I tested the impact of each graphics setting on visuals and frame rate in the Gothic remake and found the optimal settings that will increase FPS by almost 2 times compared to the maximum settings, without any noticeable visual changes.
Please note that the optimal settings I’ve selected aren’t aimed at any specific PC configuration. I’m choosing settings that will boost frame rates on any computer while maintaining graphics quality as close to Ultra settings as possible.
Use this preset as a basis for customizing the settings for your hardware. Try it first, and then, if you’re experiencing low FPS or, conversely, performance headroom, you can fine-tune them further using my complete guide to Gothic 1 Remake graphics settings , where I detail how each individual setting affects graphics and frame rates.
Testing was carried out at a resolution of 3440×1440 on:
- GIGABYTE RTX 5070Ti Windforce OC 16Gb
- AMD Ryzen 5 7500F
- MSI Pro B650-S WIFI
- ADATA XPG Lancer 6000MHz Cl30 32Gb
Preset of optimal settings
After testing each setting, I came up with this preset:
The most demanding settings
The meaning of draw distance
This setting controls the draw distance of certain objects, bushes, artificial light sources, and fog. It has a greater impact on CPU performance than on GPU performance. For example, here are comparisons with GPU performance maximized:
But when stressed, the CPU performance is:
I’d recommend using “Very High” quality, as there’s virtually no visual difference compared to “Experimental,” but it will reduce the load on both the graphics card and the processor. Lowering this setting further is not recommended, as you’ll start to notice objects popping out while moving, and it won’t provide much of a FPS boost.
Shadow quality
This setting adjusts the detail of some shadows. However, in most cases, the visual difference between all options is quite difficult to discern, especially during normal gameplay
I would definitely not recommend using the maximum value, as it can significantly reduce performance without significant visual changes.
It’s better to use the “High” value, or even “Low” if you need to get a little more FPS.
Lighting quality
This is the most demanding setting in the Gothic remake, especially at Experimental, as it uses Lumen technology. I wouldn’t say the lighting changes dramatically, especially in open areas. Yes, it becomes more realistic, but it’s clearly not worth the performance hit
Also note that the grass shading on the “High” setting is different from the other options:
The most noticeable visual difference will be indoors where sunlight enters:
I would recommend using “Very High” quality, but if you are experiencing poor performance, try “High”.
Quality of effects
For the most part, this setting only affects particles. However, “Experimental” quality significantly reduces performance without any visual changes, even when nothing is happening on-screen:
I would recommend using “High” quality.
Foliage quality
This setting adjusts the grass density. In locations with more vegetation, it has a greater impact on performance:
I’d recommend using “Very High” quality, as it makes no difference compared to “Experimental.” However, if you need to boost the frame rate in areas with dense grass, try lowering this setting.
Shading quality
This setting controls the shading quality of characters’ hair, fur, and moss. However, only the “Low” setting makes a visual difference. All other options look and function identically
And, surprisingly, this is a very demanding setting for processor performance. For example, here’s a comparison with CPU-focused performance
Given that Gothic 1 Remake was developed using Unreal Engine 5 and is a very CPU-intensive game, I would recommend using the “Low” quality setting. This will significantly reduce CPU load and improve gameplay smoothness. However, if you have a high-performance, modern CPU, you can try the “Very High” quality setting.
Landscape quality
“Terrain Quality” controls the tessellation of only small areas of the ground surface. Even then, you have to look closely to notice the difference
During normal gameplay, you probably won’t noticvisual difference at all. Therefore, I recommend using the “Low” setting to get an additional frame rate boost.
Summary and comparison of presets
Using these optimal settings for Gothic 1 Remake, you can nearly double the frame rate compared to the maximum settings without any noticeable visual changes. Furthermore, the optimal settings will significantly reduce video memory consumption.
For example, here are comparisons at 3440x1440p (screenshots were captured at 2560×1440) on the Ryzen 7500f and RTX 5070 Ti, both with DLAA and maximum texture quality enabled:
In the screenshots above, you might have noticed some differences in the landscape. This isn’t due to the “Landscape Quality” setting. For some reason, the “Shading Quality” setting affects this.
Complete guide
You can find comparisons of the remaining settings, descriptions of what they do, and my recommendations in the full guide on my website, which is entirely dedicated to guides on graphics settings in games and will always be free and open:
