Picture the scene. It’s 2009 and Minecraft has just been released. The fun, blocky graphics make you feel at home and welcomed as you take your first steps into what will be a decade long journey unlocking your creative mind.
Flash forward to 2019, and we now have computing power able to not only upscale those fun graphics, but to make the game look damn near realistic with almost unbelievable new technology.
Behold, Minecraft with texture packs and ray tracing, and weep at its majesty:
The video you just watched was uploaded by YouTuber BasildoomHD and demonstrates the raw, unbridled power of what can be achieved in 2019.
I’m not going to sit here and pretend to you that I know the ins and outs of how this all works, but I am going to sit here and marvel with you at how gorgeous it is. I mean just look at it.
A few different mods are at work to create the effect including Sonic Ether’s ray tracing shaders, Pulchra and Optifine. If you want to apply them to your copy of Minecraft (and have a computer that won’t spontaneously combust the moment you enable them) you’ll be able to kick a few bucks to the creators for the privilege.
All the links can be found in BasildoomHD’s video description on YouTube.
Of course modding games to within an inch of their life is no new thing, with GTA V being a prime candidate for having its rough edges polished to within an inch of their life.
But as technology advances and modders get more savvy about bending it to their will, there’s no telling where the scene will be in a few years’ time.
I’m personally working on a real-life mod that will bring me unlimited Chicken Nuggets directly to my mouth, but the Uber Eats drivers won’t come in my flat any more. Apparently they’ve unionised against it. Back to the drawing board.
If you have a story you want to tell send it to UNILAD via story@unilad.com
Mark is the Gaming Editor for UNILAD. Having grown up a gaming addict, he’s been deeply entrenched in culture and spends time away from work playing as much as possible. Mark studied music at University and found a love for journalism through going to local gigs and writing about them for local and national publications.