7 Days To Die Alpha 11 Update Brings a Major Visual Upgrade
By Jason Prott
Disclosure: The author of this post has pledged towards the Kickstarter for 7 Days to Die. You can read more about our ethical standards here.
The latest patch to 7 Days to Die comes fully-loaded with graphical improvements, turning the rough landscape into a lush wonderland. Alpha 11, code-named “Annihilation Release”, upgraded the survival sandbox game to the Unity 5 engine and the improvements are remarkable. Physically-based shading, SSAO, SpeedTree middleware, and high-res sky systems all work together to create a slew of voxel vistas that belong on a postcard.
The update is a welcome improvement to a game that has been dealing with a visual identity crisis since its inception. 7 Days to Die uses a voxel-based system similar to Minecraft– so the world is based out of blocks, but unlike Minecraft the inhabitants of this world don’t share that identity. The creatures of 7 Days to Die (you included) never quite felt like they belonged, but Alpha 11 takes a giant step forward in unifying the game aesthetically.
Since raising over $500,000 on Kickstarter in August 2013, 7 Days to Die has seen a constant stream of updates which have been slowly molding the game from concept to product. Alpha 11 is yet another large change to the game, bringing not only visual changes but new items and a new leveling system. You can view the full changelog here.