The title "Alien Shooter" sounds generic, but don't let it fool you. Alien Shooter 2 is a complete single-player comapaign filled with endless alien slaughter! Level up your skills, purchase weapons and armor, loot crates, explore, discover secret areas and.... wait for it... obliterate thousands of aliens!





Follow my step-by-step guide on installing, configuring and optimizing Alien Shooter 2 in Linux with PlayOnLinux.

Note: This guide applies to theGOG version of Alien Shooter 2. Other versions may require additional steps.

Tips & Specs:

To learn more about PlayOnLinux and Wine configuration, see the online manual: PlayOnLinux Explained

Mint 17 64-bit
PlayOnLinux: 4.2.6
Wine: 1.6.2

Wine Installation

Click Tools
Select "Manage Wine Versions"


Look for the Wine Version: 1.6.2
Note: Try using stable Wine 1.8 and 1.8-staging

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

PlayOnLinux Setup

Launch PlayOnLinux
Click Install


Click "install a non-listed program"


Click Next

Select "Instal a program in a new virtual drive"
Click Next


Name your virtual drive: alienshooter
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


Wine Configuration

Application 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


Installing Packages (Libraries, components, DLL's)

Check the following:

• POL_Install_corefonts
• POL_Install_d3dx9
• POL_Install_gdiplus
  
• POL_Install_tahoma

Click Next


Note: All packages will automatically download and install

Installing Alien Shooter 2

Click Browse


Select "setup_alien_shooter2_2.1.0.10.exe"
Click Open


Click Next

Check "Yes, I have read and accept EULA"
Click Options
Uncheck "Create desktop icon"
Click Install


You may get a few errors at the end of the installation
Click "OK" on all of them
The game will still install


Click Exit


PlayOnLinux Shortcut

Select "AlienShooter.exe"
Click Next


Name your shortcut: Alien Shooter 2
Click Next


Click Next again...

PlayOnLinux Configure

Back to PlayOnLinux
Select "Alien Shooter 2"
Click Configure


General Tab
Wine version: 1.6.2


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

Launching Alien Shooter 2

Select "Alien Shooter 2"
Click Run


Note: Click debug to see errors and bugs

Widescreen Hack

Alien Shooter 2 will launch in 1024x768 only
Click Options


Adjust Details, Shadows and Blood
Resolution can only be decreased, but not widescreen support


Close Alien Shooter 2
Navigate to the Maps folder:

Code:

/home/username/.PlayOnLinux/wineprefix/alienshooter/drive_c/GOG games/Alien Shooter 2/Maps

Open CONST.LGC in a text editor


Scroll down to

Code:

static int RT_Screen_X[] = { 800, 1024 };

and

Code:

static int RT_Screen_X[] = { 600, 768 };

Modify the last resolution to match your Linux Desktop
If Linux is running in HD 1080 then change it like this:

Code:

static int RT_Screen_X[] = { 800, 1920 };

Code:

static int RT_Screen_X[] = { 600, 1080 };

Save CONST.LGC


Now lauch Alien Shooter 2 again
It will still appear to run at 1024x768 until the level loads
Then it will appear full-screen at HD 1080

The HUD will still appear 1024x768 as well
Go back to the Maps folder
Find the file: gamebar1024.men
Rename it to : gamebar1920.men


You may also want to rename the other menu items as well with 1024
I was unable to get all the HUD items to adjust to my widescreen setting.
So I would play without the HUD by pressing Tab

Conclusion:
Alien Shooter 2 is suprisingly fun and difficult. I love the red lit levels, the different aliens and special abilities, specially the one where your character can turn aliens into minions.
Besides the HUD, I had no difficulties or bugs. With the widescreen resolution sometimes the screen panning will not work properly and stereo sound might be off here and there. Otherwise, it ran extremely well.

Gameplay Video:



Screenshots: