Pontifex
Published
The game can be fully completed, but first you need to tinker with the settings a little.
WINEDLLOVERRIDES="d3d9=n,b" %command%
Use this d3d9.dll for fix game crashes in graphics settings menu https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Alone_in_the_Dark_(2008)#Game_crashes_when_accessing_settings_on_Windows_7_or_updated_Windows_10
I created a control scheme that adds to the gamepad the ability to control the mouse cursor using the trackpad. You can find it by the name "Mouse & Gamepad" by Pontifex user
Sometimes there were flickering textures. This only applies to overlaid textures on top of others, i.e. effects such as cracks, bullet marks, etc. The problem occurred only 3-4 times per game, it did not stop me from completing the game.
Previously, the game had artifacts similar to noise as when the video card overheated, but this was completely eliminated with the advent of Proton 8.0.
Do not try to use the keyboard emulation control scheme, this will cause the game to freeze for a couple of seconds each time you press a key.
You need to define the controller in the game. Go to Control Options and press any controller buttons when rebinding a key, until the game asks to confirm the use of a controller. When confirmed, all controls will be automatically rebound for a controller. You should also have a control scheme using a gamepad on Steam.
Sometimes there are stutters, especially when traveling by car. It didn't stop me from completing the game.
${STEAM_RUNTIME}/scripts/switch-runtime.sh --runtime="" flatpak run net.lutris.Lutris lutris:rungame/penumbra # %command%
I simply indicated in Lutis the location of the executable file of the Linux version of the game installed via Steam and selected Linux in the Runner field
I've encountered minor artifacts that are similar to when running through Proton, but they've only been encountered a couple of times. Once I saw the artifacts in the acid pit, which is located in the cave with spiders, the second time on the ice at Utuqaq Lake. These are minor episodes, lasting about a couple of minutes in total. The rest of the time the game worked great.
• The native Linux version, when launched normally via Steam, crashes right after the first section when you exit the boat and open the hatch.
• When forced to use Proton, the game does not crash, but shows a black screen when loading a level. This is fixed by disabling Post Effects in the graphics settings, but the lighting remains broken, there are no shadows, the flashlight does not work, which is critical for a horror game. The lighting can be fixed by lowering the Shader Quality to medium, but then strange and importunate artifacts appear in the form of stripes on the textures, like rays that come from a single point.
• The only working option was to run the native Linux version of the game through Lutris. This saved the game from crashes after the hatch, and allowed you to enjoy the graphics in maximum quality. I was able to completely complete the game in this way, in 99.99% of cases everything was excellent, artifacts were found only in two minor places that I wrote about above.
• Also, in order to launch the game from the original shortcut, and for Steam to count the time spent in the game, I added the above command in the launch options, which replaces launching the game through Steam with launching through Lutris, in which the value "penumbra" after / corresponds to the identifer field in game shortcut configurations in the Lutris library.
• As far as I was able to find out, the native Linux version crashed when launched through Steam, since Steam OS defaults to Mesa Library is built with compiler optimizations applied. And it seems that Lutris uses some other custom Mesa Library, so the game does not crash when launched through it. Unfortunately, I don't know of a way to change the Mesa Library in the launch options of the game, maybe it can be done somehow more gracefully, without using a Lutris pad.
${STEAM_RUNTIME}/scripts/switch-runtime.sh --runtime="" flatpak run net.lutris.Lutris lutris:rungame/penumbra2 # %command%
I simply indicated in Lutis the location of the executable file of the Linux version of the game installed via Steam and selected Linux in the Runner field
• The native Linux version, when launched normally via Steam, crashes 10 seconds after loading a level.
• When forced to use Proton, the game does not crash, but shows a black screen when loading a level. This is fixed by disabling Post Effects in the graphics settings, but the lighting remains broken, there are no shadows, the flashlight does not work, which is critical for a horror game. The lighting can be fixed by lowering the Shader Quality to medium, but then strange and importunate artifacts appear in the form of stripes on the textures, like rays that come from a single point.
• The only working option was to run the native Linux version of the game through Lutris. This saved the game from crashes, and allowed you to enjoy the graphics in maximum quality. I was able to completely complete the game in this way without any problems.
• Also, in order to launch the game from the original shortcut, and for Steam to count the time spent in the game, I added the above command in the launch options, which replaces launching the game through Steam with launching through Lutris, in which the value "penumbra2" after / corresponds to the identifer field in game shortcut configurations in the Lutris library.
• As far as I was able to find out, the native Linux version crashed when launched through Steam, since Steam OS defaults to Mesa Library is built with compiler optimizations applied. And it seems that Lutris uses some other custom Mesa Library, so the game does not crash when launched through it. Unfortunately, I don't know of a way to change the Mesa Library in the launch options of the game, maybe it can be done somehow more gracefully, without using a Lutris layer.
${STEAM_RUNTIME}/scripts/switch-runtime.sh --runtime="" flatpak run net.lutris.Lutris lutris:rungame/penumbra3 # %command%
I simply indicated in Lutis the location of the executable file of the Linux version of the game installed via Steam and selected Linux in the Runner field
Rare drops to 45 FPS have been seen on the last levels
• The native Linux version, when launched normally via Steam, crashes when level is loading.
• When forced to use Proton, the game does not crash, but shows a black screen when loading a level. This is fixed by disabling Post Effects and lowering the Shader Quality to mediumin in the graphics settings, but the scripts remain broken in the game, the cutscene of the first level gets stuck in an endless loop on a beeping computer at the very beginning.
• The only working option was to run the native Linux version of the game through Lutris. This saved the game from crashes, broken scripts, and allowed you to enjoy the graphics in maximum quality. I was able to completely complete the game in this way without serious problems, only at the end of the game rare drawdowns up to 45 FPS began to appear.
• Also, in order to launch the game from the original shortcut, and for Steam to count the time spent in the game, I added the above command in the launch options, which replaces launching the game through Steam with launching through Lutris, in which the value "penumbra3" after / corresponds to the identifer field in game shortcut configurations in the Lutris library.
• As far as I was able to find out, the native Linux version crashed when launched through Steam, since Steam OS defaults to Mesa Library is built with compiler optimizations applied. And it seems that Lutris uses some other custom Mesa Library, so the game does not crash when launched through it. Unfortunately, I don't know of a way to change the Mesa Library in the launch options of the game, maybe it can be done somehow more gracefully, without using a Lutris layer.
Works well without additional settings, but you can make the experience even better with third-party fixes
WINEDLLOVERRIDES="msacm32,msvfw32=n,b" %command%
Install this to enable widescreen https://github.com/ThirteenAG/WidescreenFixesPack/releases/tag/sc
The game does not support gamepad. Using the "Steam Controller" community templates to mock the keyboard and mouse works flawlessly.
If the level is loaded from a save after a cold start of the game, the textures of the level may be black. Previously, to fix this, I loaded the "Police Station" level, and then my save, and everything worked perfectly. Then I found a more elegant fix - I installed Widescreen Fix and added the above command in the launch options, and it seems to fix the black textures immediately on cold start, without the need to load the police station. Moreover, after I removed this command, the textures remained fixed. Even after deleting the game and re-downloading, with the removal of all caches, the textures remain fixed. It looks like Steam Deck compiled new shaders after this fix and automatically shared it with the community, and maybe now this fix available to all Steam Deck users by default, without a command.
