Minecraft's Vibrant Visuals Update Is A Massive Step Forward For The 15-Year-Old Game
Minecraft is bringing its huge graphical update to Bedrock and Java editions
Another major change is how shadows are cast in Minecraft. Shadows have played very little role in the base game over the years, but that is about to change. The sun now casts dynamic shadows across everything--including player characters. During our technical preview, I spent way too long simply staring at my shadow moving as I turned my head, took steps, or simply changed my pose. That the shadows are as reactive as they are, look as good as they do, and still adhere to Minecraft standards is an achievement.
It took some time to get to this finished version, though. While the shadows cast in Vibrant Visuals are pixelated, much like the world of Minecraft itself, that wasn't originally the case.
Vibrant Visuals art director Jasper Boerstra explained to GameSpot, "[The] first iterations of the shadows, it was just like normal shadows. First we had, like, soft shadows, and then we had harder shadows."
Those resembled more realistic shadows, rounded and not quite in line with Minecraft's aesthetic. After seeing the way the Vibrant Visuals sunlight system filtered light through trees, though, he says the team was "inspired."
"What if we could make it pixelated in some way?" he wondered. So they did just that, making the shadows--as well as reflections and light filtering through water--pixelated.
For those who fear shadows will impact light levels and, thus, mob spawning, there's no need to worry as Mojang assures us that while this is a visual enhancement, it will not impact gameplay.
Perhaps the most exciting change, though, is the water. It's never looked better. Its new textures, along with the sunlight, makes it a feast for the eyes. It's shiny, reflective, and makes everything simply look better. It's also transformed the underwater experience. Thanks to the new update, being underwater can actually look murky, making it feel more adventurous when you can't see all that far. And the way the sunlight filters through it looks wonderful. Suddenly, going hunting for ocean monuments sounds like a fun idea once again.
The bottom line
Vibrant Visuals is an exciting upgrade for Minecraft, but it's also a promising one for future players. Game aesthetics change as the years go by and while Minecraft's current textures are still fun for longtime fans, there's no denying that this update is eye-catching. It's exactly the sort of upgrade that could appeal to those who haven't given the game a shot yet. Now it looks far more like a game from the current generation. What's more, Vibrant Visuals is leaving room for the look of the game to continue evolving.
"We have a modern rendering pipeline now that we can build upon," Boerstra revealed. "So that also ties into this start of the journey." Added Psenka, "We definitely expect to see a lot of exciting updates in the future."
When can you play it
At this point, Mojang has not announced an official release date. You won't have to wait too long, though. While a beta for Vibrant Visuals is expected very soon, the Bedrock release isn't far off. "The release is coming in months," Garneji told GameSpot. "It's going to be in your hands, like, very, very soon."
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Minecraft PC PlayStation 5 Xbox Series XThis story originally appeared on: GameSpot - Author:UK GAG
