If one had suggested a year ago that the epitome of cutting-edge, GPU-centric, fully ray-traced gaming visuals would feature a rejuvenated Harrison Ford, it would have seemed far-fetched. Yet, here we stand, with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle embracing ray tracing to such an extent that the effects cannot be entirely disabled.
Hardware-Based Ray Tracing: A New Standard
We find ourselves navigating uncharted waters. While titles like Black Myth: Wukong and Star Wars Outlaws incorporate ray tracing effects even at their lowest settings—thanks to software-based implementations that can run on older PCs—the Great Circle stands out as the first game to mandate hardware-based ray tracing. This requirement significantly narrows the field, necessitating GeForce RTX or newer AMD graphics cards for optimal performance.
This decision reflects a bold confidence in the PC gaming community’s readiness to upgrade their systems, as well as a belief in the allure of a meticulously crafted Indiana Jones adventure. However, the question lingers: is this the right choice? After extensive testing across various GPUs and settings, the answer remains elusive, particularly for AMD users who lack FSR upscaling support. In contrast, Nvidia systems benefit from both standard DLSS upscaling and the advanced DLSS 3 frame generation, with further enhancements promised in future updates.
Before diving into performance specifics, it’s essential to consider the game’s system requirements. The minimum GPUs listed are among the oldest models that support hardware-based ray tracing, while the highest settings demand nothing less than the latest high-end hardware.
Other noteworthy aspects include substantial SSD storage needs and elevated RAM requirements, but the necessity for a capable ray tracing graphics card stands out as the most significant hurdle. Attempts to launch the game using powerful yet older GTX 1070 and GTX 1080 Ti resulted in a VKKHRray_query error, effectively translating to “No ray tracing hardware? Move along.”
What happens when a basic RT-ready GPU is paired with a decent CPU and minimum RAM? Testing with an Intel Core i5-11600K and 16GB of DDR4, the Intel Arc A750 managed an average of 67fps in a densely populated area, albeit at 1080p on the Low preset. The RTX 4060 performed slightly better, averaging 63fps at Ultra settings, but this number plummeted to 39fps on Very Ultra, and launching the game at the highest Supreme preset resulted in crashes.
The RTX 3070 faced similar challenges, achieving 40fps at 1440p with Very Ultra settings, provided DLSS was enabled in Quality mode. However, switching to Supreme mode rendered the visuals completely black, suggesting that the intense ray tracing demands overwhelmed the 8GB VRAM capacity of these GPUs. This raises concerns, especially given their widespread use in the market.
Upgrading to an RTX 4070 Ti improved stability, maintaining a smooth 70fps at 1440p in Supreme mode with Quality DLSS, and only dropping to 69fps at 4K under the same conditions. It’s worth noting that some CPU bottlenecking may have influenced these results, as the RTX 4090 also delivered 69fps at 4K with identical settings.
Visually, The Great Circle impresses with its rich lighting effects and intricate environmental details. While minor imperfections exist—such as shadows and textures popping in as players approach—most will find themselves captivated by the vibrant forests and beautifully designed interiors.
Yet, the necessity for hardware-based ray tracing raises questions about its justification. Historically, developers have strived to make their games accessible across a broad range of systems, even with graphically demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077 running on GTX 1060s. If this is a glimpse into a ray-traced future, one would hope for a more extensive array of tools to mitigate the performance impact. While DLSS provides some relief, it remains exclusive to Nvidia GPUs, leaving Intel and AMD users with limited options, such as native TAA or a less effective dynamic resolution mode.
Moreover, DLSS itself could benefit from refinement. During testing with the RTX 4060, RTX 4070 Ti, and RTX 3070, instances arose where the Quality and Balanced modes temporarily hindered performance rather than enhancing it. This issue was resolved by switching to Ultra Performance mode, allowing the higher-quality modes to function correctly afterward.
Frame generation yielded mixed results as well. On the RTX 4090, it significantly boosted the average from 69fps to 133fps at Supreme settings. The RTX 4060 also saw improvement, climbing from 39fps on Very Ultra to 73fps with both Quality DLSS and frame generation enabled. However, there were rare occasions where frame generation adversely affected performance, dropping it to as low as 6-7fps on the RTX 4070 Ti. While these issues may be easily addressed, they are unusual for DLSS 3, which has generally performed well in previous tests.
It’s important to note that this is not the final iteration of The Great Circle. An update scheduled for December 9th promises to introduce “full ray tracing,” also known as path tracing, along with Ray Reconstruction, which could alleviate some of the anticipated performance challenges associated with path tracing.
Given that ray tracing cannot be entirely disabled, players with mid-range or lower-end systems will need to explore alternative settings to enhance performance. The menu offers various options, including motion blur and chromatic aberration toggles, as well as adjustments to water and hair quality effects. However, it is advisable to avoid the Supreme mode; while visually stunning when functioning correctly, it presents more stability issues than the Very Ultra setting, which remains visually appealing.
For those seeking to optimize performance while maintaining high visual fidelity, the following settings are recommended:
- Motion Blur: Off
- Texture Pool Size: Medium
- Shadow Quality: Medium
- Decal Rendering Distance: Medium
- Global Illumination Quality: Low
- Upscaling/DLSS Super Resolution: DLSS on Quality
- Everything Else: Very Ultra equivalent
Among these adjustments, texture pool size—rather than global illumination quality—yielded the most significant performance boost on the tested RTX 4060. Reducing global illumination may also be beneficial, particularly for those with limited VRAM. Despite its glitches, DLSS remains a valuable tool for enhancing performance.
Unfortunately, users with non-RTX graphics cards face challenges. While native TAA performs adequately, it is a considerable oversight to exclude major non-DLSS upscalers when ray tracing is central to the game’s visual appeal.
