Another week down, plenty of new games have released or been updated and we're about to begin another cycle. Let's have a chat.
With the recent huge Stellaris 2.7 update, we were going to be diving into a fresh multiplayer game with excitement to look at all the new visuals. Sadly though, it appears the latest update has numerous problems that caused all sorts of lag and sync issues. Thankfully, Paradox keep around older versions on Steam you can opt into with the 2.6.x series still working well. Issues aside, Stellaris is such a fantastic RTS overall to sink a great many hours into.
Into the Breach has also been sucking up more time lately, as a small and focused strategy game it's pretty close to perfection. I'm really not surprised it has reviewed so well. Subset Games also continue to tweak the Linux build to ensure it's running smoothly.
Across today though I've been quite sick, so thanks to Stadia I've been able to just sit back and relax with a flawless Assassin's Creed Odyssey experience to just zone-out with. It's nice to have another option if your net is good enough. The developer of firefighting game Embr also sent over a pre-release Stadia key to us, and it's quite amusing. Something to look forward to when it arrives in Early Access next week (no Linux desktop release for now).
I'm also highly jealous of everyone who has a VR kit now that Half-Life: Alyx is available on Linux. Hopefully it's working well, it looks pretty incredible and sounds like Valve did a really fantastic job on it. Half-Life: Alyx has now passed twenty-five thousand user reviews on Steam too!
Additionally, while I've not played it myself, it appears DOOM Eternal became the first game to get the brand new Denuvo Anti-Cheat (different to the DRM). This made it instantly unplayable on Linux under Steam Play Proton. Another thorn in our side. However, according to TechRaptor who spoke to Michail Greshishchev, Product Owner at Denuvo Anti-Cheat they said:
We've been tracking the Proton issue immediately after launch and are committed to delivering a fix soon. This isn't a request coming to us from a publisher or anything like that - we genuinely respect such an enthusiast community and regret introducing this incompatibility on day 1
So at least there's some sort of hope on the horizon about DOOM Eternal single-player working again on Linux under Proton.
Quick tip for parents: currently on Steam the LEGO NINJAGO game is 100% off making it free to keep, seems to work well in Steam Play proton. That deal will last until May 22.
Over to you in the comments: what have you been gaming on Linux lately?
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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soulsource May 18, 2020
I've been "playing" Elite Dangerous.
I would have to lie if I said I was completely sober when I accepted a tourist contract two weeks ago. A tourist contract to "Dancing with Giants", 33k lightyears from LHS 331, where the contract started. I did some maths in my head, and having to do ~100 jumps per day for the next four weeks sounded quite reasonable to not-completely-sober me. One jump per minute is something quite doable after all... Also that would be a perfect opportunity to make full spectrum scans of thousands of star systems...
The next day sober-me realized that there are some other limiting factors:
o) Fuel scooping takes time, and not every star along the way is a main sequence star.
o) Full Spectrum Scanning of star systems takes time as well. Usually less than fuel scooping, but for larger systems quite a bit more.
And that was when I decided to make a stop at some asteroid outpost that was nearly along the way (Omega Mining Operation in Omega Sector VE-Q b5-15), to replace all ship parts I could with lighter variants, and to sell all parts that have significant mass and aren't strictly necessary for the ship to fly.
That brought my jump range quite a bit up, especially since I made use of the remote workshop option to engineer the frame shift drive. Now the ship can jump about 30 lightyears (a bit less with full fuel, a bit more with low fuel).
Still, it feels more like work than gaming to finish that contract in time while doing a full spectrum scan of all systems along the way.
But I started that, and I'm going to finish it. Thanks to the upgraded ship it's now just 350 jumps left to return to LHS 331.
Once that tourist is back home, I'll play something else.
I would have to lie if I said I was completely sober when I accepted a tourist contract two weeks ago. A tourist contract to "Dancing with Giants", 33k lightyears from LHS 331, where the contract started. I did some maths in my head, and having to do ~100 jumps per day for the next four weeks sounded quite reasonable to not-completely-sober me. One jump per minute is something quite doable after all... Also that would be a perfect opportunity to make full spectrum scans of thousands of star systems...
The next day sober-me realized that there are some other limiting factors:
o) Fuel scooping takes time, and not every star along the way is a main sequence star.
o) Full Spectrum Scanning of star systems takes time as well. Usually less than fuel scooping, but for larger systems quite a bit more.
And that was when I decided to make a stop at some asteroid outpost that was nearly along the way (Omega Mining Operation in Omega Sector VE-Q b5-15), to replace all ship parts I could with lighter variants, and to sell all parts that have significant mass and aren't strictly necessary for the ship to fly.
