After many, many months, if not years, trying to get the full classic trilogy of Resident Evil titles on PC working on Linux with both the Classic Rebirth and the Seamless HD Project mods, today, it is now a reality, and we can finally play the last remaining title that was yet to be compatible with Linux fully working with HD mods, in this case, with Seamless HD Project (SHDP).
Huge thanks to user Dario from WineHQ/GitHub for being able to make a workaround to make RE3 Classic Rebirth+Seamless HD Project work on Linux machines, his full report and workaround can be found here:
https://github.com/doitsujin/dxvk/issues/4431#issuecomment-2727071152
This workaround can me changed to work with Heroic Launcher (as I did), and even Steam with the game added as a non-Steam game as well, but for full details, check below,
Here's a step by step guide on how to accomplish it. I lack proper images or screenshots of the process since I did it as a casual thing yesterday on my own.
Do note that I made all the testing and process originally on a Steam Deck (other Linux systems might work similarly too), so steps might vary for Windows users:
- [Steam Deck] Download and install the Heroic Launcher and link your GOG account to it.
- [Other Linux distros] You can use Heroic Launcher on them, or you can use any other launcher of your liking, be it Bottles or Lutris, even plain Wine/Proton should work, just remember that you need to have DXVK 2.5.3 installed in order for this to work! (Older versions of DXVK haven't been tested, but it's possible they could work)
- Install Resident Evil 3 (1999) from GOG/SourceNext in your system
- [Steam Deck] Once RE3 is installed, go to the game's "Settings", and go to the "Advanced" option. Here under environment variables, add the following:
WINEDLLOVERRIDES="ddraw,dinput8,libwebp,xaudio2_9=n,b" - [Steam Deck] If you are instead running the RE3 EXE directly on Steam as a non-Steam game, then inside Steam settings for the game add the following line under "Launch Options":
WINEDLLOVERRIDES="ddraw,dinput8,libwebp,xaudio2_9=n,b" %command% - If you're using a method that doesn't involve Steam, Lutris or Bottles, download DXVK from the official GitHub repository. read the instructions properly for its installation. If you find it too cumbersome, go with Heroic Launcher, Steam (as a non-Steam game and changing its Proton to 9.0 or GE) or Bottles to run the game. Lutris might work, but I wasn't able to get it running, but it could probably work by forcing Proton GE 9.16 or a newer version.
- In the case of using Heroic Launcher, you need to change the default Proton version to Proton 9.0 (Beta) or use a version Proton GE inside the game configuration, then the game will launch properly with SHDP. Using Proton Experimental won't work!
- For Bottles, refer to the following issue report on either GitHub or WineHQ to install the game properly and run it with SHDP on Linux.
- If you're using the GOG version of the game, you'll need to download the "Unofficial SourceNext 1.1.0 Conversion Patch for RE3 Windows 95-98" mod from NexusMods (Archived link), otherwise, skip this step. Read the instructions on how to apply it properly over your GOG installation.
- Download the RE3 SHDP mod
- Download the ZIP file attached to this post
- Extract the contents of the SHDP mod into the main folder of RE3 (should be a simple "hires" folder)
- Extract the ZIP from this post into the main folder of RE3 (the one with the main executable of the game called RE3Launcher.exe for the GOG version). It should prompt you to overwrite the files and folders, do so and overwrite all files. If you didn't get an overwrite prompt, the files were not copied in the proper folder.
- Inside the game's installation folder, copy both the "ddraw.dll" file and the "RE3Launcher.exe" file. Rename the copies to "ddrawR.dll" and "RE3LauncherR.exe". This just so you can have a backup of the original files and are able to launch into the original GOG release if desired later on.
- Download the Resident Evil 2 Classic Rebith patch, as well as the SourceNext 1.1.0 official patch.
- Extract both patches, and copy over the "ddraw.dll" file from the Classic Rebirth patch over to the game's installation folder (should prompt to overwrite), and for the SourceNext 1.1.0 update patch, rename the file you extract from the "bh3 1.10.zip" file from "BIOHAZARD(R) 3 PC.exe" to "RE3Launcher.exe" and copy it over to the game's installation folder and replace the existing file. Also copy over the rest of the files in the ZIP to the main folder of RE3, these being the MERCENARIES.exe and the rofs4.dat file, but rename it to Rofs4.dat with a capital R, or else you'd have a duplicate in Linux systems of said file, replace it accordingly.
- Once all files are copied over, try to launch the game (or through Steam if on Steam Deck). It should open up the Classic Rebirth configuration/settings window.
Enable or disable whichever options you desire (enable "Univocal outfit names" for testing). Check the game works with Classic Rebirth installed. - The game should launch properly if the setup was done correctly. Get in game, go into new game, and check if you get different names for the costumes, if you do, then you got Classic Rebirth working properly for RE3.
- Once the game has launched successfully with Classic Rebirth, make sure that whichever method you use to run the game has DXVK enabled, or else the HD mod (SHDP) WON'T WORK.
This has been tested on a Steam Deck and confirmed as working by myself and others, and other Linux distro can run under the same methods.
If you get the screen of the game in a small square at the top left of the window, then that's a clear indication that you're missing DXVK or the proper Proton version to make it work.
- For the High Quality Sound Mod by Reza Molaee or RE3 vX HD mod (with audio) by VidraXs:
Download the package and extract all its contents into a separate folder. However, for Linux or Steam Deck users, be absolutely sure that each of the files and folders match the naming convention that the GOG installation uses, it is absolutely important that the folders and files match letter by letter, since Linux systems and the Steam Deck are case sensitive when it comes to file/folder names, and even the slightest of change in an upper or lower case letter will create a second file or folder if they don't match.
Once you have checked/modified the files and folders and they match precisely, copy-paste the contents into the game's installation folder.
- For the MP4 movie replacement Mod by Darren:
Download the package, extract the files and copy them over to the game's installation folder. You should be prompted to overwrite.
Be aware, as while this mod brings better quality FMVs, it also adds Japanese subtitles to a couple of cutscenes and these cannot be removed.
As far as I'm aware, this pack doesn't have any case sensitive issues for users on Linux / Steam Deck, but double check to be sure.
