Command & Conquer Remastered Collection on Mac

Command & Conquer  (styled as C&C or CNC) is a series of PC games that have pretty much laid the foundation for the development of the strategy video game genre. The first game in the series, Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn, was published in 1995, and a year later, in 1996, a second installment called Red Alert, which employs much of the same gameplay concepts, was released. Both games had great success, and more than 25 years later, players can now enjoy them again with a modern experience.

Command & Conquer: Remastered Collection is a remaster of the two games that offers fans both, the original pixelated and new 4K visuals, a reworked soundtrack, enhanced full motion video cinematic footage, a refined sidebar UI, and some modern online features, which we will discuss in this article. Included are also three expansion packs – The Covert Operations for Tiberian Dawn, as well as Counterstrike and Aftermath for Red Alert.

To play Command & Conquer Remastered Collection on a Mac, you can either sign up for a cloud gaming service or use Windows emulation software. There is no way to natively install and play Command & Conquer Remastered Collection on a Mac, unlike other games that do support macOS.

You may have an adequate gaming experience, however, by resorting to a cloud gaming service like Boosteroid or GeForce Now. Not only is this method compatible with Apple Silicon M1 and M2 Macs, but it also eliminates the need to download and install the game, potentially freeing up valuable hard drive space.

If you are not a fan of cloud gaming, you can play Command & Conquer Remastered Collection on a Mac by installing a Windows OS on your MacOS with the help of a Windows emulation program like Parallels or Boot Camp Assistant (for Intel Macs only). But first, let’s take a look at what the Command & Conquer: Remastered Collection has to offer.

New and improved features

The concept of Command & Conquer is simple to understand. The game features both a campaign mode with several objectives and skirmishes that can be played alone against the computer AI or online with other people. The player’s mission is to build their base by constructing different buildings, recruit troops and vehicles, and wipe out the enemy base.

The two games in the remaster follow the plot of the original titles, so those who are looking for some new storylines won’t find them here.

To ensure that fans of the series feel right at home, the developers have decided to stick with the 1995 version of the game’s engine, making only minimal adjustments where required.

One of the first things that players can notice when they load any of the remastered game versions in the Command & Conquer: Remastered Collection is that the sidebar’s user interface has been redesigned to be more intuitive and to fit some new functionalities without the need for so much scrolling as in the originals. Players now have access to Achievements and a Level editor. 

The graphic options are the next thing that makes an impression. During solo play, players can toggle instantly between the original graphics and the updated 4K version with the press of a button. This is a useful feature, particularly for those who are unfamiliar with the original’s look and visuals.

One of the biggest and most notable enhancements to the gameplay is that there is now an option to build queues. The pathfinding is the same as in the original and hasn’t seen much improvement.

A Map Editor is included in the remaster, allowing players to customize the landscape as they see fit, while a new Mission Selection Screen allows them to monitor their campaign’s progress.

For a closer look at the action, players can use the camera’s zoom feature to switch between the classic DOS distance and the Gold distance.

Skirmish mode is a new addition to Tiberian Dawn where players may test their skills against computer-controlled opponents, the difficulty level of which can be adjusted by the player.

A special Bonus Gallery content has been added to the pack. It includes behind-the-scenes photographs and unreleased songs.

Multiplayer

The game’s multiplayer has seen a complete redesign to match the modern online gaming requirements. Players can participate in and host their own unique game lobby, where they get to decide on the rules, maps, and teams. They can compete against other players in head-to-head 1v1 Quickmatches and see who can climb the Leaderboard the fastest. Thanks to the option for Replays and the Observer mode, players will not miss a second of the action in battle.

Music

Command & Conquer: Remastered Collection includes the original soundtracks of the games, plus remasters of the same and some music that was lost or cut from the games’ initial releases and never made it into the final product.

Specially for the remaster, the original composer, Frank Kiepacki, and the Tiberian Sons fan band have recorded reworks of 22 tracks, featuring music from the first two original games and later installments. Players can personalize their whole soundtrack with the help of a revamped Jukebox that now has playlist support.

The voice-over is done in English, French, and German. Kia Huntzinger, the original voice actor for EVA, returned to the role and recorded her lines again in high definition for Tiberian Dawn. 

Conclusion

Command & Conquer: Remastered Collection pays a sincere homage to a beloved classic by staying true to the original experience and adding modern touches only where needed. Fans of the two real-time strategy games can find everything they need in the package, plus some bonus content that can give them a good does of nostalgia.

Can you play Command & Conquer Remastered Collection on Mac?

While the Command & Conquer Remastered Collection wasn’t developed with Macs in mind, you can still play it on one. Two solutions exist for Mac users who want to play Command & Conquer Remastered Collection: either join up for a cloud gaming service like Boosteroid or GeForce Now, or use Windows emulation software like Parallels or Boot Camp Assistant.

How to download Command & Conquer Remastered Collection on Mac

If you own a Mac and want to download the Command & Conquer Remastered Collection, you’ll need to setup a Windows partition (created with Boot Camp Assistant) or run Windows on a virtual computer (with a program like Parallels). Once you have a Windows OS installed and running on your Mac, you can download Command & Conquer: Remastered Collection and play.

How to Play Command & Conquer Remastered Collection on Mac

You can play Command & Conquer Remastered Collection on Mac via cloud gaming solutions like Boosteroid and Geforce Now. A second option is to install a Windows operating system on your Mac via specialized software like Parallels or Boot Camp Assistant.

First, however, you will need to get the game.

Next, you need to choose a method to play:

MethodsWho is it for?
Cloud Gaming
(Boosteroid or Geforce Now)
For those who want smooth performance with the ability to casually play all games with the highest visual quality in a matter of minutes.
BootCampFor those who don’t mind sacrificing visual fidelity and performance to get a native experience.

Parallels Virtual MachineFor those willing to let their mac run hot in order to get adequate performance in a native experience

How to play Command & Conquer Remastered Collection on Mac M1

Playing Command & Conquer Remastered Collection on a Mac M1 is a breeze with a cloud gaming platform like Boosteroid or GeForce Now. When you play games in the cloud, you never have to worry about taking up space on your hard drive. You can play regardless of the specs of your Mac, since the game runs on your browser.

If you don’t want to use a cloud service, you can use Parallels to install Windows on your computer and play the game on your Mac machine through a Windows virtual machine.

Remember that the game can’t be played with Boot Camp Assistant on a Mac M1 since the software isn’t compatible with Apple Silicon chips.

Play Command & Conquer Remastered Collection on Mac with Boosteroid

You can play Command & Conquer Remastered Collection on Mac (M1 and Intel models) with Boosteroid. Read our detailed guide.

Play Command & Conquer Remastered Collection on Mac with GeForce Now

You can play Command & Conquer Remastered Collection on Mac (M1 and Intel models) with Geforce Now. Read our detailed guide.

Play Command & Conquer Remastered Collection on Mac with Parallels

You can play Command & Conquer Remastered Collection on Mac (M1 and Intel models) by installing Windows on your Mac with Parallels. Read our detailed guide.

Command & Conquer Remastered Collection on Mac with Boot Camp Assistant

You can play Command & Conquer Remastered Collection on Mac (Intel models only) by installing Windows on your Mac with Boot Camp Assistant. Read our detailed guide.