- Publisher: 3D Realms , THQ Nordic , Knights Peak
- Release Date: Apr 21, 2025
- Critic score
- Publication
- By date
- Unscored
-
Apr 27, 2025Tempest Rising is an excellent real-time strategy game, inheriting the best traditions of '90s RTSs. It offers two highly entertaining, varied campaigns with well-designed missions, and two distinct factions. Its gameplay is deep and full of possibilities. A triumph that evokes the best sensations Command and Conquer offered in the mid-'90s.
-
Apr 22, 2025Tempest Rising blends old-school RTS brilliance with the power of modern technology, delivering a nostalgic yet fresh experience for everyone. Built in Unreal Engine 5, it looks great, plays even better, and hits all the right notes—gameplay, troop variety, quality-of-life, and sound. The multiplayer mode’s still catching up to the campaign, but with more content on the way, this game could easily surpass the classics it pays homage to.
-
Apr 17, 2025EA has been keeping us on a shoestring for too long now, so it's a good thing that someone fills this huge gap that has been plaguing our lives for years now. Tempest Rising takes all the elements that work in Command & Conquer and offers them to us on the 2025 hardware, without trying to invent anything special. The result is a complete success, and it wasn't a given, because doing simple things is always more complicated than it seems, as demonstrated by the latest spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino that I prepared.
-
Nov 12, 2025Tempest Rising is what I would call a neo-classic RTS — and it’s something we need and hunger for in the modern gaming landscape. The story, gameplay mechanics, and strategic diversity of engagement scenarios make it one of the best RTS titles of the past few years, yet, the lack of balance and problematic AI behaviors prevent it from becoming a perfect experience for avid RTS fans. However, with such a promising debut, I’m excited to see more from this developer in the form of DLC and stand-alone titles the future.
-
Jun 3, 2025Tempest Rising is a game that will surely please dinosaurs like me who miss Command & Conquer but want to see its dusty pages presented with a modern aesthetic and comfort.
-
May 21, 2025Combining nostalgia and challenge in the right way, Tempest Rising proves that war strategy games not only still have a place in the market, but can also be unmissable experiences, capable of winning over new and old fans alike.
-
May 21, 2025Tempest Rising is the game we’ve always been waiting for, ever since EA stopped working on mainline C&C games. It has great factions, a really interesting story and there weren’t any major performance issues for me, either. The game runs great, the music is extremely good, and the visuals are up to par with what you would expect from this type of game. Should you try Tempest Rising? If you want a fast-paced strategy with a bunch of tactical options, it’s certainly a great option to consider. I enjoyed my time with Tempest Rising and low-key hope they will do an expansion soon. This type of game is not as common these days, but it’s definitely a breath of fresh air amongst all battle royales and free to play, battle pass-dependent titles.
-
Apr 21, 2025Tempest Rising wears its C&C influence proudly, and while this overreliance on tradition limits its full potential, Slipgate Ironworks’ overall effort is remarkable and must be celebrated.
-
Apr 20, 2025We had high expectations for Tempest Rising and the game largely fulfilled them. The real-time spectacle looks top-notch and evokes fond memories of the halcyon days of Command & Conquer.
-
Apr 17, 2025Tempest Rising is finally an RTS that will appeal to both veterans and younger players. It offers a very pleasant compromise between classic gameplay and modern processing. Don't expect a lot of originality, but there's no shortage of fun.
-
Apr 17, 2025Unashamedly retro in spirit yet modern where it counts, Tempest Rising is a riveting flashback to the halcyon days of the RTS.
-
Apr 18, 2025Tempest Rising comes at a great time, with few classic-type RTS games making an appearance. Tempest Rising easily recreates the fun of those early games and their addictive mechanics. At the same time, it looks and runs like a current title. Two impressive campaigns and the potential for endless enjoyment via skirmishes equals an impressive and exciting return to a regretfully absent genre.
-
May 5, 2025A nostalgia kick that doesn’t simply copy its inspiration, it improves on it. Tempest Rising is the RTS return that genre fans have been waiting for.
