At a time when publishers and studios charge for even minor cosmetic additions, there is one studio that continues to offer free content to its fans. That studio is Hello Games, which has just announced a new update titled “Worlds Part II” (not to be confused with “Worlds Apart”) and available immediately. This extension focuses on underwater environments, and Sean Murray’s team has not held back, developing tools for water physics that react naturally and organically. They mention wave formations when spacecraft pass overhead, puddles appearing during rain, and the ability to create waves by splashing in the water. Hello Games also used this opportunity to refine the game’s lighting, with more detail, a more sophisticated light play, and clearer ambient occlusion; the sunlight filtering through leaves and metals is particularly stunning. Starry skies and clouds are now reflected on lake and ocean waters.
In terms of spaces, this update also includes numerous additions, such as billions of new stars and planets (thanks to procedural generation), ensuring fresh terrains, biomes, fauna, and flora. The game features gigantic mountains to climb, kilometers-deep oceans to explore, along with vast caverns and canyons on an unprecedented scale. The game world is now larger than ever, dangers have increased, and natural disasters such as gas storms, water pressure, and other anomalies add excitement to exploration. There are plenty of new elements to reinvigorate player interest in the game.
