Ares

About

Ares is a 1998 sci-fi real-time strategy game where you command the crew of a starship caught in a galactic conflict. Manage resources, build bases, and direct armies to reclaim Earth from an oppressive religious faction. The story unfolds through missions that mix exploration and combat as you ally with an advanced alien race to tilt the odds. Gameplay emphasizes base defense, resource management, and tactical unit deployment across varied maps. Developed by Nathan Lamont and later revitalized by Ambrosia Software after poor initial marketing, Ares gained a cult following in the late 90s. Its open-source release in 2008 led to the modern Antares port for Mac and Linux, keeping the game playable today. With a focus on strategic depth over flashy visuals, it remains a niche favorite among classic RTS fans. Released on December 31, 1998, it runs on modern systems via emulation or updated ports.

Storyline

The player is cast as the commander of the U.N.S. Apollo, humankind's first interstellar vessel, dispatched at light speed to investigate the source of a signal broadcast at Earth from one hundred and fifty light years away. On reaching the source, the crew is told that, due to relativistic effects, Earth has by now been taken over by the religious Cantharan Order, and the signal was a ruse from the friendly Ishiman, who wished to maintain humanity as a free race; the Ishiman planned to find a new world for the crew of the Apollo. Although the advanced but peaceful Ishiman are unwilling to enter into direct war with the Cantharans, the Apollo's crew is able to persuade them to supply a limited amount of their technology in an attempt to free Earth. Upon undertaking their new mission, the ship is renamed the Ares.