-
Apr 23, 2025Tempest Rising is a great game, perfect for RTS fans. Its PC version delivers solid performance in terms of graphics, gameplay, and optimization. While the quality of enemy AI could be improved, the game draws players in with its engaging army and resource management systems, as well as its narrative, creating a perfect mix that will captivate any fan of the genre.
-
Edge MagazineMay 16, 2025Tempest Rising doesn't revolutionize the genre, but nor does it depend on nostalgia. And if there's a gap waiting for the Veti to arrive, it's immensely gratifying to fill it with a gratuitous quantity of tanks. [Issue#411, p.116]
-
May 16, 2025Tempest Rising is a solid RTS that builds its experience on the foundations of Command & Conquer, but offering a solid proposal with much more than nostalgia.
-
May 2, 2025For anyone feeling nostalgic for the RTS era of Command & Conquer and Red Alert, Tempest Rising is here to fill that gap. Its lengthy and exciting campaign, along with its balanced and diverse pair of factions, is sure to keep you hooked for hours.
-
May 1, 2025Despite lacking originality and charismatic characters, this spiritual successor to Command & Conquer offers varied missions, accessible yet satisfying strategy gameplay, and strong audiovisual design that make it a must-play for RTS fans.
-
Apr 28, 2025Tempest Rising brings a great deal of joy both in its mechanics and in the tactical component. However, it feels like the developers were too unsure to step away from the classic gameplay canvas when it comes to innovations.
-
Apr 24, 2025A new RTS that evokes classics like C&C and StarCraft. Its familiar UI and layout are impressively reworked to be accessible even for RTS newcomers. However, Tempest Rising still lacks defining elements to establish a unique identity, and the absence of features like replay support leaves something to be desired in terms of polish.
-
Apr 23, 2025A throwback to the kind of real-time strategy games rarely made anymore, Tempest Rising nails the basics with explosive flair. While the story feels a bit formulaic and the limited choice of just two factions can grow repetitive, the core gameplay hits as hard as a heavy tank shell. Add in a striking visual style and a killer soundtrack, and you’ve got a must-play for any strategy fan who’s been craving the glory days of classic RTS.
-
Apr 21, 2025Tempest Rising is a call-back to the wonder years of the RTS, but does more than enough to bring titles like that into the present day.
-
Apr 21, 2025Tempest Rising is a wonderful throwback to a genre that often feels forgotten in the modern age.
-
Apr 18, 2025While Tempest Rising may not reinvent the genre, it provides a strong foundation that helps shape it for future iterations.
-
Apr 17, 2025This truly is the new Command & Conquer that Electronic Arts doesn't want to give us. One could accuse the game of being a bit too inspired by the original. But if you look past that, you get a really well-made real-time strategy game. While Tempest Rising doesn't rely solely on its nostalgia and fan appeal, it's also an excellently executed real-time strategy game in its own right. For just €40, you can't go wrong with it. Unless you value a lot of multiplayer options, because Tempest Rising is rather sparse in that regard.
-
Apr 17, 2025A rock-solid real-time strategy game bringing tons of old-school fun to a new generation. It is heavily inspired by C&C, for sure, but since that franchise has been dormant for ages, Tempest Rising is pretty successful in filling the gap.
-
Apr 17, 2025Tempest Rising is what the Command & Conquer fan had waited for years.
-
Apr 17, 2025Tempest Rising isn’t just a nostalgic nod to classic RTS—it’s a carefully crafted return to a genre that has long deserved more attention. While the interface can feel clunky at times and the audio design doesn’t quite leave a lasting impression, the overall experience is cohesive and confident. Rather than reinventing the formula, it builds upon a familiar foundation with clarity and intent, delivering a gameplay structure that feels both respectful and relevant. For fans of Red Alert and Tiberian Sun, it offers an instant sense of belonging—grounded, engaging, and refreshingly self-aware.
