If you ever wanted to give Runescape a try but simply couldn't get in to it given that some of the systems and graphics are 15 years old at this point then I have some good news for you.

After four hard years of work the Next Runescape Client is now officially in closed beta. It features improved performance, visuals, longer draw distance, dynamic shadows and lighting, new water effects and more. Here's the trailer showcasing all of the new improvements and some very pretty castles:

The NXT client, much like Runescape itself, will be playable either as a standalone client or through a browser though it is recommended you go with the standalone version for optimal performance. Speaking of which, Runescape NXT is currently being optimized for Windows, Linux and Mac systems with mobile and tablet versions planned for later on.

Unfortunately, due to the massive technological differences the old school Runscape 2007 client will not be receiving any of the updates NXT brings with it and will remain a separate entity. Though whether the old school Runescape community would even want such an upgrade is a whole different question entirely.

I have to hand it to Jagex, the new water effects look great

You can find out whether you're selected for the beta at the Runescape website though keep in mind it will start out relatively slowly and then ramp up over time.

If you have any questions or simply want more information I'd suggest you head over to the official FAQ which goes in-depth on certain topics and is an interesting read if you're in to the game development side of things.