The weekend's here and if you're worried about being bored, here are some great FPS games you can play on your Mac.
Explore Thousands of Mac Games From hard-core shooters to amazingly fun casual games, thousands of quality Mac games are available for purchase and download. Explore the latest demos, dive into the best sellers, or check out the newest indie gems. Apr 03, 2017 F1 2016, the official video game of the 2016 FIA Formula One World Championship, hits the Mac App Store on Thursday April 6. Developer Feral Interactive said that it uses Apple’s new graphics.
This time around I'm focusing on some of my favorite first person shooters (FPSs) that are currently available for the Mac platform, ranging in price from free to not free. Locked and loaded? Good. Here we go...
Borderlands 2
- $39.99 - Download now
Every once in a while a sequel comes along that completely eclipses the original game. Such is the case with Borderlands 2, which took everything that was good about the original Borderlands and made it better.
For the uninitiated, Borderlands 2 drops you on the surface of a hostile alien world called Pandora. You're essentially a treasure hunter on a mission. You can choose from one of four different character classes, each with unique abilities, and in a nod to role playing games, you can develop special abilities by assigning skill points that you gain through experience. Borderlands 2 also features a weapons randomizing system that produces an almost unlimited number of variations on handguns, rifles, grenades and other weapons.
A hilarious script and great voice acting provides you with constant laughs through the 30+ hours of single-player fun your first time through (and you will replay this game to get experience with each character class). Add to that fantastic cooperative multiplayer gameplay and downloadable content to extend the game, and you've got a potent mix that will keep you coming back again and again.
Aspyr makes the game available through the Mac App Store and Steam (which we've linked above). Our recommendation is to go for the Steam version so you can get cross-platform multiplayer - Mac App Store downloaders are relegated to Mac-to-Mac play only through Game Center.
BioShock 2
- $24.99 - Download now
Few recent FPS's have had the impact of the BioShock series. The game struck gold for its detailed storyline involving Rapture, a Randian utopia far beneath the surface of the ocean, run amuck. A survival horror game, BioShock 2 puts you in the role of a Big Daddy - a genetically altered human encased in a heavily armored diving suit. Rapture is filled with psychotic and dangerous people who have been altered by a substance that can record their genes, granting them superhuman powers (and, unfortunately, driving them mad).
The game sports multiplayer action too, but unlike Borderlands 2 isn't available from Steam, so the Mac App Store is a safe bet. BioShock 2 is the sequel to the first BioShock, and if you haven't picked that one up, it's definitely worth your time as well, especially at $19.99 price. Both should wet your whistle until BioShock Infinite shows up for the Mac this summer.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
- $29.99 - Download now
Short of having its superlative sequel on the Mac, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is the next best thing. Sure, it's been around for a while, but this game stands up to the test of time: it's a phenomenal FPS that puts you in the role of U.S. Marines and British SAS commandos as you travel to the U.K, the Middle East, Azerbaijan, Russia and Ukraine on the hunt for international terrorists who plan to detonate a nuclear warhead.
COD4: MW takes a break from past COD games by bringing the action to the modern era, instead of focusing on World War II, which means you have plenty of modern weapons to choose from. It also sports great multiplayer capabilities with plenty of challenges, unlockable perks at matchmaking to make sure you're paired with players of similar abilities.
Team Fortress 2
- Free to play - Download now
A team-based multiplayer first person shooter available through Steam, Team Fortress 2 is almost six years old and still going strong. The game pits two opposing teams against each other in a variety of different modes: Capture the Flag, Control Point, Territorial Control, King of the Hill and more. The play maps vary from the ridiculous to the sublime, and you can choose from nine different player classes, some with offensive capabilities (like the Scout), some better on defense (like the Heavy), and some best for support (such as the Medic).
The game's fun to play not only for its varied gameplay modes and different character classes to master, but also for its cartoon-style art. And it used to be you had to pay for TF2, but Valve made it free to play in 2011. (The company makes money through in-app purchases players make to buy unique equipment and character outfits.)
Counter Strike: Source
- $19.99 - Download now
The original Counter Strike took the world by storm when it was introduced as a mod for Valve Software's legendary game Half-Life. Valve reworked CS as its own independent game using the Source engine (hence the name). It's a team-based first person shooter that emphasizes accomplishing objectives - kill your opponents, rescue hostages and so on. What makes it a bit different than the rest is that when you're shot, you stay dead until the end of the round - no instant respawning.
Twelve years since its first release, Counter Strike still has a huge following and remains ridiculously popular. Last year Valve released Counter Strike: Global Offensive (seen above), so if you've gotten tired of the original, you can immerse yourself in a new game that features updated content from the original, along with new maps, characters and weapons.
Special Mention: Pathways Into Darkness
- Free - Download now
Before Halo, before Myth, before Marathon, way back in 1993, Bungie Software made a name for itself with Mac gamers with one of the most innovative first person shooters we'd ever seen (and really, we hadn't seen a lot of them, but we knew this one was cool). That game was called Pathways Into Darkness.
Man Up Time has resurrected this 20-year-old masterpiece for modern Mac and they've made it absolutely free. Not 'freemium' - there are no in-app purchases you need to make to keep playing. Free. The game traps you in a mysterious pyramid in the Yucatan that threatens the very survival of the Earth. You must descend into its innermost recesses, battling fearsome monsters to save the world.
PID is a game of its era. Its graphics are quaint and primitive, its interface is awkward by modern standards, but it stands out as a period piece worthy of remembering and enjoying. It's a bit of Mac legend. And it's free, so you have nothing to lose but some download bandwidth.
