Gaming on Linux through Steam is a work in progress.
I have bought 2 "full ready" Linux/Steam major game items recently, both required significant tweeking of the in-game parameters to get it to run using the Linux Mint Mate 13 LTS that I have on my box now.
Fair disclosure, some of these games claim up front that they need more modern Mint versions than I have. It would be nice if the game developers doing the porting would stick with LTS versions instead of just downloading whatever is current and developing everything for that.
It is plumb stupid to fully develop a game for a Ubuntu non-LTS version that has only a six month shelf life ......
So,
Gaming on Linux still seems to suffer from distro fragmentation even within the very short Mint/Ubuntu kissing cousins range. It suffers from growing pains as time (as short as a year) moves the environment along far enough that discontinuity comes about between older games and distros and Steam versions.
Steam had a dream, but the dream is flawed because of lack of hard, stable standards between what was written then (6 months ago) and what is here now.
To make this work, Steam needs to sit firmly on their Steambox Standards and not let every fool in the world at whatever distro/version age/performance level download their software.
It ain't going to work right without a more stable consistent environment.
Or else, like Painkiller,
all the Steam Linux games need to be listed as BETA until they get worked out 100% for a closely controlled range of LTS distro versions.
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Gaming is still better on Windows right now.
Sorry
Status update: Painkiller Hell and Dam-it-ation is now running in Super VGA mode (monitor's natural mode) at low spec levels (monitor's natural pixel density) at really fast fight'n speeds. Game looks good, looks like it fits the screen properly and everything is working like it is supposed to.
The game is still kicking my butt mercilessly, but I am old and my reflexes are slow ....
(still learning how to bunny hop sideways and strafe)
Metro Last Light isn't running at all -- wrong Ubuntu base is being used by me (my fault) awaiting next month's upgrade to Mint Mate 14.04 to get "even" spec wise with itself.