That brought my jump range quite a bit up, especially since I made use of the remote workshop option to engineer the frame shift drive. Now the ship can jump about 30 lightyears (a bit less with full fuel, a bit more with low fuel).
Still, it feels more like work than gaming to finish that contract in time while doing a full spectrum scan of all systems along the way.
But I started that, and I'm going to finish it. Thanks to the upgraded ship it's now just 350 jumps left to return to LHS 331.
Once that tourist is back home, I'll play something else.
4 Likes, Who?
TobyGornow May 18, 2020
I've just finished Resident Evil 7 with proton GE 5.6, works great. First half of the game, when you're discovering the house and the plot, is tense AF with a really scary atmosphere, I was stoked. Second half is linking the story with the usual Resident Evil Evil tropes, virus T ( E, H, X or whatever...), Umbrella conspiracy yada yada, and you're not as vulnerable as you were in the beginning and can shoot your way thru, so the scare factor went down with the fun.
Nonetheless I had a nice time with it, not a bad game at all, but would've been better without the Resident Evil burden.
Next I've started Mass Effect Andromeda on Xbox One, and It's good. If you like space / planet exploration, this TPS / RPG delivers with big maps to explore and superb art direction. Some people criticize the simplicity of the story but for me it allows more liberty unfolding the game : You're a pathfinder and must guide your people in the discovery of a livable planet to settle, in short, messiah story.
Lastly, still on Godot, slowly working on my project because full time "real" work resumed.
Last edited by TobyGornow on 18 May 2020 at 7:56 am UTC
Nonetheless I had a nice time with it, not a bad game at all, but would've been better without the Resident Evil burden.
Next I've started Mass Effect Andromeda on Xbox One, and It's good. If you like space / planet exploration, this TPS / RPG delivers with big maps to explore and superb art direction. Some people criticize the simplicity of the story but for me it allows more liberty unfolding the game : You're a pathfinder and must guide your people in the discovery of a livable planet to settle, in short, messiah story.
Lastly, still on Godot, slowly working on my project because full time "real" work resumed.
Last edited by TobyGornow on 18 May 2020 at 7:56 am UTC
0 Likes
It's been 100% Virtual Reality since I got my Index a couple of weeks ago. I am extremely pleasantly surprised by the level of the VR games already available, and have tremendous amounts of fun with games like:
- Pistol Whip: I swear this game will make me more fit. Amazing workout - and amazingly fun.
- Budget Cuts: A stealth game that was a LOT more fun than I expected it to be. There's something about PHYSICALLY go down on your knees and hide under a desk that just adds SO much to the immersion. I am THERE, right there sneaking around, trying to avoid detection by the robots.
- Eleven Table Tennis VR: I love table tennis, and here I can work on my forehand and play online with real opponents. In a virtual table tennis game that really is quite close to the real thing!
Space Pirate Trainer: A classic shoot'em'up concept, only I'm IN the game killing waves of flying space things that files TOWARDS me and surrounds me and god damn the chaos is real.
- Serious Sam VR: Another classic game concept in every way (mindless shooter), but actually BEING THERE, stumbling around in the debris and having monsters physically TALLER THAN ME run towards me... It makes ALL the difference. Unfortunately it is technically a bit jaggy in the corners, the picture skips now and then, and that's both ironic and sad since it's one of the few natively running VR games we got for Linux. But the fun is real.
- Beat Saber: We all know this one, so there was no real surprise here other than that it's every bit as awesome as it looks.
- Superhot: Another classic that everyone knows. God damn how stylish and fun it is. Finished last week. I need a sequel.
And I've not even started on Alyx yet!
Also, it is fantastic how well VR games work on Proton. I've not had to tweak a single thing, they all just works straight out of the box.
Last edited by Beamboom on 18 May 2020 at 11:52 am UTC
- Pistol Whip: I swear this game will make me more fit. Amazing workout - and amazingly fun.
- Budget Cuts: A stealth game that was a LOT more fun than I expected it to be. There's something about PHYSICALLY go down on your knees and hide under a desk that just adds SO much to the immersion. I am THERE, right there sneaking around, trying to avoid detection by the robots.
- Eleven Table Tennis VR: I love table tennis, and here I can work on my forehand and play online with real opponents. In a virtual table tennis game that really is quite close to the real thing!
Space Pirate Trainer: A classic shoot'em'up concept, only I'm IN the game killing waves of flying space things that files TOWARDS me and surrounds me and god damn the chaos is real.
- Serious Sam VR: Another classic game concept in every way (mindless shooter), but actually BEING THERE, stumbling around in the debris and having monsters physically TALLER THAN ME run towards me... It makes ALL the difference. Unfortunately it is technically a bit jaggy in the corners, the picture skips now and then, and that's both ironic and sad since it's one of the few natively running VR games we got for Linux. But the fun is real.
