Contrary to popular belief, Mac gamers now have no shortage of new games to play. On the contrary, it turns out
For your convenience, we have divided this article into parts by genre and added links to games in content stores – mainly Steam and Mac App Store.
Navigation
Part 1. Adventure
Part 2. Action, stealth, shooters
The banner saga
Developer:Stoic
Where can one buy:Steam
System requirements:OS X 10.7.5 or later; 2 GB RAM; 3 GB hard disk space
Price:419₽
This is a great example of how a team consistingof only three people, is able to create one of the most beautiful indie games ever released. Who needs modern 3D graphics when you can draw illustrations by hand? The Stoic team has proven that you don’t need super powerful computers and the best modelers to make the graphics breathtaking.
Leaving aside the visual component,then no less thoughtful and fun gameplay comes to the fore. The Oregon Trail influence is clear here (though The Banner Saga has Vikings and monsters instead of zombies): you lead a band of warriors on a journey through a dying world in search of safety and resources to survive. The gameplay consists of moving around the map, making key decisions and battles – all this is perfectly balanced, and the mechanics complement each other.
The battles here are turn-based and quite difficult.The player can independently assemble a squad of different characters, based on their characteristics and special skills. But you shouldn’t do this thoughtlessly: one wrong decision can deprive you of an important character or a valuable warrior. The music deserves special mention here – exciting and epic, adding even more atmosphere to the battles.
The plot is quite interesting, and the scriptwritersA large number of characters were well developed. Well-written witty dialogues come in handy, diluting the rather gloomy setting. The final battle and its outcome left intrigue for the second part, which fans are eagerly awaiting. If 8-10 hours of gameplay did not seem enough to you, you can start again, changing decisions and choosing other paths. This leads to different results and endings, so replaying The Banner Saga isn't boring.
J.U.L.I.A. Among the stars
Developer:CBE Software
Where can one buy:Steam
System requirements:OS X 10.7 or higher, dual-core Intel processor, 4 GB hard drive
Price:419₽
Originally J.U.L.I.A.Among The Stars was a relatively simple puzzle game that came out on iOS. Now that version is no longer available – CBE has serious disagreements with this publisher – and the version for MAC and PC has been significantly updated and redesigned and is already a more serious and complex adventure game.
You play as Rachel Manners, an astrobiologist,who joined a group of scientists traveling to a new solar system where they discovered signs of intelligent life. When the ship reaches its destination, you wake up in a cryogenic capsule to find the ship damaged and all the other crew members dead. Therefore, you will have to repair the ship alone and uncover the secrets of this solar system.
Although the genre is J.U.L.I.A.refers to adventures, it offers the player much more than ordinary adventure games. Instead of walking from room to room and clicking on the screen to interact with objects, the game allows you to interact with J.U.L.I.A. – this is the name of the ship's artificial intelligence system – and control a droid named Mobot. You can send it to explore planets and use your computer to improve the robot, explore the solar system and create parts necessary to repair the ship. Of course, the search for alien life forms is also an important driving part of the plot. As you progress, you will be faced with a choice that will determine whether you can return back to Earth.
Layers of fear
Developer:Aspyr media
Where can one buy:Steam
System requirements:OS X 10.10 or later, 2.3 GHz Intel Core i5 processor, Intel HD6100, or discrete graphics card with 1 GB VRAM
Price:419₽
Aspyr plays a big role in popularizing gaming onMac for several years – It was thanks to this company that the Civilization and Call Of Duty series were ported from Mac to OS X. Layers Of Fear became the first game that Aspyr released on both Mac and Windows as a developer. To do this, they teamed up with the Polish studio Bloober Team, which specializes in games in the psychological horror genre.
This game took a lot from ordinary adventure games.You play as an artist moving around his huge, intimidating mansion, trying to complete his masterpiece. And, like most games of this genre, you start playing without understanding what is happening or what you need to do. All that remains for you – move from one room to another, study all kinds of objects and piece together the story.
