You awaken from a coma in a corporate research facility where everything had gone wrong. Use your hacking skills and implants to survive this First Person action horror. System Shock is a hidden gem from 1994 boasting features way beyond its time. Interact with objects, HUD and upgrade your skills/implants as you survive the aftermath of a disaster.
Follow my step-by-step guide on installing, configuring and optimizing System Shock Enhanced Edition in Linux with PlayOnLinux.
Note: This guide applies to the GOG version of System Shock Enhanced Edition. Other versions may require additional steps.
Tips & Specs:
To learn more about PlayOnLinux and Wine configuration, see the online manual: PlayOnLinux Explained
Mint 18.3 64-bit
PlayOnLinux: 4.2.12
Wine: 3.0
Wine Installation
Click Tools
Select "Manage Wine Versions"
Look for the Wine Version: 3.0
Select it
Click the arrow pointing to the right
Click Next
Downloading Wine
Extracting
Downloading Gecko
Installed
Wine 3.0 is installed and you can close this window
PlayOnLinux Setup
Launch PlayOnLinux
Click Install
Click "Install a non-listed program"
Select "Install a program in a new virtual drive"
Click Next
Name the virtual drive: systemshock
Click Next
Check all three options:
- Use another version of Wine
- Configure Wine
- Install some libraries
Select Wine 3.0
Click Next
Select "32 bits windows installation"
Wine Configuration
Applications Tab
Windows version: Windows 7
Graphics Tab
Check "Automatically cpature the mouse in full-screen windows"
Click OK
PlayOnLinux Packages (DLL's, Libraries, Components)
Check the following:
- POL_Install_corefonts
- POL_Install_d3dx9
- POL_Install_tahoma
Note: All packages will download and install automatically
Installing System Shock Enhanced Edition
Click Browse
Select: setup_system_shock_1e.16.exe"
Click Open
Note: I shortened the installer name myself
Click Next again
Select Language
Click OK
Click Options
Check "Yes, I have read and accept EULA"
Uncheck "Create desktop icon"
Click Install
Click OK on all errors
Click Exit
PlayOnLinux Shortcut
Select "sshock.exe"
Click Next
Name the shortcut: System Shock Enhanced
Click Next
Select "I don't want to make another shortcut"
Click Next
PlayOnLinux Configure
Back to PlayOnLinux
Select "System Shock Enhanced"
Click Configure
General Tab
Wine version: 3.0
Note: Click the + to download other versions of Wine, click the down-arrow to select other versions of wine
Display Tab
Video memory size: Enter the amount of memory your video card/chip uses
Close Configure
Forcing Soft Rendering
Navigate to your System Shock Enhanced Edition installation directory
Code:
/home/username/.PlayOnLinux/wineprefix/systemshock/drive_c/GOG Games/SystemShock - Enhanced Edition/Find line: SoftRenderer=Off
Change to: SoftRenderer=On
Save sshock.ini
Launching System Shock
Back to PlayOnLinux
Select "System Shock Ehanced"
Click Run
Note: Sometimes it would hang on the first screen and just require pressing some keys on the keyboard
Conclusion:
System Shock Enhanced Edition ran perfectly in PlayOnLinux on Wine 3.0. The only time I had performance issues is during my recording. Otherwise it was perfect and fit my 1920x1080 screen. There is a hack to play game music, but I didn't try it.
Gameplay Video:
Screenshots:
