Fix Water Looking Flat or Unrealistic

Verify Water Settings Are Enabled

Open the shader options menu (Shift + O) and confirm that water reflections are turned on. Look for a water or reflection-related toggle and ensure it's active.

Check Your View Distance

Water reflections depend on what the shader can "see." If your render distance is very low, reflections may appear limited or broken. Increase render distance in Video Settings if your hardware allows it.

Adjust Reflection Detail

If water reflections are enabled but look pixelated or low-quality, find the reflection resolution or quality slider in shader options. Increasing this value makes reflections sharper and more detailed, though it uses more VRAM.

Confirm Biome and Lighting

Water appearance changes based on sky color and time of day. Visit different biomes and return at different times to see the full range of reflections. Clear water in oceans should reflect the sky; water in darker areas will appear darker. This is intentional and realistic.