Like the classic Command & Conquer games, Tempest Rising tells its story through faction-based campaigns, each with interconnected missions and in-engine cutscenes. Both campaigns are canon, unfolding in parallel and exploring moral grey areas shaped by player choices. Each faction also features unique hero units—specialists—who add powerful abilities and their own narrative arcs, enriching the story further.
Though it can be said that the PC is hardly a platform that’s left wanting for RTS efforts, it’s also perhaps equally true that fewer of those recent efforts have attempted to recapture the magic of Westwood’s legendary Command & Conquer series. Looking to address this most egregious of situations is Tempest Rising, an all-new RTS offering from veteran developer Slipgate Ironworks, which by all accounts is an essential pick-up for Command & Conquer fans. Here’s why.
Command & Conquer As An Influence
More of a mission statement than anything else, developer Slipgate Ironworks directly cites the Command & Conquer RTS titles of old as a direct inspiration for Tempest Rising. Indeed, in an interview posted on Steam, it is revealed that Game Director Fred Schreiber has had a ‘lifelong dream’ to bring back the core gameplay of EA’s Command & Conquer franchise alongside updated production values that take optimal advantage of current technologies. With a team of passionate creatives that clearly have such a unified love for the Command & Conquer games, it’s pretty safe to say that fans of that legendary series have a lot to look forward to in Tempest Rising.
A Familiar Modern-Day Alternative Timeline Scenario
One of the obvious ways in which Tempest Rising seeks to pay homage to the Command & Conquer games is in its setting. Presenting players with an alternate history setting which unfurls in 1997 after World War III has kicked off with a whole heap of nuclear devastation to boot, Tempest Rising shows us a world where the remaining factions fight over a precious resource known as Tempest in order to assert their dominance over a planet steeped in ruin. Sound familiar? Indeed, it does, and I’m absolutely here for it.
Separate Story-Driven Campaigns
From day one, Tempest Rising boasts a cinematic story campaign that can be played from the point of view of two very different factions, with a third, the Veti, due to arrive at some point after release, though a campaign for that faction has yet to be confirmed. The two factions that you will be able to play at launch are the Global Defense Force (which aren’t at all like the GDI faction seen in the Command & Conquer games) and the dark-clad Tempest Dynasty (which absolutely isn’t inspired by the nefarious Brotherhood of Nod) with each having their own eleven mission long story campaign.
Traditional Command & Conquer Style Gameplay – Refreshed
Though the classic nature of the Command & Conquer formula might seem straightforward to replicate on the surface, Tempest Rising proves that there is a real degree of craft involved in getting it just right. For a start, though there are two (and eventually three) factions, each of them has been designed to be asymmetrical in gameplay terms, encouraging players to fully embrace the strengths and weaknesses of each faction in order to lead them to victory.
Tempest Rising channels classic Command & Conquer with its focus on base building, resource collection, and real-time strategy battles. Players build on a grid, manage power for structures, and can use engineers to capture or exploit enemy tech trees. Resource gathering is old-school too—harvest Tempest, refine it, and turn it into credits to fund your army. Simple, strategic, and full of nostalgic charm.
Tempest Rising blends classic RTS mechanics with modern design. Combat features garrisonable buildings and a veterancy system that boosts unit strength through experience. Units follow a rock-paper-scissors balance—tanks crush infantry, air units dominate unless countered. With asymmetrical factions, morally nuanced campaigns, and tight base-building and combat systems, it’s both a love letter to Command & Conquer and a fresh take for newcomers and RTS veterans alike.
If you’re ready to experience the adrenaline rush of old-school RTS warfare with a slick modern twist, don’t miss out – Tempest Rising is available now on the Green Man Gaming store. So why not lock in your copy today and command your faction to victory!