The scary thing here is that the environment is extremely unstable.Doors here not only slam, as in ordinary horror films – they can simply disappear behind you, leaving you trapped within four walls with no way out. It’s extremely difficult to talk about the plot without spoilers, but in short, it quickly becomes clear that something is absolutely wrong – either with the estate, or with the mind of the artist. The atmosphere and emphasis on psychology make Layers of Fear worth playing even in 2018 if you didn't have a chance to play it when it came out.
Life is strange
Developer:Square enix
Where can one buy:Steam
System requirements:OS X 10.11 or later, 2.0 GHz dual-core Intel processor, 4 GB RAM, 512 MB VRAM, 15 GB hard drive
Price:419₽ for all 5 episodes (you can play the first one for free via Steam)
At first glance, Life Is Strange looks likeordinary adventure game. You play a teenage girl named Max Caulfield, an art college student. You sit in class and can interact with objects to learn more about them. However, when Max goes to the bathroom to rest in the middle of class, she witnesses the murder of her childhood friend Chloe – and discovers that she can go back in time.
After saving Chloe, you find yourself embroiled ina much deeper secret about the missing student Rachel Amber. The plot is fairly straightforward, but the ability to go back in time adds a completely new feel to the gameplay. Soon you will realize that a change in events that have already occurred can lead to completely unexpected and serious consequences.
The story is divided into 5 episodes, but paying immediately for everything is not necessary. You can download the first episode on Steam for free, and after its completion, decide whether you want to know the continuation.
Mad max
Developer:Feral interactive
Where can one buy:Feral Interactive
System requirements:OS X 10.11.6 or later, 3.2 GHz Intel Core i5 processor, discrete graphics card with 2 GB VRAM
Price:€ 19.99
There is still some debate as to whether the Mad Max game is a sequel or prequel to the 2015 film, but it looks like the game stands on its own with “Fury Road” not connected at all.
Anyway, you play as Max Rockatansky,who first runs out of gas, and then completely loses his car “Interceptor”. As a result, Max has to assemble a new car from scratch, survive and try to take revenge for the theft of the “Interceptor”.
The game is focused on car racing andaction scenes, so most of the time you will be in the driver's seat of the “Masterpiece” (a new car that the Tin Man helped Max assemble). In addition to the main storyline, there are many additional quests that allow you to better understand the world in which the game takes place, as well as receive additional bonuses – including to improve the “Masterpiece”. For the sake of variety, the game will periodically force you to get out of the car and prove your case with your fists. The plot here is quite simple and linear, but, as in the case of the film, this is completely compensated by the crazy rhythm and atmosphere.
TellTale Games: The Walking Dead
Developer:Telltale Games
Where can one buy:Steam
System requirements:OS X 10.6 or higher, 2.3 GHz Intel processor, 4 GB RAM, NVidia or ATI video card with 512 MB VRAM, 2 GB hard drive
Price:449₽
We included this game in the adventure section, but itMore like an interactive movie: The Walking Dead asks you to make difficult decisions and shows you the consequences – often terrifying. You will need to decide in a few seconds which side to take in an argument or who to save when the undead inevitably break through the barricade. The time limit and strong impact of each action mask how simple the basic plot is. The graphics not only add atmosphere to what is happening, but are also the hallmark of both this series and the developer’s projects in general.
Such a game could easily be turned into a messevents that are rapidly replacing each other with non-obvious abstract puzzles, but the developers managed to turn this into a coherent and logical narrative about making complex decisions on the verge of the end of the world.
This war of mine
Developer:11 Bit Studios
Where can one buy:Mac App Store
System requirements:OS X 10.6 and higher, 2 GB RAM, 512 MB VRAM, 1 GB hard drive
Price:1,450₽
This War of Mine shifts the focus away from combatactions usually shown in war games. Instead, Polish developers from 11 bit studios decided to create a dark, atmospheric survival game. You will manage a group of residents trying to stay alive in a city under siege. It is impossible to go outside during the day because of snipers, so the player has enough time to craft, exchange items, improve cover, heal and prepare food for his group. At night, there will be forays in search of food, medicine, weapons and other useful things.
