I like the new rift.
I agree with the colors being pale but they stated that it was intentional, for the main focus to be on the other champions.
Environment < Champions < User-Interface, the color scheme was designed that way on purpose for clarity.
The graphics were not suppose to be better, it was suppose to make the map new and fresh but also still able to run for low-end users. As stated, they did not want the game to look old and have those blocky textures and polygons to show.
That right there is something a lot of this community forgets. Not every kid has a mommy and daddy to purchase them a brand new computer, so some have to deal with running league on whatever machine they could afford. I wouldn't know how the new rift plays on lower end specs, as I gave my Fiancee my old laptop and have no plans on putting league on it, but considering the new rifts textures, I'm sure I can get it to run league on the lowest of low settings and be able to obtain a fair 50 fps constant, as opposed to barely getting 30.
This isn't COD or BF. Moba's don't need iD tech 5 or Unreal engine 4 to look great and play better. This game was pretty before, and I feel it looks even more magnificent. The new monsters I enjoy as they make sense, and actually interact with users outside of being attacked. The jungle has an entirely new color scheme, lovely. The Baron now accurately represents the monster we seen in "A Twisted Fate".
Overall, the pasty texture coloring, the lack of clutter, and the added mood to the new Rift makes me enjoy it a lot more.