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:

• 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: