Info about Tempest Rising: The Veti’s Wrath:

Official game description:
In the wake of the Tempest Wars, the Veti lie shattered. Hunted by mankind’s warring factions across a world they once ruled, they scrape together what remains, restoring forces and rebuilding doctrine toward a single, absolute purpose: Reclamation.
K’uhul the Immutable watches through the cracks of his prison. An ancient Veti ruler entombed for devouring colony worlds across the stars, his acrid words seep through the scattered ranks of his own kind. If the reclamation fails, it will not be at human hands.
Experience the final chapter of Tempest Rising: lead the shattered Veti through a full-fledged 11-mission campaign to reunite your forces, reclaim stolen technology, and excise the corruption threatening to subsume your people from within.
The Veti do not waste their enemies. Convert fallen soldiers into the mindless Enlightened, then sacrifice them mid-battle to fuel your machines and empower your warriors. Master a full suite of new infantry, abilities, and doctrines built around total domination of the unworthy.
Every weapon in the Veti arsenal is designed to remind the humans of their place. From the colossal War Ender to the veiled Phantom Artillery, command a roster of devastating units. Deploy teleportation tactics, consume units on command for surges of power, and unleash the full might of a civilization older than human memory.
Ascension Anchors are at the heart of every Veti base: sacrificial obelisks that ascend through tiers of power by consuming the Enlightened. Each tier extends new tethers to your surrounding structures, enhancing everything they touch. Choose where your power flows as the battlefield shifts.

Release date: Sep 29, 2026

Categories: RTS with pause, Real-time Strategy, Sci-fi, Single-player Campaign, Turn-based Strategy, Base Building, Asymmetric Factions

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 0; verdict: Fair / No Predatory Monetization; summary: The reviews focus on a paid DLC campaign for the game, discussing its price, value, and content. No evidence of in-game microtransactions, loot boxes, gacha, or pay-to-win mechanics is present. The DLC's multiplayer units are accessible without purchase, which is consumer-friendly. Complaints are limited to DLC pricing and comparisons to other games, which are not predatory MTX. The score is 0 because the monetization model is a fair one-time purchase for an optional expansion.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $18.00 - $20.00
  - Reasoning: The reviews consistently use the base game's price as a value benchmark. They treat $20 as an acceptable full price and $18 as a reasonable discount price for the base game, while criticizing DLC content that costs half the base game price as poor value. This implies the community considers the base game fairly priced around $18 to $20 USD.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: N/A
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The reviews confirm that some players completed or partially played the Veti campaign and mention the mission count, but none provide hours played, session durations, or endgame time. The mentions of finishing on Normal, playing only the first two missions, and an 11-mission campaign do not include enough numerical playtime information to estimate gameCompletion, storyCompletion, sessionLength, or endgame. Therefore all playtime metrics are set to null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Reviews praise the game's immediate pacing and free multiplayer access to the Veti faction, but also cite a learning curve and a slog in timed campaign missions. No clear time-to-fun anchor is supported.
  - Stance: Fun immediately
  - Anchor: N/A
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: New enlightenment and subjugation mechanics have a learning curve; Single-player campaign is a slog on Normal; Missions are artificially difficult because of timers; Back-to-back time-based missions
  - Unlock drivers: Prior Veti multiplayer/skirmish test experience reduces the learning curve
  - Conditions: Playing competitive online rather than single-player campaigns; Owning the base game; Playing the Veti faction in multiplayer/skirmish; Having prior Veti multiplayer/skirmish test experience; Playing on Normal difficulty
- Player Archetypes:
  - Competitive Multiplayer Strategist (no buy)
    - Motivation: Competing in online multiplayer and skirmish matches while the new faction stays free.
    - Playstyle: Plays skirmish and competitive online multiplayer, skipping single-player campaign content.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Single-Player Campaign and Lore Seeker (buy)
    - Motivation: Experiencing the new single-player campaign, story, and faction lore.
    - Playstyle: Works through the scripted single-player campaign missions to absorb narrative and production value.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Value-Conscious Discount Waiter (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Getting the campaign content only once the price feels justified.
    - Playstyle: Holds off on purchasing and evaluates the amount of paid content before committing.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Base-Game Loyalist and Dev Supporter (buy)
    - Motivation: Supporting a game and developer they already love and getting more content for it.
    - Playstyle: Long-term base-game player who buys each content drop and hopes for future co-op modes.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Campaign is high quality (weight 0.96): The new campaign is consistently described as fun, exciting, and well-made, with strong map design and mission development. Reviewers note it feels refreshing and more enjoyable than previous campaigns.
- Veti faction is unique (weight 0.81): The Veti faction stands out as highly distinctive from the other two factions, with a unique identity and gameplay style. Multiple reviewers call it one of the most unique RTS factions they have played.
- Strong production and polish (weight 0.63): The DLC features high production values, with immersive voice acting, tense soundtrack, and art direction that fits the Veti aesthetic. Mission briefings add atmosphere through character interaction.
- DLC enhances base game (weight 0.58): The DLC is widely praised as a well-done expansion that adds fun and value on top of the base game. Many reviewers find it pleasing and say it meaningfully builds on the core experience.
- Good pacing and balance (weight 0.53): Gameplay pacing is well-tuned, not overwhelming, and the turn-based pause feature is often unnecessary. Easy mode is no longer brutally difficult, and the faction is well balanced in the campaign.
- Immersive and varied missions (weight 0.52): Missions are varied and fun, with immersive elements like chasing townspeople and giving the Veti their own stakes. The story is excellent and adds a great new dimension to the game.
- Veti mechanics are engaging (weight 0.47): Unique abilities like corpse raising, sacrifice, and teleporting add fresh strategic depth and are fun to use. Sanctification abilities with short cooldowns allow for frequent, impactful plays.
- Overall enjoyable experience (weight 0.42): Players report having fun and joy while playing, and many express strong liking for the DLC. It is considered a refreshing addition that brings new life to the game.
- Consumer-friendly multiplayer inclusion (weight 0.26): The Veti faction is available for free in multiplayer and skirmish even without purchasing the DLC, which is seen as a positive consumer gesture. This adds value and accessibility for all players.
- Difficulty becomes manageable (weight 0.25): After the initial missions, the campaign becomes much more manageable on Normal difficulty. Reviewers note that early missions are challenging but the curve smooths out.

