GamesMMOOld School RuneScape11 years in, Old School RuneScape’s toaster graphics are about to look better than everWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesMMOOld School RuneScape11 years in, Old School RuneScape’s toaster graphics are about to look better than everWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
The Old School RuneScape look is iconic: Just a clatter of vaguely humanoid models running around a landscape of flat textures, accomplishing feats ofgrandiose heroismandsheer lunacyall the while. It’s a faithful reproduction (to my eyes, anyway) of original RuneScape’s graphics from the 2000s, a stunning example of how much you can do with six polygons and a dream.
But brace yourself, because those polygons are about to look better than ever. OSRS developerJagex has announcedthe venerable MMO is getting an official HD mode, bringing a suite of lighting, effects, and texture improvements to the game later this year.
Image1of2Before(Image credit: Jagex)And after!(Image credit: Jagex)
Image1of2Before(Image credit: Jagex)And after!(Image credit: Jagex)
Image1of2
Before(Image credit: Jagex)And after!(Image credit: Jagex)
Before(Image credit: Jagex)And after!(Image credit: Jagex)
Before(Image credit: Jagex)
Before(Image credit: Jagex)
Before(Image credit: Jagex)
Before(Image credit: Jagex)
Before(Image credit: Jagex)
And after!(Image credit: Jagex)
And after!(Image credit: Jagex)
And after!(Image credit: Jagex)
And after!(Image credit: Jagex)
And after!(Image credit: Jagex)
It looks kind of great, if you ask me. From the image and video above, it manages to make OSRS look a whole lot better without messing with its trademark lo-fi look. The addition of proper, “fully dynamic” lighting to the desert scene, for instance, gives the whole environment a more robust and sweltering sense of place, in comparison to the original look of a sandy pyramid suspended in the void. There’s even fog now. Who doesn’t love a bit of fog?
Thing is, of course, that plenty of OSRS players werealreadyrunning an HD (but OS) RuneScape thanks to fan projects likeHDOS, but Jagex is very keen to point out that it’s not going to mess with those mods at all. In fact, it’s pretty much the first thing the company says in the HD mode news post: “We want to get one thing out of the way before we dive in – you will still be able to use 117Scape and HDOS after these updates launch.” Now there’s a company that has experienced the wrath of its disappointed fans before and isn’t eager to do it again.
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