-
Apr 17, 2025Though on the surface it’s a simple tribute to Command and Conquer, Tempest Rising breaks free of its influences with a visual style and mechanical flourishes all of its own. Its core ideas may work better in a smaller-scale tactics game rather than an RTS, but there are several missions where everything fits together.
-
Apr 17, 2025Tempest Rising delivers classic RTS action in a modern package, with epic music and nostalgic gameplay. The limited faction choice is a bummer, but there’s still plenty of fun to be had.
-
Apr 17, 2025In short, Tempest Rising is exactly what it seems to be: A modern and solid version of C&C. If you like that kind of game, you'll love this one
-
Apr 17, 2025Tempest Rising works as a stand-alone game, but does not come close to the brilliance of its role model C&C.
-
May 5, 2025Tempest Rising provides plenty of fun and uses familiar elements from classic RTS games, such as army and base management in the style of good old Command & Conquer. A few small steps backwards can be forgiven – there's no revolution here, but it's a solid game with wonderful music.
-
May 4, 2025Calling Tempest Rising "familiar but fun" sounds damning, but it's the most accurate way to describe it. Most of what Tempest Rising does, it does very well. There's nothing particularly exciting about it, and it's all been done before.
-
Apr 28, 2025Tempest Rising is basically a love letter to old-school RTS fans. It doesn't break new ground, but it brings back everything that mattered, and does it well enough to stand proudly alongside its inspirations. In a time when RTS games are often treated like relics, this throwback feels like a real shot of adrenaline. Slipgate Ironworks isn’t shy about showing where it comes from, and the game reminds us why the sound of tanks blowing up in sync will never get old. Still, if you were hoping for the second coming of RTS, you’ll probably end up with a prophet who just knows his gospels by heart.
-
Apr 21, 2025Tempest Rising feels like a nostalgic tribute to the classic RTS games of yesterday, with familiar gameplay that should appeal to old-school players and an incredible amount of polish that no classic can compare to. However, it may feel less-than-innovative to some, and there has been noticeable community backlash regarding the terms of the game’s EULA.
-
Apr 18, 2025Tempest Rising is a classic RTS with a campaign, a spiritual successor to Command & Conquer that painstakingly remakes all things we know from the past. It won’t make the publishers want to give us more games like this, but it is like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy sky above RTS land. One that will make fans of C&C smile.
-
Apr 17, 2025Anyone that was a fan of the original Command & Conquer games or similar RTS from the early 2000s can't pass up Tempest Rising. The look, sound and upgrades to a system that changes things up just enough will appease classic fans. Anyone expecting an elaborate amount of depth akin to what some of the recent RTS games have incorporated, however, won't find it here. There's not much to do, just the campaign, skirmish and multiplayer. There's only two factions and not a ton of maps. Once each faction is figured out in a month, the game will turn into a rush game online. This was a complaint of the legacy C&C games and this gets carried over with it. It won't be about strategy, it'll be about what works. There's a lot here that any fan would want in a modern C&C game, but it doesn't check every box on the wishlist.
| This publication does not provide a score for their reviews. | |
| This publication has not posted a final review score yet. | |
| These unscored reviews do not factor into the Metascore calculation. | |
-
May 28, 2025In an era where live-service games dominate the landscape, Tempest Rising feels like a breath of fresh air for those seeking tight, self-contained matches filled with tension and critical decision-making. [Recommended]
-
Apr 17, 2025Tempest Rising’s two good-sized single-player campaigns are a large helping of comfort food for RTS fans old enough to remember Command & Conquer in its heyday, and a way for everyone else to sample a classic style we don’t see very often anymore without having to deal with any creaky old technology. Its nature as an homage to those games does mean that it’s not terribly ambitious when it comes to doing anything bold you won’t have seen before, but it does put its own interesting spin on faction design that kept me experimenting with abilities throughout the campaigns and prevented it from feeling like too much of a retread. The main place it disappointed an old C&C fan like myself was in its straight-faced mission briefings that can’t compare to the B-movie goofiness and memorable characters of the games that inspired it. [Single Player Campaign Score = 70]