A HD minecraft steampunk texture pack, Broken Anachronism is a seriously impressive piece of work. I featured some of the animated tools from this texture pack here when it was still a work in development. They were pretty stunning on their own, but the entire texture pack is a work of minecraft steampunk art.

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Are you looking for a minecraft texture pack that makes you feel as if you’ve been punched in the eyes? Yes? Then Irridescent Dreams, a texture pack from Steelfeathers, creator of the Victorian Enchanted texture pack is for you.

I’m not saying that this is a bad texture pack, in fact, it’s really not. It achieves what it sets out to do, ie, it is bright and irridescent and somehow just a little transcendent. But beauty really is pain when it comes to this artistic rendering of the minecraft world.

There is a reason why this relatively odd texture pack was created, it was created on a dare during a late night session of activities that cannot be named. Or, in Steelfeathers’ words:

Iridescent Dreams was made for [a contest] using a grand total of 16 colors. That’s right, only 16 colors for the whole darn thing. We were given the palette below and tasked with making a texture pack from it. Moron that I am, I decided to give it a try. Iridescent Dreams was the result.

Is it high definition? It’s beyond high, but I’m not so sure about the definition part. This is a 32x texture pack, but is has a very 16x feel, mostly in the hard and jagged edges you’ll see on the wood plank textures. This probably isn’t pack you’ll play with for extended periods of time, but it might be just the thing you’re looking for if you want to see your minecraft creations in a new light.

Download Irridescent Dreams Minecraft HD Texture Pack (32x)

I don’t often write about Minecraft HD texture packs these days, mostly because every man and his dog is already doing it. But once in a great while a texture pack comes along that inspires me to speak on its behalf, Steelfeathers’ Victorian Enchanted Pack is one of those texture packs.

It’s no surprise that this texture pack really comes into its own with the more interior textures (beds, enchanting tables, chests, brick). That’s because the Victorians didn’t precisely have a monopoly on nature. If anything, this texture pack is designed to make your creations really stand out from the landscape as edifices of culture and civilisation.

Don’t take that to mean that the exterior textures have in any way suffered from lack of attention. On the contrary the smooth, almost silk like textures have a way of making the world seamless. Flowers especially make for small spots of gorgeous respite from the grassy plains and knols.

Most animals have been reskinned, with the notable exception of chickens. The GUI continues with the Victorian theme and is relatively usable. The only gripe I have, and it is a gripe I have with most eveyr texture pack, is the fact that ores seem very startling to the eye. Whilst this makes them easy to spot at a distance it can also lend an unreal feeling to the landscape because they are patchy. It would be nice to see some retextured ores that blend with other ore blocks to create a continuos vein.

That minor quibble aside, I cannot reccomend Steelfeathers’ Victorian Enchanted Pack enough. It’s not a huge step up in pixel terms, just 32 instead of the standard 16, so it shouldn’t cause memory problems, but what it does with those extra 16 pixels squared is very special indeed.

Download Steelfeathers’ Victorian Enchanted Minecraft HD Texture Pack (32x)
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This article cross-posted from Surviving Minecraft.

These days everything is about realism and high definition. Give me high resolution pixel reality or give me death. When it comes to Minecraft, there are several HD realistic texture packs to choose from and I’ve played pretty much all of them in my quest to review all the HD texture packs.

Maraxos Realism HD Hi-Res Minecraft Texture Pack (32x, 64x, 128x, 256x)

A nicely made HD texture pack with realistic stylings and stone walls that will make you go into a drooling trance.

LB RPG Realism Hi Res HD Minecraft Texture Pack (64x 128x 256x 512x)

From that guy who bought you LB Realism (only the most famous realistic HD minecraft texture pack) comes this RPG styled effort. It takes a lot of its design aesthetic from LB Realism, but adds an RPG twist that will appeal to anyone with RPG soul.

Smooth Modern | Modern Style HD Minecraft Texture Pack (256x)

Smooth modern is a compilation realistic HD Minecraft texture pack that has its sights clearly set on a modern aesthetic. If you want to bring Minecraft into the 21st century, this might very well be the compilation you’re looking for.

Amethyst’s Photo Realistic Hi Res HD Minecraft Texture Pack (128x)

This is a lesser known texture pack, but actually a very well done one, and it’s an excellent alternative to the LB texture packs that are so cliche right now. There’s still a touch of whimsy to this pack, but the textures are sharp and clean and it’s definitely worth a look.

Minecraft Enhanced, Super Hi-Res Realistic HD Minecraft Texture Pack Mod (128x, 256x)

Minecraft Enhanced is a very high resolution Minecraft texture pack, but it is more than that too, it is also a mod that functions something like a complete reworking of the visual settings and options associated with Minecraft. It’s Minecraft, Jim, but not as we know it.

Misa’s Realistic Hi-Res HD Minecraft Texture Pack (64x)

One of the best realistic HD Minecraft texture packs at the ‘lower’ end of the resolution scale, Misa’s realistic probably contains the best balance of art and realism I’ve ever seen. We all know that realistic texture packs can take their attempts at realism too far. Misa’s keeps it real, so to speak, but does so with an eye to beauty.

Clicking the link at the bottom of this article will take you to a listing of all the reviews I’ve done of HD Minecraft texture packs and imma let you finish this article, but first let me make special mention of the top three HD minecraft texture packs of all time.

LB Photo Realistic Minecraft HD Texture Pack (64 x 64) (128 x 128) (256 x 256)

HD Minecraft texture packs are immensely popular for one reason: people want their Minecraft world to look as realistic as possible. There are other reasons too, but I like to live in a black and white world where diverse opinions and motivations can be summed up in one simple sentence, thus enabling me to move on with my description and review of this self proclaimed photo realistic HD Minecraft texture pack.

BorderCraft, Borderlands HD Minecraft Texture Pack (64 x 64) (128 x 128)

Bordercraft is an HD texture pack for Minecraft based on the Borderlands game. It’s awesome and if you love HD at all you should download it and install it immediately. I love this texture pack. I mean, really love it. I feel as if this texture pack and I have a special cosmic bond that stretches through space and time. It’s cartoon-y without making you feel like you accidentally stumbled into a Disney game for kids, and it’s trippy enough to make you want to have whatever you’re having a second time.

Hi/Low Hybrid HD Minecraft Texture Pack (256 x 256, 128 x 128, 64 x 64)

An HD texture pack that takes the default textures and brings them to your face with more high definition than you can handle. So grainy you’ll be certain that’s actual sand in your pants.

Don’t impose your limited world view on me, show me ALL the HD texture packs!