ELEX II by Pirahna Bytes is an open-world roleplaying game. Much like the first game, it is set in the world of Malagan – a complex, well-written Science Fantasy setting that aims to stay true to old-school RPGs such as Gothic or Risen (also made by this developer). This expansive world is home to many nuanced factions, atmospheric locations, and an interconnected web of quests. The game’s focus on exploration-based gameplay means that you will always have somewhere to go and something to discover while playing – the world is massive, and it will take hundreds of hours to see all there is to see. And if this fills you with dread as you imagine hours of pointlessly walking through locations you’ve already seen, worry not. ELEX II lets the players fly using a jetpack – a fun and immersive way to fast travel. But freedoms that ELEX II offers to the players do not end with the freedom of movement. Key NPCs can be killed, and rather than telling you that “the thread of prophecy is severed”, the game will react to the death in a realistic manner. Characters react to your actions, changing their ways and sometimes even their faction allegiance. Simply put, the game lets you make choices and live with their consequences.
ELEX II improved upon its predecessor in many ways – the combat system is better, the animations are more fluid, the interface – more streamlined. But it still lacks one feature some people consider crucial. Even though the game is available on PC, Playstation 4 & 5, and Xbox One & Series X/S, there is no Mac version. Those seeking to play ELEX II on Mac will have to resort to unofficial methods – read below for a compilation of these.
System Requirements
| Minimal | Recommended |
|---|---|
| OS: Windows 10, 64 Bit | OS: Windows 10, 64 Bit |
| Processor: AMD Ryzen 3 3100 / Intel Core i5-7400 | Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 2700 / Intel Core i5-9500F |
| RAM: 12 GB | RAM: 16 GB |
| Video card: Radeon RX 5600 XT / Geforce GTX 1060 | Video card: Radeon RX 5700 XT / Geforce RTX 2060 |
| DirectX: Version 11 | DirectX: Version 11 |
| Disc space: 45 GB | Disc space: 45 GB |
Play ELEX II on Mac with Parallels
ELEX II requires lots of PC resources, but if you have a powerful Mac computer (iMac, iMac Pro, or Mac Pro) Parallels Desktop can be a solution. This is an application that allows for Windows virtualization on Mac with the full support of DirectX and GPUs. In simpler terms, what this means is that it allows you to install Windows 10 on Mac with just a couple of clicks and switch between MacOS and Windows instantly. So you will be able to run Windows, install Steam, and enjoy the ELEX II game on Mac just like on a regular PC.
Note: Recommended devices to run resource-demanding games: MacBook Pro (models with Intel processor, discrete graphics cards, and 16 Gb of RAM or more), iMac (models with Intel processor, discrete graphics cards, and 16 Gb of RAM or more), iMac Pro (all versions are suitable), Mac Pro (all models are suitable). Parallels on Mac computers with M1 (M1 Pro, M1 Max) chips may not support recent games. Games that require DirectX 12 and later are currently not supported by Parallels.
Play ELEX II on Mac with cloud gaming services
If you have an old Mac or it cannot satisfy the ELEX II game system requirements, there is an easy solution. Cloud gaming services will be happy to provide you with sufficient computing power – though not for free, of course. All you need is a browser or a small client program and a good internet connection starting from 15 MBit/s. There are several great platforms that provide these services, among the best are Boosteroid, AirGPU, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Nvidia GeForce Now.
Play ELEX II on Mac with BootCamp
Note: Mac computers with new Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3 Pro, or M1, M2, M3 Max) currently do not support BootCamp. In this case, please, use the options above to run ELEX II on Mac
This method is simple but time-consuming. If your Mac meets all the system requirements above, this is probably the best way to play ELEX II on Mac for now. You need to set up a dual boot of Windows and Mac via BootCamp. BootCamp allows users to choose the system to work in on startup, however, you won’t be able to switch between systems like in Parallels. You will need to reboot your machine every time you want to switch from Mac to Windows and vice versa. Remember that Mac is just a computer, in the end. And while newer Macs have their own special Apple Silicon chips that cannot run Windows, older Macs are very much similar to computers that run Windows, they have Intel processors, compatible RAM, disks, and other components. So you can install Windows on an older Mac by allocating disc space of a minimum of 64 Gb (to be able to run Windows and a couple of games). To set up Windows via BootCamp, please, do the following:
For OS X El Capitan 10.11 or later
Mention, that for MacOS versions prior to OS X El Capitan 10.11 you will need to create bootable Windows USB.
- Download Windows ISO file
- Open Boot Camp Assistant (Go to Applications > Utilities)
- Define the Windows partition size, choose downloaded Windows ISO file
- Format Windows partition and go through all Windows installation steps
- When Windows boots for the first time, follow on-screen instructions to install Boot Camp and Windows support software (drivers)