- Beat Saber: We all know this one, so there was no real surprise here other than that it's every bit as awesome as it looks.
- Superhot: Another classic that everyone knows. God damn how stylish and fun it is. Finished last week. I need a sequel.
And I've not even started on Alyx yet!
Also, it is fantastic how well VR games work on Proton. I've not had to tweak a single thing, they all just works straight out of the box.
Last edited by Beamboom on 18 May 2020 at 11:52 am UTC
1 Likes, Who?
Dishonored 2, but the performance with Proton is poor. I'm going to try a couple of games in my Steam library that I have marginal interest in, see if something sticks.
0 Likes
Minecraft v1.15.2 [Java 8]
The Elder Scrolls Online [Steam Proton 5.0-7]
Kingdom: Two Crowns [native]
The Elder Scrolls Online [Steam Proton 5.0-7]
Kingdom: Two Crowns [native]
0 Likes
CODE VEIN with Proton works flawlessly, beside heavy stuttering when entering new areas (it's same on Windows). Propably bad optimization by developers or maybe it's a engine thing.. It's Unreal Engine 4.x. Anyway, it has Platinum rating on ProtonDB and i'm wondering why has Valve stopped whitelisting games? Fear of regressions or it's something else? CV it at least much less frustrating than Sekiro :) another "Platinum" game..
Last edited by X6205 on 18 May 2020 at 8:27 am UTC
Last edited by X6205 on 18 May 2020 at 8:27 am UTC
2 Likes, Who?
I'm still trying to get through Pathfinder:Kingmaker but I keep restarting with different character concepts (I like building my main character around concepts rather than optimal stats).
I did purchase a few Linux games off Steam over the past week: Stellaris, ARK:Survival Evolved, ATOM RPG, RUINER, and Total War: Shogun 2. I'll probably load them up and dabble a bit over the next couple of weeks but I always seem to keep falling back on my CRPGs: Pathfinder, Pillars of Eternity, and Neverwinter Nights.
I did purchase a few Linux games off Steam over the past week: Stellaris, ARK:Survival Evolved, ATOM RPG, RUINER, and Total War: Shogun 2. I'll probably load them up and dabble a bit over the next couple of weeks but I always seem to keep falling back on my CRPGs: Pathfinder, Pillars of Eternity, and Neverwinter Nights.
1 Likes, Who?
luncheonticket May 18, 2020
mostly AMS and rFactor 2 via Proton
0 Likes
I've finished Shadow Tactics and started Knights and Merchants, a game from my childhood. Yes, I am a kind of oldfag.
0 Likes
Been playing VirtuaVerse from GOG.
Tested Half-Life: Alyx native, but my NVIDIA causes more stuttering in Linux than in our beloved Windows :). So I am hoping buying an AMD will solve that my next hardware upgrade.
By the way, shouldn't Steam list Half-Life: Alyx as a Linux (Steam Play) game now?
Tested Half-Life: Alyx native, but my NVIDIA causes more stuttering in Linux than in our beloved Windows :). So I am hoping buying an AMD will solve that my next hardware upgrade.
By the way, shouldn't Steam list Half-Life: Alyx as a Linux (Steam Play) game now?
0 Likes
Pompesdesky May 18, 2020
I'm playing Battlefild V via Lutris, except for times when it won't load for no obvious reason it plays really well, multiplayer and all ^_^
1 Likes, Who?
Insurgency even if I didn't have much time to play last week unfortunately... Maybe I will have a look at Ground Branch through Proton (seems to run well according to Protondb) after their next update as a new tactical shooter (we are definitively lacking in that field), hopping that it will be possible to have an easy to setup listen server in the near future (they will probably have an anticheat that will block Proton in the end). :)
0 Likes
Star Wars: The Old Republic on Linux, runs really well and while the jedi storylines seemed a bit dull, there's a treasure trove of good storylines on other classes. Currently running a smuggler trying to chase down the bantha-breath con artist who stole my ship, while killing bounty hunters sent after me for not delivering the cargo on said ship.
NBA 2K20 on PS4, because I have the itch and my Timberwolves need another wing to pair with Okogie, Culver and Beasley. We've been losing a bunch, but now that I get more minutes, we're suddenly on a 4 game winning streak.
Star Wars: Fallen Order on PS4, it was on sale a while back, and it gives that old Jedi Academy vibe. Only on my second planet, so time will tell, but so far it's fun.
NBA 2K20 on PS4, because I have the itch and my Timberwolves need another wing to pair with Okogie, Culver and Beasley. We've been losing a bunch, but now that I get more minutes, we're suddenly on a 4 game winning streak.
Star Wars: Fallen Order on PS4, it was on sale a while back, and it gives that old Jedi Academy vibe. Only on my second planet, so time will tell, but so far it's fun.