Your go-to first-person shooters?
Those are my favorite FPS games on the Mac right now, but if there are any other can't-miss shooters on your short list, let me know in the comments below. You can never have too much of an awesome thing!
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With all of the recent happenings, you may be stuck at home or even working from home much more now, and with that eventually comes boredom. I mean, you have nowhere to go and can't hang out with most people in person for the time being, so what can you do? If you live with others in your home, whether they're family or roommates, then you can try playing some party games together to pass the time. And if you're by yourself, it may be worth looking into something like an MMORPG or something similar. Here are some of our favorites.
Quiplash
Source: Jackbox Games, Inc.
Quiplash comes from the folks behind the popular YOU DON'T KNOW JACK games, as well as Fibbage and Drawful, so you know it's going to be a good time.
The goal of Quiplash is to pit your answer to questions with others in a battle of supremacy for cleverness or comedic gold. Other players in the audience will vote for their favorite answer, and the winner gets the point. There are no rules, and there are no correct answers - just whatever you want!
Quiplash
Answer questions with whatever you want, and try to be more clever or funny than your opponent. Anything goes!
Source: Jackbox Games, Inc.
When it comes to party games, it's hard to beat the Jackbox Party Packs. The latest in the series is Jackbox Party Pack 6, but there are five more before it, and each one is worth picking up since they have an assortment of different party games.
What makes The Jackbox Party Pack games so popular is the fact that many people can join in (some games support up to 10 participants) and play together, whether it's locally in the same room or even through a video conference call. The only thing each player who wants to participate needs is their own phone, tablet, or even computer. It's perfect for our stay-at-home time.
You can find all previous Jackbox Party Packs from the Jackbox Games website, along with many of the company's other party games.
The Jackbox Party Pack 6
The Jackbox Party Pack 6 includes Trivia Murder Party 2, Dictionarium, Push The Button, Joke Boat, and Role Models.
Source: Jackbox Games, Inc.
If you have played The Jackbox Party Pack, then you may be familiar with Fibbage XL. This is the standalone version of the game, which is cheaper than purchasing one of the Party Packs. Plus, if you love Fibbage, then this could be all you want!
Fibbage XL is a bluffing party game that can only be played in local multiplayer. The goal is to fool your friends with lies, while avoiding theirs and finding the outrageous truth. If you can fool everyone else into thinking your lie is the truth, then you'll rack up those points! Just make sure you don't pick an opponent's bluff. This game is best suited for 2-8 players.
Fibbage XL
Come up with a lie and fool your opponents into thinking it's true.
Source: Blizzard
If you're toughing it out on your own, then a party game just doesn't really make sense. But you could check out an MMORPG like the highly popular World of Warcraft from Blizzard, no Warcraft experience necessary. You can try the game for free until you hit level 20. In WoW, you can choose between two factions and select from a handful of different races and hero classes to create your character. Then you'll embark on taking up quests from NPCs for experience and advancing the story, battle bosses in dungeons and raids, and you can even join guilds to play with other people.
Best Multiplayer Game Apps
Once your trial is up, you'll need to add game time or subscribe for $15 a month (it's slightly cheaper if you buy in three or six month increments at a time).
World of Warcraft
Best Mac App Store Games
World of Warcraft is one of the most popular MMORPGs out there. Start a trial and escape reality.
Source: Blizzard Entertainment
Don't want to hop on the WoW bandwagon or just don't want to end up with another subscription fee? Then you should try Diablo 3 instead. I personally have put hundreds of hours into Diablo 3 across multiple platforms (Mac, PS4, and Nintendo Switch) since the game originally came out because I absolutely love it that much.
In Diablo 3: Eternal Collection, you can pick from seven different hero classes: Barbarian, Monk, Demon Hunter, Sorcerer, Witch Doctor, Crusader, and Necromancer (the last two are from the DLC, which is included with Eternal Collection). Each character has a different play style, so they're all unique in their own ways. You can choose to go through the Campaign mode (recommended for first time players), or even do Adventure mode for the loot grind. There are also Seasons with unique rewards to obtain, but you have to start fresh each season. Every hero has many skills and abilities to unlock as you level them up to 70, and the loot grind is endless. And there's nothing more satisfying than ripping through a horde of demons and monsters and watching a new Legendary weapon or armor drop.
Diablo 3 is one of my favorite games to play to pass time, and you can also play with up to three other people at once. So share the dungeon crawling fun! There is a free trial available.
Diablo 3: Eternal Collection
Slay hordes of demons with seven different heroes as you embark on a journey for perfect loot.
Source: Studio MDHR
Looking for some retro run-and-gun game to play with someone else? Try Cuphead, the hard-as-nails game that's finally available on Mac.
This game is hard and heavily focuses on boss battles, so you've been warned. It's visually and audibly inspired by the cartoons of the 1930s, which explains the unique style and form. Each level features a unique world and new boss to tackle, and there are plenty of weapons, super moves, and secrets to find. The game has local co-op, so grab a friend and team up.
Cuphead
Cuphead is one of the most challenging run-and-gun games of its time. Grab a friend and enjoy local co-op together.
Get your game on
We're all spending a lot of time at home these days, so there's no better time to try out a new game with family and friends. These are just a few of our favorites that you can play with others on your Mac. Did we miss your favorites? Let us know in the comments.
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(PRODUCT)REDApple is now redirecting (PRODUCT)RED purchases to COVID‑19 relief fund
Now through September 30, Apple is redirecting 100% of a portion of (PRODUCT)RED purchases to the Global Fund’s COVID‑19 Response.