Common complaints:
- Poor DLC value proposition (weight 0.66): The DLC offers only an 11-mission campaign with little extra content, no new game modes, and no co-op or replayability, making it poor value at its price point.
- Missing base game content (weight 0.59): The new faction should have been part of the base game from day one, and the DLC fails to add new maps or units for existing factions.
- Veti faction complexity (weight 0.48): The Veti faction is difficult to understand without practice and requires very high APM compared to other races, with constant ability usage everywhere.
- Story campaign gaps and pacing (weight 0.48): The story has many unresolved gaps, and the campaign feels like a slog on Normal difficulty with missions that end too soon or are artificially difficult due to timers.
- Localization errors in German (weight 0.36): The German translation contains letter swaps, incorrect use of articles like der, die, das, and duplicated words such as 'ein ein'.
- Missing quality-of-life features (weight 0.27): Players report the inability to queue multiple buildings and an extra step with the caretaker required for building a harvesting structure.
- Removed cutscenes and bundled extras (weight 0.27): Pre-mission cutscenes appear to have been removed, and the artbook and soundtrack were removed from the Steam storefront and folded into this DLC without prior public communication, looking like a poor attempt to justify the price.
- Story theme mismatch (weight 0.14): Some players disliked the story because it focused on civil wars against a galactic super villain instead of fighting humans as the main theme.

Gameplay feedback:
- Veti faction distinct Egyptian theme (weight 0.65): Multiple clusters highlight the Veti faction with a unique Egyptian-themed identity that plays very differently from the other two human factions. They are noted as having their own distinct playstyle and visual design.
- Veti campaign 11 missions (weight 0.56): The DLC includes a full campaign with 11 story missions where players control the Veti. The campaign features mission briefings and in-mission interactions.
- High APM micro-intensive faction (weight 0.47): The Veti require high actions per minute and frequent use of abilities, making them the most micro-intensive faction. Their gameplay involves managing sacrifice and teleporting mechanics.
- Veti slow powerful late-game bulldozer (weight 0.37): The Veti are described as slow and powerful, not depleting tempest nodes, and acting as a late-game bulldozer that must be crushed quickly. Their units are high burst damage ammo-based.
- Corpse raising reinforcement ability (weight 0.26): The Veti can raise corpses of dead enemies to reinforce units, but this ability only works within a certain range. It adds a tactical layer to unit management.
- Near-infinite unit production mechanic (weight 0.16): Resource management is bypassed, allowing for near-infinite unit production limited only by population cap. This unique economic model sets the Veti apart from other factions.
- Vimana flying fortress frontline production (weight 0.16): A flying fortress called the Vimana can produce units directly at the front line. This provides a strategic advantage for reinforcing pushes.
- Sages heal and boost mobility (weight 0.15): Units called Sages can heal and boost mobility, providing support options for Veti forces. This contributes to their unique faction identity.
- Timer-based mission difficulty (weight 0.15): Some missions use timers as a difficulty mechanic, adding pressure to complete objectives within time limits. This affects campaign pacing.
- Turn-based pause feature (weight 0.15): The game includes a turn-based pause feature that allows players to issue orders while paused. This can help manage the faction's high micro demands.
- Enlightenment and subjugation mechanics (weight 0.15): New mechanics related to enlightenment and subjugation are introduced, adding strategic depth to the Veti faction. These systems are unique to the DLC.
- Caretaker building construction (weight 0.14): Building construction involves a caretaker unit, adding a unique twist to base building. This mechanic ties into the faction's identity.
- Townspeople NPCs cower and die (weight 0.14): Townspeople NPCs are present and react to combat by cowering, and they can be killed. This adds environmental detail to missions.
- Veti resemble humans with vines (weight 0.14): Visually, the Veti mostly look like humans with tempest vines, darker skin, and glowing eyes. This contributes to their distinctive appearance.

