The new lighting engine is welcome. Torches give off an orange glow, and outside light peeks through openings with a misty blue look. This makes exploring much more tense and atmospheric.
I'm also fond of the larger biomes. The first world I spawned in 1.8 placed me on a small island with one tree in the middle of what looked like an infinite ocean. Forests, swamps, deserts etc. seem to go to the horizon, which is nice.
Sadly, there's still the bug where breaking a block doesn't erase it from the world, so you can "step inside" it and see the tunnels and lava pools below the surface.
I'm also fond of the larger biomes. The first world I spawned in 1.8 placed me on a small island with one tree in the middle of what looked like an infinite ocean. Forests, swamps, deserts etc. seem to go to the horizon, which is nice.
Sadly, there's still the bug where breaking a block doesn't erase it from the world, so you can "step inside" it and see the tunnels and lava pools below the surface.