Indiana Jones and the Great Circle emerges as a remarkable achievement in the gaming landscape, showcasing the prowess of MachineGames and the id Tech 7 engine. This title defies expectations with its impressive visuals and overall performance, despite minor hiccups that are often characteristic of modern PC releases. The game feels more constrained by current hardware limitations than by optimization issues, offering an immersive experience even for players without top-tier graphics cards, provided they make a few adjustments to settings.
On launch day, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle stands out as one of the most technically refined PC releases in recent memory.
The joy of id Tech
MachineGames made a strategic choice by opting for a modified version of id Tech 7, known as Motor, rather than utilizing Unreal Engine. While Unreal can deliver smooth gameplay, it is often plagued by performance inconsistencies, as seen in titles like Silent Hill 2 and Black Myth: Wukong. In contrast, id Tech 7 offers a seamless experience, with minimal stuttering and only slight frame time spikes during auto-saves—issues so subtle they often go unnoticed.
This smooth performance can be attributed to id Tech 7’s unique architecture, which avoids the pitfalls of a main thread. Instead, it distributes tasks across multiple cores, effectively eliminating traversal stutter that typically arises during loading transitions. Furthermore, the engine’s exclusive use of Vulkan on PC enhances performance, often outperforming DirectX 12 in various scenarios.
However, a notable concern arises during cutscenes, where the game locks at 60 frames per second. This can lead to a perception of sluggish animations, particularly when the CPU is heavily taxed. While this does not detract significantly from the overall experience, it is an area that could benefit from future updates.
The 8GB GPU question
Upon its release, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle revealed challenges for players using 8GB graphics cards, such as the RTX 4060 Ti. The game serves as a testament to the validity of concerns surrounding VRAM limitations. Performance issues can vary significantly depending on the level being played, with smaller sections running smoothly while larger areas may strain VRAM capacity.
MachineGames has acknowledged these challenges, implementing a patch aimed at improving performance in expansive game levels for users with 8GB VRAM cards. While not a complete fix, it demonstrates the developer’s commitment to addressing player concerns.
For those with 8GB graphics cards, there is still hope for an enjoyable experience. Adjusting texture and shadow settings can alleviate performance issues without sacrificing visual quality. The game features a texture pool size setting that allows players to optimize their experience based on their hardware capabilities.
Path tracing not required
Ray tracing plays a significant role in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, requiring a GPU with dedicated ray tracing hardware. The game employs ray-traced global illumination (RTGI) throughout, enhancing its visual appeal. While path tracing options are available, they do not dramatically transform the experience compared to other titles known for their ray tracing capabilities.
In many scenes, the differences brought about by path tracing may be subtle, but in certain moments, it elevates the gameplay with enhanced reflections and shadows. The forced use of RTGI ensures that the game maintains a high level of visual fidelity, even for players without the latest hardware.
Designed for Nvidia
As an Nvidia-sponsored title, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is optimized for Nvidia’s DLSS 3 technology, leaving users of AMD and Intel GPUs at a disadvantage. The absence of support for FSR 3 or XeSS means that players without Nvidia hardware will miss out on high-quality upscaling options. While the game showcases the benefits of DLSS 3, the lack of alternative upscaling solutions limits accessibility for a broader audience.
MachineGames has indicated plans to introduce FSR support in a future update, which would greatly enhance the experience for players using non-Nvidia GPUs. The potential addition of FSR 3 could also benefit those with older Nvidia cards, providing a more inclusive gaming experience.
