Tempest Rising developer Slipgate Ironworks has officially introduced superweapons into its action-packed RTS, adding massively powerful instruments of destruction for each of its factions. But when Slipgate revealed its digital WMD's last week, it also hinted there was more big news on the horizon for its Command & Conquer tribute.
At the time, I speculated this would be the long-awaited addition of a third playable faction to the RTS, and I was right! Well, sort of. Tempest Rising's third faction is playable now in the RTS, but only in beta, and only for the next two weeks.
That third faction is The Veti, an alien race with ancient Egyptian stylings originally encountered in the latter third of the single-player's parallel campaigns. They're radically different from the RTS' existing human factions—the technologically advanced GDF and industrious, inventive Tempest Dynasty—summoning buildings rather than constructing them, and attacking their enemies with laser-toting floating pyramids and ground troops that shoot bees.
This plays into the second of the Veti's distinct systems, their approach to expansion and upgrades. The Veti can expand their territory across the battlefield via the Caretaker, a flying unit that creates build radius beneath it. Alongside this, the Caretaker can construct ascension anchors, which you can sacrifice Enlightened at to upgrade existing structures. But Enlightened can also be sacrificed in the field to provide combat buffs, so you'll need to decide where your mindless minions are best disposed of.
Finally, the Veti have a unique approach to harvesting Tempest—the game's equivalent of C&C's tiberium—which is that they don't just yank it all from the ground. Instead, they cultivate it sustainably, meaning a Tempest field will never run out when farmed by the Veti.
Overall, The Veti's roster features nine buildings, seven vehicles, six infantry units, five air units, five defensive structures, and five specialist units. On top of that, they get their own superweapon—the Sanctifier Portal. This massive energy altar vaporises nearby units when it spawns and deals constant AoE damage around it. It can also sustain itself by targeting enemy units and consuming them entirely.
The Veti are available to play in Tempest Rising's public test branch from now until December 15. As for when they'll come to the game permanently, or whether they'll be multiplayer exclusive or have a campaign of their own, Slipgate Ironworks is yet to specify.
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