The action of the game corresponds to real events,which took place in Sarajevo in the 90s. The capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina was under siege for four years, so residents had to learn to survive in the concrete jungle. It is noteworthy that one of the developers, Emir Cerimovich, was a participant in the events described. This game is definitely not funny or entertaining in the traditional sense, but if you're tired of the same type of aim-and-kill, This War of Mine is a must-play.
The wolf among us
Developer:Telltale Games
Where to buy:Steam
System requirements:OS X 10.6 or higher, 2.3 GHz Intel processor, 4 GB RAM, NVidia or ATI video card with 512 MB VRAM, 2 GB hard drive
Price:449₽
The plot is based on a crazy cool idea:hundreds of heroes from old fairy tales actually exist and live in New York in human form. One of them – Bigby (Wolf from the fairy tale about Little Red Riding Hood) – is responsible for maintaining order. But then someone started killing fairy-tale characters. And the game is literally as interesting and unusual as its premise. The five-episode series is based on and serves as a prequel to Vertigo's popular Fables comic.
As you progress, you will learn more not only aboutabout what kind of lives famous heroes like Beauty and the Beast, Snow White and Rapunzel lead in New York in the 80s, but also about who really controls it and why the characters die one after another. The solution won't hit you like a bucket of cold water – everything is logical and measured, – but battles and chases, interesting characters and the need to make decisions in a few seconds make the gameplay rhythmic and intense. The visual style here is original and impressive; neon lovers will definitely be delighted.
Overall The Wolf Among Us – one more gamefrom Telltale, which can be recommended to almost anyone. The game is beautiful, with an interesting setting and a well-developed script, and, in addition, the developer promised to release a sequel in 2018 – It's time to read the first part.
Firewatch
Developer:Campo santo
Where to buy:Steam or Mac App Store
System requirements:OS X 10.8 or later, 2011 Intel Core i5 processor or newer, 6 GB RAM, NVidia or ATI graphics card with 1 GB VRAM, 4 GB hard drive
Price:419₽ (Steam) or 1,490₽ (Mac App Store)
Settings in video games are generally rareis significantly different. Typically, the emphasis is on combat and competition, causing people to clash with each other in multiplayer or get angry while trying to defeat a boss. The developers of Campo Santo got fed up and created Firewatch. The action here takes place in the backwoods of Wyoming in the late 80s. Henry, the main character, arrived here to become an observer on a fire tower, and is sure that the work will be boring and monotonous, but it was not so.
From other games where the gameplay is based onendless walking around and talking, Firewatch has a stunning visual style. The realism with which the character is depicted is combined with a stylized environment in bright colors. It definitely makes Firewatch stand out from other games, and even if Campo Santo decide to release something completely different, hopefully they'll keep this art style.
Tomb raider
Developer:Square enix
Where to buy:Steam
System requirements:OS X 10.9.1 and higher, Intel processor with a frequency of 2.0 GHz, 4 GB RAM, NVidia or AMD video card with 512 MB VRAM or Intel HD4000, 14 GB hard drive
Price:399₽
You probably know Lara Croft from the very firstTomb Raider games, which were great for their time, and then became hopelessly outdated. Luckily, we have a new Tomb Raider that brings back the iconic treasure hunter and features a number of mechanics from Uncharted.
The game turned out great – Tomb Raideris an epic cinematic adventure featuring dangerous wild locations, a combination of hand-to-hand combat with weapons, stealth missions and puzzles. Not only is it a great adventure, but it's also one of the best action games on Mac today. Considering that 5 years have passed since its release, it is inexpensive and often goes on sale – an additional incentive to complete it in 2018.