The Veti have joined the real-time strategy game Tempest Rising as the third playable faction, complete with their own DLC campaign. They are quite different from the Global Defence Force (GDF) and the Tempest Dynasty.
The action-packed real-time strategy (RTS) game Tempest Rising has gained its third faction, the Veti, as promised. Playing as the Veti in multiplayer mode (including matchmaking and custom games) and in skirmish mode (including AI bot matches) is free for all owners of the base game. However, the campaign expansion, The Veti's Wrath, is paid DLC costing €19.99.
While the two human factions — the Global Defense Force (GDF) and the Tempest Dynasty — are reminiscent of the classic GDI vs. Nod dynamic of Command & Conquer, the Veti are different. The GDF is a classic control faction with heavy armour; the Tempest Dynasty employs aggressive hit-and-run tactics; and the Veti are flexible and fight differently.
Tempest Rising: The Veti's Wrath © Slipgate Ironworks, 3D Realms, Saber Interactive, Knights Peak
The technologically advanced and recently awakened alien empire, whose design is reminiscent of Egypt, among other influences, can shift the front line by relocating buildings. They have a special connection to the Tempest: for instance, the Cultivator, an area of effect (AOE) Tempest Charge Specialist, inflicts Tempest Charge on nearby enemy vehicles and summons damaging Tempest vines. What's particularly macabre is that the Veti use humanity and their own basic troops to strengthen their own troops and war machines — these are the Enlightened. These captured humans can be sacrificed to strengthen or resupply the other troops on command. There is also the Luminary, a utility support transport, which can be used to transport the Enlightened directly to the front. It is also convenient that the Enlightened can be ordered to sacrifice themselves for a specific unit.
Like the Protoss from StarCraft, the Veti can only build within an influence zone, but they can expand it by constructing new buildings. The Ascension Anchor is a tech enhancement structure that can be connected to tether points on other buildings to enhance their capabilities (e.g. damage, power and veterancy). The Veti faction roster includes: nine buildings, seven vehicles, six infantry units, five air units, five defensive structures, five specialists, five support powers and one superweapon.
The Veti play very differently to the other two factions. Naturally, players can try out the faction for free in skirmishes or multiplayer, but the best way to understand the nuances of the gameplay is through the campaign, where the mechanics are explained step by step and more clearly. The campaign centres on the Veti scraping together what remains, restoring their forces and rebuilding their doctrine towards a single, absolute purpose: Reclamation. Meanwhile, K'uhul the Immutable, an ancient Veti ruler, sows doubt amongst their own ranks from within his prison. While the campaign could certainly have delved deeper into the Veti and their faction, the eleven missions offer a good variety of objectives.
Tempest Rising: The Veti's Wrath © Slipgate Ironworks, 3D Realms, Saber Interactive, Knights Peak
The Veti's Wrath follows numerous free updates that have added new features like super weapons, expanded the content (new maps), improved the balance (units, difficulty levels, tempo) and enhanced the quality of the original game. Amongst other things, a free map editor with modding features and Steam Workshop integration was added.
The Veti's Wrath and Tempest Rising were developed by Slipgate Ironworks, a Danish video game developer based in Aalborg. The company's first title was the modern retro shooter Rise of the Triad, released in 2013. Since then, they have worked on a variety of other games, including Rad Rodgers, Ion Fury, Ghostrunner and Phantom Fury.
Three companies are involved as publishers: 3D Realms, Saber Interactive and Knights Peak. The long-standing 3D Realms company aims to redefine AAA (Action, Attitude, Adrenaline) games. It was acquired by Saber Interactive in 2021 and is now a publishing label under Saber. Founded in 2001, Saber Interactive is a global publisher and developer comprising 13 studios across America and Europe. Saber develops games for all major platforms based on its own and licensed IP. Its titles include Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, John Carpenter's Toxic Commando, Jurassic Park: Survival, World War Z, SnowRunner and Expeditions: A MudRunner Game. Knights Peak is the premium publishing division of My.Games. The original collaboration centred on Tempest Rising has been expanded for The Veti's Wrath. Eugenio Vitale, Vice-President of Knights Peak, comments: "This extension of our publishing agreement with Saber Interactive is an essential milestone and enables us to bring the expansion of the immensely successful Tempest Rising to players on a much larger scale than originally announced. We hope that players will appreciate this added value just as much as we do, along with Saber Interactive, 3D Realms and, above all, the developers at Slipgate Ironworks."
Tempest Rising: The Veti's Wrath expands the action-packed real-time strategy game with a unique new faction.