0 Likes
- Diablo III - Reaper of Souls via Lutris
- Path of Exile via Lutris
- Dungeon Siege II - via Proton in Window Mode
Natively:
- Borderlands II & Borderlands Pre-Sequel (Currently I have a bug that prevents the games from starting)
- Northgard
- Hitman - Free Trial
- Grey Hack
and the usual suspect Minecraft
- Path of Exile via Lutris
- Dungeon Siege II - via Proton in Window Mode
Natively:
- Borderlands II & Borderlands Pre-Sequel (Currently I have a bug that prevents the games from starting)
- Northgard
- Hitman - Free Trial
- Grey Hack
and the usual suspect Minecraft
0 Likes
please_use_plain_text May 18, 2020
The Lord of the Ring Online via Lutris. My first mmo, and the only one i keep playing from time to time.
Street Fighter 5. Very nice, but i still miss the parry of street fighter 3
Train Sim World. Nice game to play while you're watching some streams or listening to some podcasts
Street Fighter 5. Very nice, but i still miss the parry of street fighter 3
Train Sim World. Nice game to play while you're watching some streams or listening to some podcasts
0 Likes
Played through Red Faction Guerrilla (Proton) just because I liked the first game as a child, turns out the game is quite fun.It's the only Red Faction game I've played to any great extent, and I absolutely loved it. There's nothing quite as cathartic as smashing up Martian buildings with a big hammer. :)
I've been "playing" Elite Dangerous.Oops. I picked up a 6000t transport contract a month or two ago, playing solo. I wish I could blame alcohol, but my only excuse is that I hadn't played it in a while and I'd forgotten how much that is. It wasn't too far, fortunately, but that was the whole evening gone.
I would have to lie if I said I was completely sober when I accepted a tourist contract two weeks ago. A tourist contract to "Dancing with Giants", 33k lightyears from LHS 331, where the contract started.
1 Likes, Who?
Thank you. Wishlisted all your suggestions, except for Paper Cut that I couldn't find. It is not on Steam, right?
Ah damn, sorry that's a typo, my bad: Not Paper Cuts, but BUDGET Cuts! Yeah it's on Steam and it is marvellous. It's just never been cooler to sneak around.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/400940/Budget_Cuts/
There's a sequel to it too, but I've not tried it yet. Judging from the user reviews it seems to essentially be "more of the same", but I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing in this case.
Last edited by Beamboom on 18 May 2020 at 12:01 pm UTC
1 Likes, Who?
Absolutely nothing!
I managed to break my rx 5700 XT!! Not Good!
Now waiting for my brand new 50th anniversary edition!
I managed to break my rx 5700 XT!! Not Good!
Now waiting for my brand new 50th anniversary edition!
0 Likes
Tested Half-Life: Alyx native, but my NVIDIA causes more stuttering in Linux than in our beloved Windows :). So I am hoping buying an AMD will solve that my next hardware upgrade.
By the way, shouldn't Steam list Half-Life: Alyx as a Linux (Steam Play) game now?
All I can suggest for nvidia is to choose settings so that 99.9% of your frame times fall within the HMD refresh rate. Setting it to 80 Hz can help with that and is still plenty smooth. Otherwise you can reduce the rendering resolution (which defaults to 150%) or in-game settings. Second is to select legacy reprojection for the game (and all games). As far as I can tell, legacy will just skip a frame if a frame time is missed. This is not great, but massive better than whatever mess reprojection is trying to put on the display (which looks more like two frames blended together). And also why you want to frame times to be consistently good. If you can get that set up, it's perfectly fine. And it's actually not that hard on Alyx because the game is very well optimised for high fps.
They might consider the game to be in beta and let it be thoroughly tested before putting it on the store.
1 Likes, Who?
wintermute May 18, 2020
Taking my first steps into Deep Rock Galactic. Plays great on Linux via Proton!
It's a great game. Got a little burned out on it myself during Early Access but will probably pick it up again soon.
Still continuing with Valkyria Chronicles (1).
Love that game although I've still not actually finished it. Started playing it using Steam through Wine years ago but it kept crashing and I eventually got fed up of losing progress. Then I picked up a second hand PS4 disk and got nearly to the end (stuck at a big fight with a page an a half to go in the 'book'), and then I got it on sale on Switch. It's a great 'comfort food' game for me.
CODE VEIN with Proton works flawlessly
Got this to play with the girlfriend and, although it does work great with Proton, the way co-op works is a little weird.
I have been playing a lot of Assassin's Creed Odyssey on Stadia, Asphalt Legends on the Switch and Tabletop Simulator, Rocket League and Dying Light on PC.
1 Likes, Who?
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