Image: Slipgate Ironworks, 3D Realms & Knights Peak

Command & Conquer may be left fallow, but Slipgate Ironworks are carrying on their legacy with the excellent old-school RTS Tempest Rising. Doubly so today, with the release of The Veti's Wrath, the long-awaited expansion, making the invading alien third faction playable in their own full campaign. Under your command, the pseudo-Egyptian extraterrestrials (so far, so Stargate) plot the reclamation of a planet that they claim was always theirs. They're not very nice, see.

Those that don't pick up the new expansion will also get their shot at being the extra-double-bad-guys (the Tempest Dynasty were already pretty bad, but weren't plotting to enslave or exterminate mankind), as the Veti are being made playable in skirmish and multiplayer games for everyone, free. But those that do pick up the expansion get a full 11-mission story campaign similar in length and scope to the GDF and DYN forces, with doctrine upgrade choices presented as usual, extending the solo game an extra 50%.

The Veti's thing as a faction is efficient, high-cost, high-power units, backed up with expendable zombie fodder. Even their basic power generator building doubles as a Tempest storage structure and has some light defensive weaponry, too. The Corral structure continually churns out a steady stream of Enlightened–the Veti's cyborg zombie swarm troopers–and can be upgraded to churn out higher-tier grunts. Enlightened can also be sacrificed to buff nearby units, like the Gorgon assassin mech, which has limited ammo unless fed regularly. They also upgrade their structures by throwing Enlightened into the grinder.

The Veti's other big thing is the Subjugation status effect, which several of their structures and units inflict upon nearby enemy infantry. Any units under this debuff are stripped of any positive status effects, and if they die while subjugated, they become even more of those lovely zombie Enlightened to further fuel their war machine. It's an interesting dynamic, and while I've not had a chance to play them much in skirmish mode, it definitely makes them stand out against the human factions, while also not just being a clone of Command & Conquer's alien invaders, the Scrin.

Tempest Rising is currently £30/$40 on Steam (although you can find it around half that elsewhere), with no notable discounts, while The Veti's Wrath expansion is an extra £17.50/$20, with a 10% launch discount until October 13th. But for new players, the best deal might be the new Gold Edition of the game, which will eventually cost £48/$55, but is 36% off for the first couple weeks.