Story
Federal Campaign
Centuries of total war have reduced Earth to a radioactive wasteland, forcing warring nations to bunker-down in purpose-built domes. Sealed off, these remnants of mankind attempt to survive on limited resources, but one by one the domes have begun to fall. Now only one dome remains ...
You play as Ethan, a rookie commander tasked with protecting mankind's final bastion. Like all Federals, he believes that the dome still stands because it responded to the threat posed by the Raak-Zun: a network of tribal mutants that populate the wasteland. Only military might and discipline have kept the savage Raak-Zun at bay.
The game joins Ethan as he returns from a wasteland patrol. Already his combat experience prompts him to question high command's current strategy of sitting-tight. He is frustrated to see the Raak-Zun gain ground whilst high command shifts its focus to an emerging threat – a threat that is fuelling rumors of extra-terrestrial contact.
ETHAN is the hero of the Federal Campaign. Whilst still learning the ropes as a Commander, his risk-taking nature puts him at the cutting edge of the Federal campaign to secure Elysium as a new home world and to defeat all enemy threats. He strives to win the respect of his superiors and the trust of Lex.
GENERAL is Ethan’s military advisor who normally operates from the Complex Tower. Being a veteran of the age-old war against the Raak-Zun, he is hard to impress but a valuable source for briefings and tactical tips. Over time he gains respect for Ethan.
CHIEF is Ethan’s engineering advisor who, like the General, normally operates from the Complex Tower. Being outnumbered by gun-wielding grunts, he has a sarcastic attitude towards the military but gives shrewd advice on issues concerning resource and base management.
LEX is a scientist who sometimes appears alongside Ethan during missions. She is tough and intelligent but cautious about divulging research which often proves critical to the campaign.
Raak-Zun Campaign
When mankind retreated into the domes they also committed an act of grand betrayal - abandoning many of their peoples to perish in the toxic wastelands. But not all perished. Suffering decades of mutation and hardship, a new race was born with the instinct and brute force to survive the dangers of the wasteland: the Raak-Zun.
You begin play as Madok, a battle-hardened Slavemaster whose tribe controls the lands that border the Federal dome. Like all Raak-Zun, he has inherited a hatred of all humans and an instinctive hostility to sinister invaders that have begun to probe the sacred wasteland.
The game joins Madok as he visits the heart of the Raak-Zun domain. Already, his loyalty is put to the test as he begs the all-powerful Oracle to release his brother, Sauk. Rumors spread that Sauk is a prophetic figure, known as the Heretic, who will divide the tribes and herald the transformation of Raak – their god.
SAUK is a Slave Master who ends up leading a rebellion. Sauk dies in battle against the Federals but then finds himself resurrected. Guided by instincts he then rejects the authority of the established Raak-Zun order, which is headed by the Oracle, and instead leads a splinter faction. This faction is intent on conquering Elysium to establish a pure domain for their evolved God (Raak). His missions encompass half of your Raak-Zun campaign.
MADOK is a Grand Master, tribe leader and older brother of Sauk. Madok begins the Raak-Zun Campaign and reappears as hero in some subsequent missions. Unlike Sauk – Madok remains loyal to the Oracle and the old order of the Raak-Zun. Initially protective of his younger brother he eventually becomes Sauk’s main adversary in the escalating power struggle.
GRULL is a Golgotha, and loyal lieutenant to Madok. At first he accompanies a convalescing Sauk in early missions but then witnesses Sauk’s act of rebellion. Like Madok, Grull is resistant to the ideology of Sauk’s splinter faction and remains a staunch supporter of the old order. He ends up becoming a hero of the old faction.
The ORACLE is the voice of Raak – a god-like entity whose will unifies and informs the Raak-Zun tribes. According to ritual, the Oracle was picked as a young girl and merged with the Raak’s body and can interpret its will. She feels and fears that an ancient prophecy is coming true – that Raak and its tribes will soon undergo an apocalyptic severance.
Sentinel Campaign
Products of an advanced and alien culture – the Sentinel use portal technology to travel between Earth and Elysium a jungle planet that serves as their base. These robotic drones ruthlessly carry out objectives specified by an enigmatic master race – with the ultimate aim of eradicating a universal menace.
You play as the Symbiont, a prototype field commander who is integrated into the drone hierarchy to upgrade their tactical performance against Federal and Raak-Zun opponents. The Symbiont is an exception born out of necessity – caused by the complication of Earth's war-mongering factions.
The game starts with the capture and assimilation of the Symbiont. However, as its battlefield performance increases so too does its self-awareness. It struggles to bypass memory wipes in order to discover its own origin, the true nature of its task and the identity of the master race it serves.
The SYMBIONT is a hybrid of Sentinel body and human instincts extracted from a captured Ethan. As calculated this new type of hero gives the Sentinel the upper hand in their campaign to terminate Raak. Although its memory was purged the Symbiont is questioning its identity, this data is eventually unlocked by Lex. It remains to be seen whether such knowledge will render the Symbiont unstable.
The MASTERS is an enigmatic super-race that uses the Sentinel as tools. Although never seen the presence of the Masters is undeniable. It remains a mystery what role the Masters play in the Universe.
