Just Cause is a free-roam open-world action game where you get to choose any mission in any order. Drive any vehicle, fly any plane or helicopter, escape the corrupt police, help the rebellion against the oppressive government, use a large arsenal of weapons or hi-jack vehicles with your grappling hook. Explore a huge range of environments from mountains and jungles to beaches and islands.



Follow my step-by-step guide on installing, configuring and optimizing Just Cause in Linux with PlayOnLinux.

Note: This guide applies to the Steam version of Just Cause. 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: 4.2.8
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 your virtual drive: justcause
No spaces
Click Next


Select all three options:

• Use another version of Wine
• Configure Wine
• Install some libraries

Click Next


Select Wine 1.7.42
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_tahoma

Click Next


Note: All packages will automatically download and install

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: Just Cause
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


Note: Click the + to download other versions of Wine. Click the down-arrow to select other versions of wine

Display Tab
Video Memory Size: Select the size of Memory your video card/chip uses


Automatically set the resolution on launch

Select Just Cause
Click Configure
Click Miscellaneous Tab
Use this command in the lower text box

Code:

xrandr -s 1600x1200

justcause51.png

Close Configure

Launching Steam

Select Just Cause
Click Run


Note: Click debug to see errors and bugs.

Click "Login to existing account"


Login


Steam Overlay

Steam overlay has been known to cause problems launching games with Wine 1.6.2
Click Steam menu
Click Settings


Select "In-game"
Uncheck "Enable Steam Community In-Game"
Click OK


Installing Just Cause

Select Just Cause
Click Install


Click Next

Click "I Agree"

Uncheck both Shortcut options
Click Next

Click Finish

Click Play

Select "Just Cause Setup"
Click Play


Adjust:

• Post Effects
• Screen Resolution
• Texture Resolution
• Terrain Detail Quality
• Water Quality
• Scene Complexity

Click OK


Rule of Thumb:
High settings = More detail, lower frame rates
Low settings = Less detail higher frame rates

Playing Just Cause

Just Cause will also run really slow with multi-core CPU's
The only solution is to launch PlayOnLinux in a single-core environment

Exit Steam
Exit PlayOnLinux

Launch Terminal with Ctrl+Alt+Del
Type:

Code:

taskset -c 0 playonlinux

Now when you Launch Just Cause it runs flawlessly
Just remember not to play any other games in single-core mode

Conclusion:
Just Cause will only run at the highest resolution of 1600x1200
The game will not appear full-screen unless you set your Linux desktop resolution to match.

Gameplay Video:


Screenshots: