Tempest Rising Review: Is This Command & Conquer-Inspired RTS Worth Playing?
Our Tempest Rising review covers its campaigns, factions, RTS gameplay, controls, and what to consider before buying.
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Tempest Rising review: a familiar RTS with its own ideas
If you miss building a base, harvesting resources, and sending a column of tanks across the map, Tempest Rising may feel like a welcome return to classic real-time strategy. This Tempest Rising review looks at what the game offers across its campaigns and skirmishes, where its Command & Conquer inspirations show, and which rough edges might matter before you buy.
The short version: the fundamentals are strong, and the two campaigns offer a sizable single-player introduction. The game is rooted in a familiar RTS style, so its appeal depends partly on whether you want that classic formula or something more experimental. The official Tempest Rising Steam store page has current availability and pricing information.
| At a glance | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Genre | Real-time strategy |
| Playable factions | Global Defense Force and Tempest Dynasty |
| Main modes | Two campaigns, skirmish, and multiplayer |
| Main resource | Tempest |
| Campaign playtime reported | About 17 hours for a reviewer’s first run, including trying skirmish and multiplayer |
| Core inspiration | Classic Command & Conquer-style base building and combat |
That playtime figure comes from one reviewer’s experience, not a guaranteed campaign length. It included more than campaign missions, and time can vary with difficulty, optional objectives, and how much you replay.
What kind of RTS is Tempest Rising?
This Tempest Rising review finds a straightforward loop: gather Tempest, expand your base, produce units, and use them to defeat the opposing force or complete mission objectives. Campaign objectives include building a base and defeating enemies, surviving for a set time, or getting a specialist to a location alive. In skirmish, the lobby offers several victory conditions, including destroying an opponent’s construction yard or eliminating all of their forces.
The structure will be familiar to players of older base-building RTS games. Harvesters collect the main resource, buildings unfold from construction vehicles, and engineers can capture structures. Units can be vulnerable in combat, so a good approach is to watch their health and pull back damaged units when needed. The player video reviewer described doing this during battles, moving low-health units back while pushing forward with healthier ones.
| Mode | What it offers |
|---|---|
| Campaign | Two faction campaigns with voiced briefings, story scenes, and mission objectives |
| Skirmish | Matches against AI across maps and difficulty options, with selectable win conditions |
| Multiplayer | Quickplay and ranked options |
| Single-player saves | Manual saves and autosaves at certain checkpoints, according to the player video review |
The campaign stories follow the GDF and Tempest Dynasty through the same broad conflict from opposing perspectives. The setting begins after a catastrophic turn in the Cuban Missile Crisis. A powerful substance called Tempest emerges in irradiated regions, becoming a source of energy and a reason for factions to fight.
IGN’s single-player review describes the campaign as a close homage to Command & Conquer, with a familiar resource-and-base-building structure. It also argues that the game has less of the series’ distinctive camp and memorable villain characters. That distinction may help set expectations: the missions and mechanics lean into classic RTS conventions, while IGN found the story presentation less memorable than the older games that inspired it.
Factions and battlefield decisions
The two playable factions share the core goals of collecting resources and building an army, and this Tempest Rising review finds that their units and tools encourage different approaches. IGN’s review highlights the GDF’s drone controllers and deployable Trebuchet artillery, while the Dynasty can use repair vehicles and defensive structures to support a forward position.
These examples point to the game’s emphasis on unit abilities. A force can do more than move toward an enemy and attack: certain units scout, deploy, repair, or gain extra range when repositioned. A good approach is to learn what a unit’s special abilities do and consider when they fit your plan, rather than relying only on a broad attack order.
| Faction | Identity in the story | Examples of battlefield tools described in the single-player review |
|---|---|---|
| Global Defense Force | A well-funded force that presents itself as a peacekeeping organization | Drone controllers for scouting; Trebuchets that deploy for increased firepower and range |
| Tempest Dynasty | A coalition resisting GDF occupation | Scrap Trucks that repair nearby units and buildings; missile trucks and defensive turrets |
A practical tip follows from those mechanics: try a unit’s special ability or alternate deployed mode in a low-pressure moment before relying on it in a major fight. IGN’s examples show why: switching a Trebuchet into its deployed state can improve its reach, while a stationary Scrap Truck can support nearby defenses.
