Astralex Visuals

With Astralex Visuals, you can achieve amazing graphical improvements in the Overworld, though it does have a few flaws. This shader focuses heavily on lighting effects, such as reflections and indirect lighting. What caught my attention first was the high color saturation; the world looks almost like in Minecraft trailers, occasionally bordering on being a bit too vibrant. I also particularly liked the way light flickers on the water, which I’ve showcased in the images for this post.

Credits: reefycraft

Pitch Black Darkness

Despite the stunning visuals, I encountered one major issue: the Nether. It is incredibly dark — to the point where you can only see a few meters away from a light source. Even in wide-open areas filled with lava and Glowstone, the surroundings remain almost pitch black. If this visibility issue is addressed, this shader could easily become my top pick.