Did Minecraft The Garden Awakens live up to its potential?

Minecraft updates are one of the major reasons that the game is still on top, and The Garden Awakens is the latest. But did it live up to its potential? Before we can answer that, we have to analyze what it was trying to do. The update was a horror-focused and wanted to bring in new and fresh ideas to the game.

The Garden Awakens did a lot of things right, like introducing the Creaking, a unique mob that gave new resin. On paper, it has done what it set out to do, but there were a few areas it was lacking. We can say the Minecraft update has reached its potential, but it can still be better.

Note: This article is subjective and opinionated and is the reflection of the writer’s personal opinions.

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Minecraft The Garden Awakens update: New features explored

The major addition was the pale garden biome, a spectral forest draped in desaturated hues filled with pale oak trees and pale moss. The environment is designed to be calming during the day and unsettling at night.

This Minecraft biome has its own creepy ambiance — players notice a haunting silence as in-game music fades, and the usual chorus of fauna falls mute. This design choice immerses them in an atmosphere that's both tranquil and unsettling. The sky also gets desaturated.

The Creaking, a tree-like mob native to the pale garden also was added. These entities remain motionless under direct gaze, but advance menacingly when unobserved. Defeating them isn't straightforward, as players must locate and destroy the creaking heart hidden within the trees. This mechanic encourages strategic thinking and is a nice change of pace.

The update also added the pale oak, a wood variant boasting a silvery-white sheen. This new material expands the builder's palette. Complementing this is the addition of resin blocks, harvested from interactions with the Creaking mob.

These vibrant orange blocks can be crafted into various forms, including bricks and chiseled designs, and even serve as a material for armor trimming. The Eyeblossom, a unique flora native to the pale garden is another thing that was added.

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Minecraft The Garden Awakens update: Mojang's missed opportunity

The pale garden sometimes feels like just a reskin of Minecraft's dark forest (Image via Mojang Studios || Sportskeeda Gaming)

The pale wood is obtained from pale oak trees, a new variant of oak. However, an entirely original tree would have suited the game better. This tree is specifically a variant of dark oak, but its thick trunks don't complement the horror-themed biome. A more fitting design could feature hanging leaves, similar to real-life willow trees.

With this minor change, the Minecraft update could have been great instead of just good. Perhaps future updates will introduce willow and pale willow biomes, adding more depth to the game world.