IGN describes the Veti as a technologically advanced faction tied to Tempest that enters the story late in both campaigns. The review says the Veti do not have a playable campaign and were unavailable in skirmish or multiplayer at the time it was written. It describes their forces as having familiar categories such as defenses, tanks, aircraft, and infantry, alongside some powerful late-game units that can call for a different approach.
Campaigns, presentation, and replay value
The two campaigns are the main single-player draw, and this Tempest Rising review covers their familiar RTS scenarios. IGN describes base-cracking, defensive holdouts, last stands, and commando missions led by specialist infantry. Optional goals give players additional reasons to explore a map or revisit a mission, though IGN notes that some objectives only become apparent after scouting.
The campaign presentation has strengths and limits. Characters are voiced, and the missions are framed with briefings and story scenes. The player video review praises the soundtrack in particular, while IGN points to Frank Klepacki’s involvement as a clear link to Command & Conquer’s musical history. IGN is less impressed by the animated briefing scenes and says the mission stories rarely reach the memorable, over-the-top tone of the older games.
| Campaign element | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Mission variety | Base-cracking, defensive holdouts, last stands, and commando missions led by specialist infantry |
| Optional objectives | Some encourage exploration and replay; some may require scouting to discover |
| Story structure | Two campaigns present the conflict from opposing faction perspectives |
| Late campaign | IGN says the Veti enter the story late in both campaigns |
| Estimated playtime | The player video reviewer reported about 17 hours for a first playthrough, including brief sessions in other modes |
For replay value beyond the campaigns, skirmish lets you set up matches against AI, while quickplay and ranked multiplayer offer other ways to play. The available sources do not provide detailed coverage of multiplayer balance or the size of its player base. If online competition is your main reason for considering the game, look for current multiplayer-specific coverage before deciding.
Controls, rough edges, and who may enjoy it
The player video review describes mouse-and-keyboard controls that mostly follow familiar RTS conventions, including control groups and camera movement. This Tempest Rising review also notes that the reviewer reported several limitations while playing and said they sent feedback to the developers. These are player-reported observations from that review, not a guarantee that every player will encounter the same issues or that they remain unchanged.
| Player-reported issue | What the reviewer observed |
|---|---|
| Could not use Shift to place multiple buildings in a row | Repeating building placement did not work as expected |
| Could not set a building waypoint before it finished construction | Waypoints were available after construction was complete |
| Shift plus a control-group number did not add selected units as expected | The selected units were selected with that group, but not added to it |
| Could not assign summoned spy drones to control groups | The reviewer could not manage those units through control groups |
| Could not set skirmish AI faction to random | The lobby required choosing GDF or Tempest Dynasty |
| Cutscenes did not offer subtitles | The reviewer could not enable subtitles in cutscenes |
Tempest Rising combines two campaigns, skirmish, and quickplay and ranked multiplayer with a familiar base-building structure. The player video reviewer found it worth the time and price, citing responsive gameplay, enjoyable campaigns, visuals, and music. For this Tempest Rising review, that opinion is useful context, but it remains one reviewer’s assessment.
IGN’s single-player review praises the core strategy and faction design while criticizing the story’s presentation and the conventional feel of many missions. The two reviews focus on different parts of the game: the player video reviewer discusses campaigns and several modes, while IGN concentrates on the single-player campaigns.
Before purchasing, check the Steam page for current price and availability, then consider which modes you expect to play. The sources describe two campaigns, AI skirmishes with selectable win conditions, and quickplay and ranked multiplayer. If you are most interested in online competition, recent multiplayer-specific coverage can provide details these sources do not address.
FAQ
How long is Tempest Rising?
The player video reviewer reported about 17 hours for a first playthrough of both campaigns, with a skirmish and multiplayer session included. That is a personal estimate, not a fixed completion time.
How many playable factions are in Tempest Rising?
The sources describe two playable factions: the Global Defense Force and the Tempest Dynasty. IGN says the Veti enter the story late in both campaigns, but do not have a playable campaign and were unavailable in skirmish or multiplayer at the time of its review.
Does Tempest Rising have multiplayer?
Yes. The player video review describes quickplay and ranked multiplayer, as well as skirmish against AI. The available sources do not provide enough detail to assess current matchmaking or balance.
Is Tempest Rising worth buying?
This Tempest Rising review describes a game with two campaigns, skirmish, and multiplayer, built around traditional base-building RTS play. The player video reviewer considered it worth the time and price. Check the current store details and consider seeking recent multiplayer coverage if competitive play is your priority.