Crude Oil Settings Guide – Best Config for Performance & Gameplay

Graphics Settings for Smooth Performance

Crude Oil is an action-adventure game with a stylized visual identity, blending oil-slick physics with heavy machinery. To ensure a smooth experience on both PC and Mac, adjusting your graphics settings is essential. The game offers a range of options from Resolution and Display Mode to Texture Quality and Shadow Detail.

• Display Mode: Always choose Fullscreen for the best performance. Borderless Windowed can introduce input lag on some systems.
• Resolution: Match your monitor's native resolution. If you experience frame drops, lower this first.
• V-Sync: Turn off V-Sync unless you notice screen tearing. Disabling it can significantly boost your FPS.
• Texture Quality: Set to High if you have 4GB+ VRAM. Lower to Medium on integrated graphics.
• Shadow Quality: Shadows are resource-intensive. Set to Medium for a good balance between visuals and performance.
• Anti-Aliasing: Use FXAA or TAA for a smoother image. Avoid MSAA unless you have a powerful GPU.

For players on Mac, consider lowering the Post-Processing effects to reduce thermal throttling. The game's oil physics are CPU-bound, so closing background apps can also help.

Audio Settings for Immersion

Audio plays a key role in Crude Oil, from the gurgle of your oil blob to the roar of pursuing trucks. The settings menu allows you to adjust Master Volume, SFX, Music, and Voice levels independently.

• Master Volume: Keep at 80% to avoid distortion.
• SFX: Set to 100% to hear environmental cues, like the approach of enemies or the sound of collectible oil puddles.
• Music: The soundtrack is atmospheric but not critical for gameplay. Set to 70% so it doesn't overpower sound effects.
• Voice: If any narrative voiceovers exist, keep this at 100%.

A useful tip is to enable Dynamic Range if available, which makes quieter sounds more audible without raising the overall volume.

Control Settings for Better Movement

As a sentient oil blob, your movement relies on WASD or a controller. Crude Oil supports both keyboard and gamepad. The control settings allow rebinding of every action.

• Keyboard: The default bindings are intuitive. However, consider rebinding Dodge (default Space) to a mouse side button for quicker reactions.
• Controller: Recommended for the fluid movement. Use the Xbox or PlayStation layout. Adjust the Camera Sensitivity to 70% for precise aiming of your oil splashes.
• Invert Y: Disable unless you are used to flight controls.

For advanced players, the Sprint toggle (default Shift) can be changed to Hold for better control during combat scenarios. Experiment in the tutorial area to find what feels best.

Gameplay Settings and Accessibility

Crude Oil includes several gameplay toggles that affect difficulty and quality of life. These can be found in the Gameplay tab.

• Auto-Collect: Enable this to automatically pick up smaller oil droplets, saving you from mashing the interact key.
• Camera Shake: Set to Low or Off if you experience motion sickness during intense chase sequences.
• Subtitles: Turn on for all dialogue, especially if you play with music or in noisy environments.
• HUD Opacity: Lower to 80% for a cleaner screen, keeping only essential health and oil meter visible.

These settings are particularly useful for new players who want a more relaxed experience while learning the basics of the game.

Advanced Graphics Tweaks for High-End PCs

If you are running Crude Oil on a high-end rig, you can push the visuals further. The game supports Ray Tracing for reflections on wet surfaces and oil puddles.

• Ray Tracing: Enable Reflections only. Global Illumination is heavy and offers minimal improvement.
• Ambient Occlusion: Set to SSAO or HBAO+ for deeper shadows.
• Foliage Quality: High adds more grass and debris, which can be used for tactical hiding from enemies.
• Field of View (FOV): Increase to 90-100 for better peripheral vision during driving segments.

Monitor your GPU temperature using software like MSI Afterburner. If it exceeds 80°C, dial back the settings.

Troubleshooting Common Settings Issues

Some players report issues with settings not saving or crashes after changing resolution. Here are quick fixes:

• Settings Not Saving: Run the game as an administrator. The config file is located in Documents/My Games/CrudeOil/.
• Crash on Launch: Delete the config.ini file to reset all settings to default.
• Low FPS on Mac: Ensure you are on macOS 12+ and have updated your graphics drivers via System Update.
• Controller Not Working: Disconnect other USB devices. Use Steam Input for full compatibility.

If problems persist, refer to the Troubleshooting Guide for more in-depth solutions. For basic performance tips, the Beginner Guide also covers optimal starting settings.