get the impression that this game disappoints in many ways. However, I must emphasize that the core gameplay is not just spot-on, it's exceptional. Cynics might say there's nothing new, but ultimately, there isn't—yet everything needed for a successful RTS is here. And it all works, promising hours of engaging gameplay for any strategy game enthusiast. 

There's even a not-so-important minigame where you spend resources earned from completing objectives in previous missions to unlock perks that make future missions easier. These perks fall into three categories: communication, mobility, and intelligence. For example, you can increase your resource gatherers' speed by one percent, boost weapon efficiency by another, and so on.

You also have more than enough unit types: infantry, tanks, and aircraft/helicopters—only naval units are missing. The controls are highly responsive, and the sound design is excellent. Rock music permeates the game as it should in older classics, and all characters have clear, predominantly exaggeratedly masculine voices. The whole feel of the game was exceptionally immersive when we had our  XP-Panther Wave Forest headset on.

Visually, Tempest Rising is, at times, truly breathtaking. It sets a new standard for strategy game aesthetics, with stunning visuals that make every battle a feast for the eyes. Well, if nothing else, those nameless characters look good, and that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the game's visual appeal.

Multiplayer is available in 1v1 or 2v2 formats, currently on nine maps. I believe you'll spend a lot of time in this segment because things get genuinely intense here. It's fun when you deviate from the standard rush strategy of massing basic units and instead play defensively, leading your opponent to quit out of frustration. Or when they wipe you out in the first five minutes. The latter happens more often, admittedly…

In Conclusion

All in all, this is an excellent strategy title that knows its inspirations well. The style of classic golden-age strategy games is excellently presented in a beautiful new package. If you want pure, high-quality gameplay fun, Tempest Rising shouldn't disappoint. My only complaint is that I expected a bit more from the campaign—it lacked uniqueness. 

Mission variety is passable, but the conflict ultimately boils down to "us vs. them," making cutscenes skippable. For more serious tactical play, I suggest cranking the campaign difficulty to the highest setting, as on normal, you won't need any strategy beyond selecting a large army and ordering them to attack everything in sight.

Rating: 7.8/10 

It is a well-crafted RTS with strong gameplay foundations and visuals, held back by a forgettable campaign and lack of innovation.

Recommended Age: 13+ 

Suitable for teens and up due to strategic complexity and mild war themes.