Performance notes:
No performancepoints

Recommendations:
- Strongly recommended DLC (weight 0.52): Many players highly recommend the DLC and simply say to buy and play it. They consider it a must-support addition for fans of the game.
- Wait for discount (weight 0.46): Several players say the DLC isn't worth full price and recommend buying it only on sale or at a heavy discount. One even suggests waiting for a steep discount unless you're a dedicated Veti fan.
- Worth full price (weight 0.37): Other reviewers say it's definitely worth the asking price and offer good value for the new Tempest-focused single-player campaign. They describe it as a solid purchase at the appropriate price.
- Optional for base owners (weight 0.15): Some reviewers note that this DLC isn't an essential requirement if you already own the base game, though it's still recommended overall. It's seen as a nice extra rather than a mandatory purchase.
- Support the developers (weight 0.14): A reviewer urges players to give the developers some cash so they can keep making quality RTS games. This reflects a desire to support the studio and future content.

Other player notes:
- New faction Veti free in multiplayer (weight 0.66): The DLC introduces the Veti faction, which is available for free in multiplayer and skirmish for owners of the base game. This is supported by Clusters 3, 6, 9, 11, 15, and 16.
- DLC is single campaign only (weight 0.56): The DLC consists solely of an 11-mission single-player campaign, with no other content such as new official maps. Clusters 1, 4, 7, 17, and 22 confirm this focus.
- DLC adds lore and story conclusion (weight 0.38): The DLC is the final chapter of the story and provides unique lore, making it essential for narrative completion. Clusters 13, 24, and 25 emphasize this aspect.
- Campaign length similar to past expansions (weight 0.37): The campaign's 10-12 missions are compared to StarCraft 2 expansions and classic C&C campaigns, suggesting a familiar scope. Clusters 2, 18, and 19 make these comparisons.
- QoL improvements at launch (weight 0.26): The launch includes additional quality-of-life improvements, and easy mode was adjusted in updates. Clusters 5 and 21 highlight these enhancements.
- Devs show care for the game (weight 0.25): Developers appear to care about the game, as evidenced by updates and quality-of-life improvements. Clusters 14 and 21 suggest this.
- Improved mission briefing style (weight 0.15): The DLC improves on the mission briefing style from the GDF and DYN campaigns, offering a better presentation. Cluster 20 notes this improvement.
- Artbook and soundtrack bundled with DLC (weight 0.15): The artbook and soundtrack were removed from the Steam storefront and included in this DLC. Cluster 23 details this change.
- First real CnC-like in years (weight 0.15): The reviewer considers this the first true Command & Conquer-like game in a long time, indicating a positive revival. Cluster 10 expresses this sentiment.
- Campaign completable on normal difficulty (weight 0.14): The campaign can be completed on normal difficulty, providing a reasonable challenge. Cluster 8 confirms this.

Emotions:
- Disappointment (weight 0.21): Players are disappointed by the DLC's poor value, as it adds only one faction without new maps or units for existing factions and charges a high price for just 11 missions. The story has many gaps, focuses on civil wars against a galactic super villain instead of fighting humans, and features low-quality translation that feels machine-generated. The removal of pre-mission cutscenes further reduces the perceived completeness.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.17): Players feel satisfied because the campaign is as large and polished as the base game's campaigns, with more interesting map design and better balance than the beta. The addition of a unique faction and the consumer-friendly decision to allow the Veti in skirmish without buying the DLC also contribute to this positive sentiment.
- Excitement (weight 0.07): Excitement stems from the new faction being a breath of fresh air that is very different from the other two, along with varied missions and an excellent story.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.07): Players enjoy the amazing missions and good times with the campaign, as well as the well-balanced Veti faction and good gameplay pacing.
- Frustration (weight 0.07): Frustration arises from the high APM requirement and tedious building mechanics, as well as the campaign feeling like a slog on Normal difficulty due to artificially difficult timers.
- Refreshed (weight 0.03): Players feel refreshed because the campaign has a different style from previous ones.
- Pleased (weight 0.03): Players are pleased because the DLC is good and very pleasing.
- Amusement (weight 0.03): Amusement comes from the archipelago mission ending too soon, as the reviewer wanted to stay in that paradise longer.
- Joy (weight 0.03): Joy is caused by a very cool new campaign with an interesting new faction.
- Anticipation (weight 0.03): Players are looking forward to what the next DLCs will bring.
- Love (weight 0.03): Love is driven by the campaign's unexpected events.
- Immersion (weight 0.03): Immersion is enhanced by the voice acting, soundtrack, and visuals.
- Distrust (weight 0.03): Distrust arises because the artbook and soundtrack were folded into the DLC without communication, which feels like a poor attempt to justify the price.
- Reluctance (weight 0.03): Reluctance stems from uncertainty about buying a possible future title or anything from the same developer.
- Good faith (weight 0.03): Good faith is generated by the faction being included for free in multiplayer and skirmish, which makes the pricing feel more reasonable.
- Concern (weight 0.03): Concern is about the possibility that this is the only story DLC, which may affect the game's longevity.
- Impressed (weight 0.03): Players are impressed because the campaign has been impressive so far.}