Lara Croft: Guardian Of Light is an action puzzle solving game that continues the adventures of the Tomb Raider series with an arcade feel. Lara will trick jump, climb, grapple and swing around large linear levels while killing minions and bosses.
Follow my step-by-step guide on installing, configuring and optimizing Lara Croft: The Guardian Of Light in Linux with PlayOnLinux.
Note: This guide applies to the Steam version of Lara Croft: The Guardian Of Light. Other versions may require additional steps.
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
Mint 17 64-bit
PlayOnLinux: 4.2.5
Wine: 1.6.2
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"
Look for the Wine Version: 1.6.2
Select it
Click the arrow pointing to the right
Click Next
Downloading Wine
Extracting
Downloading Gecko
Installed
Wine 1.6.2 is installed and you can close this window
Downloading Steam
Go To: http://www.steampowered.com
Click Install Steam
Do not click "Install Steam Now"
It will automatically install Linux Steam
Select Windows Steam instead
click "Windows" under the green button
Navigate to your desktop
Click Save
Setup PlayOnLinux
Launch PlayOnLinux
Click Install
Click "install a non-listed program"
Click Next
Select "Install a program in a new virtual drive"
Click Next
Name you virtual drive: laracroftgol
No spaces
Click Next
Select all three options:
Click Next
Select Wine 1.6.2
Click Next
Select "32 bits windows installation"
Click Next
Configure Wine
Applications Tab
Windows Version: Windows 7
Click Apply
Graphics Tab
Check: Automatically capture the mouse in full-screen windows
Check: Emulate a virtual desktop
Desktop size: 1024x768
Click Ok
Install Libraries
Check the following libraries:
Click Next
Installing Steam
Click Browse
Navigate to your desktop
Select: SteamSetup.exe
Click Open
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
PlayOnLinux Shortcut
Select Steam.exe
Click Next
Name your shortcut: Lara Croft: GOL
Click Next
Click Next
PlayOnLinux Configure
Back to PlayOnLinux
Click Configure
General Tab
Arguments: -no-dwrite -no-cef-sandbox
This fixes the missing font and store problem
Display Tab
Video Memory Size: Select the size of Memory your video card/chip uses
Strict Draw Ordering: Enabled
Note: Strict Draw Ordering has to be enabled otherwise there are some major artifacts with the in-game HUD
Close Configure
Launching Steam
Select Lara Croft: GOL
Click Run
Click "Login to existing account"
Login
Steam Overlay
Steam overlay has been known to cause problems launching games.
Click Steam menu
Click Settings
Select "In-game"
Uncheck "Enable Steam Commuinty In-Game"
Click OK
Select "Lara Croft and the Guardian Of Light"
Click Install
Click Next
Click "I Agree"
Click Finish
Wait for the game to download in Steam
When finished
Click Play
Select "Setup Lara Croft and the Guardian Of Light"
Click Play
Set the resolution, Refresh Rate, and Aspect Ratio
Adjust:
Enable/Disable:
Click OK
Click Play again
Select "Play Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light"
Click Play
More Optimization
Click Graphics
Click Display Settings
Adjust all the same settings in-game from the intial setup
Rule of Thumb:
High settings = More detail, lower frame rates
Low settings = Less detail, higher frame rates
Conclusion:
Once the HUD graphical gliches were solved, everything looked GREAT! I could crank up the settings and it ran fine with my GeForce 550 Ti. I was even able to play cooperative with a controller as well.
Gameplay Video:
Screens:
Follow my step-by-step guide on installing, configuring and optimizing Lara Croft: The Guardian Of Light in Linux with PlayOnLinux.
Note: This guide applies to the Steam version of Lara Croft: The Guardian Of Light. Other versions may require additional steps.
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
Mint 17 64-bit
PlayOnLinux: 4.2.5
Wine: 1.6.2
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"
Look for the Wine Version: 1.6.2
Select it
Click the arrow pointing to the right
Click Next
Downloading Wine
Extracting
Downloading Gecko
Installed
Wine 1.6.2 is installed and you can close this window
Downloading Steam
Go To: http://www.steampowered.com
Click Install Steam
Do not click "Install Steam Now"
It will automatically install Linux Steam
Select Windows Steam instead
click "Windows" under the green button
Navigate to your desktop
Click Save
Setup PlayOnLinux
Launch PlayOnLinux
Click Install
Click "install a non-listed program"
Click Next
Select "Install a program in a new virtual drive"
Click Next
Name you virtual drive: laracroftgol
No spaces
Click Next
Select all three options:
- Use another version of Wine
- Configure Wine
- Install some libraries
Click Next
Select Wine 1.6.2
Click Next
Select "32 bits windows installation"
Click Next
Configure Wine
Applications Tab
Windows Version: Windows 7
Click Apply
Graphics Tab
Check: Automatically capture the mouse in full-screen windows
Check: Emulate a virtual desktop
Desktop size: 1024x768
Click Ok
Install Libraries
Check the following libraries:
- POL_Install_corefonts
- POL_Install_d3dx9
- POL_Install_directx9
- POL_Install_tahoma
- POL_Install_vcrun2008
- POL_Install_vcrun2010
Click Next
Installing Steam
Click Browse
Navigate to your desktop
Select: SteamSetup.exe
Click Open
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
PlayOnLinux Shortcut
Select Steam.exe
Click Next
Name your shortcut: Lara Croft: GOL
Click Next
Click Next
PlayOnLinux Configure
Back to PlayOnLinux
Click Configure
General Tab
Arguments: -no-dwrite -no-cef-sandbox
This fixes the missing font and store problem
Display Tab
Video Memory Size: Select the size of Memory your video card/chip uses
Strict Draw Ordering: Enabled
Note: Strict Draw Ordering has to be enabled otherwise there are some major artifacts with the in-game HUD
Close Configure
Launching Steam
Select Lara Croft: GOL
Click Run
Click "Login to existing account"
Login
Steam Overlay
Steam overlay has been known to cause problems launching games.
Click Steam menu
Click Settings
Select "In-game"
Uncheck "Enable Steam Commuinty In-Game"
Click OK
Select "Lara Croft and the Guardian Of Light"
Click Install
Click Next
Click "I Agree"
Click Finish
Wait for the game to download in Steam
When finished
Click Play
Select "Setup Lara Croft and the Guardian Of Light"
Click Play
Set the resolution, Refresh Rate, and Aspect Ratio
Adjust:
- Texture Detail
- antialiasing Mode
- Texture Filtering
Enable/Disable:
- VSync
- Tripple Buffering
- Shadows
- Volumetric Effects
- Water Effects
- Fullscreen Effects
Click OK
Click Play again
Select "Play Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light"
Click Play
More Optimization
Click Graphics
Click Display Settings
Adjust all the same settings in-game from the intial setup
Rule of Thumb:
High settings = More detail, lower frame rates
Low settings = Less detail, higher frame rates
Conclusion:
Once the HUD graphical gliches were solved, everything looked GREAT! I could crank up the settings and it ran fine with my GeForce 550 Ti. I was even able to play cooperative with a controller as well.
Gameplay Video:
Screens:
Last edited:
