In 2008 -- July 1st to be precise -- Jagex released the beta of its next graphics engine: Runescape High Detail. While the beta is currently only available for paying customers, we expect it to be rolled out to the mass of teenagers leading lives of quiet desperation in Free-town shortly. Jagex has provided no hard date for the end of beta, but our experience so far has been flawless, and issues in the support forums are standard for any game going through a graphics overhaul. But to be clear, a graphics overhaul is all that Runescape HD is. Your existing character will be standing right where you left him, regardless of which client you use, and there's no new content for him to explore.

     

The major disappointment is that the new engine does nothing to actually enhance playing the game. While the new engine will run at 1900 x 1200 in full screen, the actual porthole on the world doesn't change -- it just zooms, rendering everything the same, but bigger. There's no additional information -- no increased view distance or level of detail. While the interface elements (maps, inventories, chat windows) move off to the edges, this actually means you have to make huge, screen crossing sweeping mouse movements simply to navigate the same, tiny portion of the world you can see.