Velvet Assassin failed to start (error code 83)

[Ef_Fabio]

After installing the game and going through the launcher, this message comes on:

"Velvet Assassin failed to start (error code 83)"

and the game won't launch.

I've tried installing the PhysX Legacy Driver (https://www.nvidia.com/object/physx-9.13.0604-legacy-driver.html), but nothing changed.

Have you ever had a similar thing happen to you? How did you solve it?
Thanks in advance to anyone who might be able to help.

[Ef_Fabio]

After going to "Properties/Local/Verify integrity of game files" selecting the game in the library, this time I get "Velvet Assassin failed to start (error code 80)."

After installing the latest PhysX System Drivers (9.19.0218 version), along with the Legacy Driver I get Application load error P:0000065432.

[Diego Libe]

You need a specific set of PhysX to run this game.
Since a certain version/revision of the PhysX, it's not including a folder with the files needed to run this game, if you are runnning the latest PhysX, you can be sure you will NOT be able to run this game, even if you havee installed the Legacy Driver.

What you have to do is to install the version "Ageia Physx 8.06.12" or "Ageia Physx 9.12.1031", and yes, it's before NVidia got hold of PhysX.

---
I have another game that also has similar issue, what I done was to install a old version, backup the PhysX folder, then I merged all. After that, I installed the latest version and added the missing folders from the PhysX to the latest version.

I have installed the versions:
Ageia Physx 7.09.13
Ageia Physx 8.04.25
Ageia Physx 8.06.12
Ageia Physx 9.12.1031

And have made backups of the following path for each install
C:\Program Files (x86)\NVIDIA Corporation\PhysX\Engine

Merged the newer on top of the older ones, and lastly, installed the most recent one and merged the missing folders.

[Totohli]

Do you have more than one hard drive?

Try to install it on your 'main' hard drive, this game and Assassin's Creed 1 for example won't work for me if i install them on my SSD.

[Ef_Fabio]

Thank you for your advice and apologies for my late response!

Back when I had the error messages I was using quite an old PC (with an i7-2600 processor and an Nvidia GT530 graphics card) that I bought in 2011. It was ok for most tasks but it was definitely showing its age.
I had two drives, a 500GB HDD and a 1TB SSD, if i'm not wrong. I probably installed it on the SSD because I ran both Steam and GOG Galaxy and I had no problems with any other game installed there.

I have a more recent PC now and there are no problems with the game, speaking of performance. I simply installed the game, the Physx Legacy driver and it works with no problems.

It is a very GPU intensive game though, even if it was released in 2009. According to the AMD Radeon Software, it takes at about 90%-95% of my RX 5700 GPU, which I found to be very strange! Dropping the texture quality, shadows, etc. from "Very high" to "High" and disabling AA seems to improve the situation, but it still was quite a surprise.

[RedTotalWar]

Originally posted by Diego Libe:

You need a specific set of PhysX to run this game.
Since a certain version/revision of the PhysX, it's not including a folder with the files needed to run this game, if you are runnning the latest PhysX, you can be sure you will NOT be able to run this game, even if you havee installed the Legacy Driver.

What you have to do is to install the version "Ageia Physx 8.06.12" or "Ageia Physx 9.12.1031", and yes, it's before NVidia got hold of PhysX.

---
I have another game that also has similar issue, what I done was to install a old version, backup the PhysX folder, then I merged all. After that, I installed the latest version and added the missing folders from the PhysX to the latest version.

I have installed the versions:
Ageia Physx 7.09.13
Ageia Physx 8.04.25
Ageia Physx 8.06.12
Ageia Physx 9.12.1031

And have made backups of the following path for each install
C:\Program Files (x86)\NVIDIA Corporation\PhysX\Engine

Merged the newer on top of the older ones, and lastly, installed the most recent one and merged the missing folders.

Are you still there?