June 4, 2022
By Lakai Null
Staff Writer
After months of waiting, we finally got the second installment of the Caves and Cliffs update for Minecraft. The update was announced on April 2021, and on Nov. 30, 2021, Mojang Studios released the Caves and Cliffs Part II update, completing the switch to the new terrain and biome generation.
In the update, the biome, cave and terrain generation have all changed. To start off, the new vertical world height is now 384 blocks. The new highest point is y320, and the lowest is now y-64. This allows players to create some insane builds and very productive farms due to the height increase.
Instead of the terrain being generated based on the biome, the terrain now can have biomes layered on each other. This causes certain places to generate more randomly but can also look very nice.
I enjoy exploring the big Cheese Caves because the aesthetic is very different than the usual strip-mining.
The way the caves generate now is a lot better than before.
In the new update, there are three different types of cave generation. The first is called Cheese Caves, which are spacious caves and look like Swiss cheese. The second is called Spaghetti Caves, which are long and narrow caves. The last is called Noodle Caves, which are like the Spaghetti Caves but much narrower, requiring the player to excavate more to adventure. I enjoy exploring the big Cheese Caves because the aesthetic is very different than the usual strip-mining.
Ore generation was also changed. Now that the world height and depth are different, the ores generate in different y-levels than before. For example, to find diamonds, players would mine at y12, but now y16 and below will allow players to find more diamonds. The lower you go, the more you will find. Additionally, ores now have a higher chance of spawning in bigger veins. I enjoy this because it makes it more challenging to find ores, but when you do find them, it is very rewarding.
Finally, the way enemy mobs spawn has been updated. Hostile mobs can now only spawn in complete darkness, allowing players to use fewer light sources to prevent mobs from spawning. I like this update because now light sources can be spread out more to prevent the hostile mobs from spawning.
The Caves and Cliffs update is one of the best. So much has changed, and it all changed for the better, which is why I would give this update a 9 out of 10. The only reason it doesn’t have a 10 is that we were supposed to get more mobs and biomes, but they got delayed and will come out in a future update.
If you don’t already have Minecraft, don’t hesitate to buy it. With this update, your creativity will go wild, and you’ll be sure to have countless hours of entertainment.
Player stumbles upon hostile mobs in a dark cave
SCREENSHOTS BY LAKAI NULL
