Tempest Rising Review: A commanding presence

Tempest Rising enters the battlefield with a heavy legacy on its shoulders. At first glance, you can easily say the game is a more modern take on Westwood’s classic title, and you could even say the game is inching on plagiarism considering how similar it is to how Command & Conquer plays—two factions have it out for each other, some vehicles even have the same name, and composer Frank Klepacki even worked on the soundtrack. All things considered, it’s a great game for RTS fans looking to get their next C&C fix, but if you overlook this spiritual successor’s unique charm, you’re doing yourself a disservice.

Tempest Rising takes a lot of what made C&C games good—resource management, a plethora of vehicles to manage, and single-player missions that both teach you how to play but still manage to entertain you with their challenges—and injects the genre with its own twist on things. It offers more than a polished tribute and adds some unique layers that help it stand out on its own.

Two Warring Factions Again

Set in an alternate 1997 where the Cuban Missile Crisis spiraled into nuclear war, the world is now dominated by two superpowers: the high-tech Global Defense Force (GDF) and the brute-force Tempest Dynasty. The rare, plant-like element “Tempest” is the new fuel of the future—and both factions want control. This premise will sound familiar to those who played the original Command & Conquer, and it is rather spot-on when you consider there is also a third entity you learn about later on that becomes a thorn at their side.

Both of these separate campaigns with 11 missions a piece serve in part as an evolving tutorial that introduces aspects of the game and let you explore the nuances between each faction. Missions will feel straightforward at first—capture a base, destroy a base, protect your base—but soon will grow into bigger bouts with secondary objectives you can choose to tackle. Some of the more fun missions will involve using specialty units to infiltrate bases or needing to track down the enemy as they move around the map while still eyeing your base in case of attack.

Cutscenes and in-mission briefings provide some exposition, and while they aren’t particularly memorable (especially on the GDF side), they do offer context to what you are doing. Dialogue trees let you ask questions about lore and tactics, but most players will likely skip them to dive into the action. The officers and crew you will interact from the GDF aren’t that memorable either, but at least Dynasty feels more menacing and exotic due in part to their mysterious demeanor and their Soviet accents.

Familiar yet Modern RTS Gameplay

Gameplay-wise, Tempest Rising stays true to the RTS formula while modernizing the experience. It keeps the classic rock-paper-scissors logic—tanks beat light vehicles, light vehicles beat infantry, infantry beat tanks—but adds special abilities and buffs to keep things interesting. GDF favors precision and tech: long-range attacks, drones, and intelligence gathering. Their infantry can scout, blow up barrels, or convert data into energy. Dynasty, by contrast, leans into raw power: Tempest-infused weapons, flamethrowers, durable structures, and area denial tactics. Basically, fire is their friend.

Even resource management differs between each faction. GDF can build units from their construction bay, and you’ll see the new structures get built in real time. On the other hand, Dynasty builds things in the background, and once a building is ready, you can then select it from the menu and place it where you want. Both options offer their pros and cons meaning you will need to change your approach depending on which faction you play as and who you are attacking.

Unit design is where the game really shines. From GDF’s transforming Trebuchet tank to Dynasty’s monstrous Tempest Sphere (think rolling death-ball), each faction’s late-game toys are satisfying and unique. Mastering the strengths and weaknesses of each unit is essential—not just for victory, but to fully appreciate the thoughtful design behind each faction. You aren’t just playing red vs. blue here, and knowing your units is crucial in battle.

The Spoils of War

Tempest Rising also makes it easy to control your units with a clear UI that streamlines everything you need right on your screen. Keyboard shortcuts also let you group certain units together to select them on the fly with a tap of a key. Plus, you can also hit ALT when directing your units to have them all move at the same speed. No more watching fast units charge to their death while your tanks lag behind.

The game is at its best during smaller, more tactical skirmishes—which you can also do directly against computer or other players outside of the main campaign. These moments let you micro-manage and really enjoy the battlefield without the stress of large-scale assaults. Playing as a sniper sneaking through a jungle, for example, provides a welcome change of pace and lets the game flex its more detailed environments and animations. Sure, this won’t always happen when you play through the more large-scale missions, but it’s refreshing when the game offers you moments that change your focus on building as many units as possible to win the battle.

During these smaller-scale missions, you can also zoom into the battlefield to get a better look at everything. While the maps you play through won’t jump out at you as distinguishable real-world locations, you can appreciate the subtle details in the environment and units. The game also looks great and runs smoothly with no noticeable issues. The only real drawback is the odd mismatch between voice lines and character lip movements—and the occasional gas mask fashion statement of various soldiers on both sides, which feels more confusing than cool.

Final Thoughts

It’s impossible not to compare Tempest Rising to Command & Conquer—but the game embraces that legacy and still manages to carve out its own space. For genre veterans, it’s a thrilling, nostalgic ride with modern polish. For newcomers, it offers a deep yet accessible RTS experience with a sturdy foundation.

Strategic and methodical when planning, but frantic and thrilling once the action kicks off, Tempest Dynasty delivers two strong campaigns. Both build toward epic, unpredictable conclusions and unlike many strategy games that treat their campaigns as extended tutorials, this one delivers meaningful and thoughtfully designed missions that keep you on your toes. While Tempest Rising may not reinvent the genre, it provides a strong foundation that helps shape it for future iterations.