In my review, I want to focus on the Mac experience across an array of hardware—lower-end to a little higher end—to try and give fellow Mac users an idea of what to expect. Please remember that your mileage may vary, but all-in-all this game delivers a good experience on most modern Macs. On my HIGHEST END machine, a 2009 Mac Pro (6 core CPU, 32 GB of RAM, AMD RX580 GPU, running Mojave), the game runs comfortably maxed out at 60 fps but only very minor hitches now and again, nothing terribly noticeable even if you're hawk-eyeing the games built-in FPS monitor. On my LOWEST END machines, a close tie between a 2016 12" MacBook (m5 CPU, 8 GB RAM, integrated graphics, running Big Sur) and my maxed out 2013 13" MacBook Pro (i7 CPU, 16 GB RAM, integrated graphics, running Mojave), I was able to get a surprisingly playable experience with the following settings: Resolution Scaling: 70% Graphics Preset: Medium V-Sync: Turned OFF On the earlier stages, you might be able to get away with higher settings (I had it at the game's default 100% resolution scaling, High Preset, and V-Sync on), but a good stress test for the game is Stage 6's boss fight and Stage 7 (titled "Skytrain"), both of which ground to a halt with settings too high. Also note that the experience on a laptop is best on the internal screen ... I found trying to run the game on my Thunderbolt Display was just too demanding on my MBP. Given that the device is nearly 8 years old, it's a difficult ask to maintain playable frame rates at 1440p, so I'm not at all upset over it. So, even on aged hardware, you can turn down settings and still get a great experience out of this title. I just beat it for the first time today after purchasing it last night, looking forward to unlocking more as I go. The game (and its art style) scales extremely well across lower and higher end hardware, so don't be disappointed if you have to turn it down a bit to get good frame rates, it's still a beautiful game!
