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Bioshock 2 Guide

Discussion in 'Guides' started by booman, Oct 24, 2014.

  • by booman, Oct 24, 2014 at 2:15 PM
  • booman

    booman Grand High Exalted Mystic Emperor of Linux Gaming Staff Member

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    Bioshock 2 takes place 8 years after the incidents of Bioshock 1. Your character was revived as a "Big Daddy" and now your mission is to protect "Little "Sisters". Tear through Splicers, turrets and even a new "Big Sisters". Take advantage of the new weapons, the environment, plasmids and Eve to survive!

    bioshock91.png

    bioshock90.png

    Follow my step-by-step guide on installing, configuring and optimizing Bioshock 2 in Linux with PlayOnLinux.

    Note: This guide applies to the Steam version of Bioshock 2. Other versions may require additional steps. The retail version of Bioshock 2 can be activated on Steam in order to use the "patched out" Games For Windows Live version.

    Tips & Specs:

    Try SteamPlay before using this guide as Valve now uses a fork of Wine called Proton and should run most Windows games.


    To learn more about PlayOnLinux and Wine configuration, see the online manual: PlayOnLinux Explained

    int 17 64-bit
    PlayOnLinux: 4.2.5
    Wine: 1.7.26

    Wine Installation

    Note: Versions of Wine older than 2.0.2 and Wine 2.12-staging no longer work with Steam


    Click Tools
    Select "Manage Wine Versions"
    wine01.png

    Look for the Wine Version: 1.7.26

    Select it
    Click the arrow pointing to the right
    wine02.png

    Click Next

    Downloading Wine
    wine04.png

    Extracting

    Downloading Gecko
    wine05.png

    Installed
    wine06.png

    Wine 1.7.26 is installed and you can close this window

    Downloading Steam

    Go To: http://www.steampowered.com
    Click Install Steam
    biotwo01.png

    Do not click "Install Steam Now"
    Note: It will automatically install Linux Steam. Since Bioshock 2 isn't made for Linux, we will download the Windows Steam instead.

    Click "Windows" under the green button
    biotwo02.png

    Navigate to your desktop
    Click Save
    biotwo03.png

    Setup PlayOnLinux

    Launch PlayOnLinux
    Click Install
    biotwo04.png

    Click "install a non-listed program"
    biotwo05.png

    Click Next

    Select "Install a program in a new virtual drive"
    Click Next
    biotwo07.png

    Name you virtual drive: bioshock2
    Click Next
    biotwo08.png

    Select all three options:
    • Use another version of Wine
    • Configure Wine
    • Install some libraries

    Click Next
    biotwo09.png

    Select Wine 1.7.26
    Click Next
    biotwo10.png

    Select "32 bits windows installation"
    Click Next
    biotwo11.png

    Configure Wine

    Applications Tab
    Windows Version: Windows 7
    Click Apply
    biotwo12.png

    Graphics Tab
    Check: Automatically capture the mouse in full-screen windows
    Check: Emulate a virtual desktop
    Desktop size: 1024x768
    Click Ok
    biotwo13.png

    Install Libraries

    Check the following libraries:
    • POL_Install_corefonts
    • POL_Install_dxfullsetup
    • POL_Install_msxml3
    • POL_Install_Physx
    • POL_Install_registeredfonts
    • POL_Install_tahoma
    • POL_Install_vcrun2005

    Click Next
    biotwo14.png

    Installing Steam

    Click Browse
    biotwo15.png

    Navigate to your desktop
    Select: SteamSetup.exe
    Click Open
    biotwo16.png

    Click Next

    Click Next

    Check: I accept the license...
    Click Next

    Click Next

    Click Next

    Click Install

    Click Finish

    Updating Steam

    More updating, extracting and installing

    When Steam is done installing the login screen will pop up. You probably won't see any text because there is a font bug.
    Click the "X" to close Steam login
    biotwo26.png

    PlayOnLinux Shortcut

    Select Steam.exe
    Click Next
    biotwo27.png

    Name your shortcut: Bioshock 2
    Click Next
    biotwo28.png

    Click Next

    More PlayOnLinux Configuration

    Back to PlayOnLinux
    Select Bioshock 2
    Click Configure
    biotwo29.png

    General Tab
    Arguments: -no-dwrite -no-cef-sandbox
    This fixes the missing font and store problem
    biotwo30.png

    Note: -no-dwrite only works if you launch Steam from PlayOnLinux. Steam is automatically set to launch when Windows starts, which means if you do a "Windows Reboot" from the Wine tab -no-dwrite won't execute. Just close Steam and try again.

