Rogue Command Preview (PC)

RTS with a sprinkling of meta-progression

Do I need to build more basic marine robots? Should I focus on adding extra capabilities to my force? Maybe the best idea is to try and boost my economy? Or should I simply launch my assault against the enemy base and hope for the best?

Rogue Command is both developed and published by Feneq. Available via the Early Access process on Steam. The team promises that it will take into account player feedback and that it wants to add a wide variety of content, from more techs to new mission types and a deep meta-progression system.

The core of the game is a very classic take on real-time strategy mechanics. A core Engineer experience unit can create a base, with a refinery driving the economy. Buildings create units and boost them. Exploration is required to find the enemy base. Defend as you get a big enough force to take down all opponent buildings.

Rogue Command adds cards and progression in order to spice up the formula. The idea is to add variety and cool moments. The concept sounds interesting, but it is not fully implemented in the current version of the game, which makes it hard to see how interesting it can make the RTS side.

At the moment, it’s hard to avoid very classic strategies. Create a base, set up unit production, and then wait until you get a blob big enough to take down the enemy. If the first assault seems too small, then pull back to build up some more. Bringing back some robots from the dead is a nice bonus but not essential.

Rogue Command looks like an RTS that traveled through time from about 20 years ago. The units and buildings do not have too much detail, but they serve their gameplay purposes well. The soundtrack is weirdly chipper considering how much robo destruction can happen during one level.

Conclusion