EA Play Notes, So Far

 

Notes on EA Play, So Far... (Codeweavers Crossover, Mac OS)

     

    So now, within Steam, there exists the option to subscribe to the subscription service known as EA Play.  What comes with the subscription?  Access to a library of games by electronic arts on Steam, these include a number of games, both older and more recent, which you can download and play on Steam.  Is this a compatibility nightmare for Mac OS Users?  Not entirely, and the games I have tested have worked out so well thus far.  I don't run Steam in this case directly out of Mac OS, but I do run it through Codeweavers Crossover, an emulator for Windows Operating Systems that runs a virtual windows machine on Mac OS.  

    From there, I Installed a Steam App within the virtual machine emulated with Crossover for testing some of these results.  I have made a complete video guide on how to setup Steam in Codeweavers Crossover, which you can take a look at for reference.  Starting this weekend, I took a look at a number of games I acquired earlier through Origin to see how well they ran on Steam through Codeweavers Crossover, and here are the results.

 Command & Conquer : Renegade

    This first person shooter game was a spinoff of the popular Command & Conquer strategy games.  The game has the single player campaign, in which one takes the role of a GDI (Global Defense Initiative) Commando known as Nick Parker, or Havoc.  The multiplayer mode involves teams playing against each other, trying to destroy the enemy team's military base, while trying to prevent the enemy from doing likewise.  The player can not only play in the first person as a soldier of either GDI or NOD, but can also enter and drive the vehicles from the original Command & Conquer game, later renamed Tiberian Dawn.  

    So, how well does Renegade Run?  Quite Well actually.  In terms of the compatibility ratings of Codeweavers Crossover, it runs at a 4/5.  Aside from some issues with fonts in the title, and loading screens, the game runs smoothly in the gameplay and the in-game cutscenes.  It's an enjoyable departure from the usual routine of strategy games in the Command & Conquer series and into the world of FPS, during the age of the Halo series on XBox.  So buckle up, and hopefully you enjoy this classic game!

 

 

Command & Conquer : Tiberian Dawn

       The father of the Command & Conquer series sadly is not currently working on EA Play.  However, you can play the game in modern high and standard resolutions along with the original Red Alert in the Remastered Collection, which I have a guide for getting started.  So far, the remastered collection works well for the original game, later renamed Tiberian Dawn, along with the original Red Alert.  So I recommend checking out my video guide for the Remastered Collection, and maybe catch the Collection of the original two Command & Conquer games on Steam for cheap if you get the chance.

    

Command & Conquer : Red Alert

    The original Red Alert game.  Initially, Red Alert was a prequel to the Tiberium Command & Conquer games, and the first Red Alert still remains an origin story to the Tiberium games, however, like Tiberian Dawn, Red Alert remains unplayable on Steam Within Crossover for the time being.  If you wish to play the original Red Alert, you can use the Remastered Collection for the time being.  You can also play a modified version of Red Alert and Tiberian Dawn with OpenRA, for Windows, Mac OS, and Linux.  However unplayable Red Alert is right now, the case gets better with the sequel...

Command & Conquer : Red Alert 2

    

    Released in 2000, and the Expansion released in 2001 with Yuri's Revenge, Command & Conquer Red Alert 2 became an interesting sequel in the series.  Additional gameplay elements such as garrisoning special vehicles and various structures, units gaining experience and levelling up, etc. carried on into the later games in the Command & Conquer series including the following 2 Tiberium, Red Alert 3, and even Generals.  This milestone in the Command & Conquer franchise runs moderately well.  The game can be played on higher resolutions.  However, the game frequently lags and flickers during loading screens, which can be an irritation to some people.  This game gets a 3/5 Compatibility Rating.

Command & Conquer : Tiberian Sun

    The sequel to Tiberian Dawn, Tiberian Sun is set in 2030, 30 years after the original conflict in 1995 or Tiberian Dawn.  This game and it's expansion, Firestorm, have a mediocre performance using the EA Play subscription within Steam, so far.  You can actually get it running from the free installer from EA in a guide I have set up over here.  The game lags on intervals and the screen flickers, an issue comparable to Red Alert 2 and Yuri's Revenge.  However, with my earlier guide to simply using the EA Installer for Tiberian Sun, the game runs far better on Crossover.  So this game overall gets a 3/5.

Command & Conquer Generals and Zero Hour Expansion

    This game marked the transition of the Command & Conquer strategy games from 2.5D into 3D, 3D being where you can rotate and orbit the camera view to even zoom in on the battlefield, along with simulating different elevations and sloped terrain.  Also taking in the troop garrison mechanics and extending them to all kinds of infantry, this game marked a mechanical progression from the prior Red Alert 2.  However, this game and it's expansion proved to be a standalone with the development hell and cancellation of a second Generals game.  In this game, separate from the Red Alert and Tiberium Series, one plays in a possible near future as The militaries of the United States of America, The People's Republic of China, or an insurgent faction spanning the Middle East and former Soviet Republics known as the Global Liberation Army or GLA.  The game uses collecting of supply crates instead of the ore or tiberium collection from the other Command & Conquer titles.

    So how well does this game play?  Quite well, in fact.  The game runs smoothly, but does not have any HD graphics in the gameplay without the HD Mod for Generals.  I will need another guide on how to get this mod installed using the Steam architecture.  But nonetheless, Generals using the EA Play subscription runs quite smoothly with the exceptions of some titles being shown irregularly, possibly due to substitution of missing text fonts.  Overall, this game was a pleasant surprise to run on Steam through the EA Play service, earning for itself a 4/5 compatibility rating.

Conclusion

    There will be more games mentioned in upcoming articles.  But in the meantime, this is what has been tested using EA Play so far.  I will be taking a look at Red Alert 3, Tiberium Wars, and Tiberium Twilight next.  But in the meantime, I want to wish those who have the holiday to celebrate a wonderful Independence Day or 4th of July today.  I will return for more shortly.

 

    I would like to invite you to check out the Forums on Codeweavers.  Entries for various apps have forums and Tips for getting the Applications to work!  If you are available to actively test and rate the compatibility of various Applications on Codeweavers Crossover, you may want to consider becoming a Bettertester!  As a Bettertester, you regularly test Apps and can be rewarded with Bettertester Points to buy merchandise or even extended subscriptions to Crossover, saving money you would need for renewing your subscription!

 

 

    You can follow additional guides for getting Windows applications running on Mac OS over here on my blog : Radio Kaos.  You can also follow additional instructional video guides on my YouTube Playlist, Kaos Tutorials.  Kaos Tutorials episodes are also available on the Rumble Channel of the same name.

      Work on my Channel and Blog can be supported over on My Tip Jar or My Merch Store on StreamLabs.  I also have a Store on TeeSpring.  You can make a donation with a suggestion in the notes and/or subject of the donation over on CashApp.  No amount for this donation with a suggestion is too small or too great! I can also be followed on Patreon or Locals for early and exclusive access to certain videos.  Now, in conclusion of this article, "Be safe out there and I will be signing off!"