    Display Tab
    Video Memory Size: size of memory on your video card
    biotwo33.png

    Miscellaneous Tab
    Mouse warp override: force
    biotwo34.png

    Close Configure

    Launching Steam

    Select Steam
    Click Run
    biotwo35.png

    Note: Click Debug to view errors and bugs

    Click "Login to existing account"
    biotwo36.png

    Login
    biotwo37.png

    Steam Overlay

    Steam overlay has been known to cause problems launching games.
    Click Steam menu
    Click Settings
    biotwo38.png

    Select "In-game"
    Uncheck "Enable Steam Commuinty In-Game"
    Click OK
    biotwo39.png

    Go To your Library
    Select Bioshock 2
    Click Install
    biotwo40.png

    Click Next
    biotwo41.png

    Click "I Agree"
    biotwo42.png

    Click Finish
    biotwo43.png

    When Steam is done downloading Bioshock 2
    Click Play
    biotwo45.png

    Click Play
    biotwo46.png

    Optimization

    Click Options
    biotwo47.png

    Click Graphics Options
    biotwo48.png

    Select fullscreen resolution

    Adjust:
    • Shadow maps
    • Post Processing
    • Detail Shaders
    • Reflections
    • Distortion
    • Global Lighting
    • Graphics Quality
    • Actor Detail

    Critical - Texture detail must be on medium!

    Click Apply
    biotwo49.png

    Conclusion:
    Bioshock 2 would not initially work because of Games For Windows Live, but the Steam version has patched GFWL out! So now Bioshock will play in Linux with PlayOnLinux & Wine.
    One downside is the Texture Quality. If you crank textures up to high, it will definitely crash with a memory leak error. This is known in Windows as well. The only way to play without crashing is with textures on Medium. It definitely doesn't display the beauty of Bioshock, but plays perfectly!
    I will continue researching and testing Bioshock with newer versions of Wine to see if this leak is fixed.
    Feel free to try using a newer version of 64-bit Wine or Staging version of Wine.

    Screenshots:

    bioshock89.png

    bioshock92.png

    bioshock93.png

    biotwo82.png

    biotwo83.png

    biotwo85.png

    biotwo87.png
    Last edited: Dec 12, 2019

Comments

Discussion in 'Guides' started by booman, Oct 24, 2014.

  1. mrdeathjr28
    Good guide as always, and now how much stay stable????

    :)
  2. booman
    Thanks MrDeathJr!
    With textures set to Medium it runs fine every time I played it.
    I will continue testing with Newer versions of Wine to see if the Memory leak is fixed.
  3. mrdeathjr28
    I want test this title but wine 1.7.29 give error with vsync in many titles (in git stay solution now but dont appear until next wine, this friday 31 if dont wine devs dont think different)

    :)
  4. booman
    I tested with wine 1.7.29 and still get crashing with textures set on high.
  5. mrdeathjr28
    Error still continue, this error stay reported in bugzilla?????

    Maybe can test because stay testing various titles, i install mint 17 32bits but XFCE edition and appear huge fps boost in many games

    Very impressive how desktop enviroment (i disable desktop effects in both desktop enviroment KDE-XFCE) steal fps performance


    :)
  6. booman
    I didn't really think about the desktop environment causing memory leaks. Has that happened before?
    I can easily test Bioshock 2 in Openbox and report my results.
  7. mrdeathjr28
    At simple seek DE enviroment (i talk about this because affect fps performance) affect fps performance but in bioshock case, is different because have relation with textures (maybe have more relation with wine or graphics drivers)

    :)
  8. booman
    Tried Bioshock 2 with Wine 1.7.30 and the crashing is still there when textures are on high

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