Weather has come a long way in video games, starting out as a way to set up an outfit or even as a way to convey key moments during cutscenes. The sky could become dark and stormy if a villain appeared, or rain could begin to fall as characters wept over a dying body. These are all good examples, but as consoles evolved, developers were able to use better technology for gaming purposes.
10 Games Where Weather Affects Gameplay
Many games have dynamic weather effects, but the weather in some games goes beyond visual effects.
Weather effects in games have now become more dangerous as they can affect gameplay. Sometimes this will help bring new opportunities to dive, while other times the weather effects can be too unpleasant to deal with. Let's go through some of the biggest games that use weather effects well, for better or for worse.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Surfaces licked by rain
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is one of the most liberating open-world games of all time with a wonderfully realized Hyrule, but that doesn't mean it doesn't come with obstacles. One of the most frustrating weather patterns is rain, which makes it impossible for players to climb on any surface, and this can be disastrous when trying to explore and collect items.
There are other weather-related risks, such as having to drink something hot in cold snowy areas to keep Link from losing heart, or vice versa in hot areas.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Pay attention to the timing
Players in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach can explore large areas of deserts, mountains and forests in Mexico and Australia. The only real problem with the weather is the rain, which is called Timefall because the rain in this world has a chemical in it that can quickly age anything it touches, from a human hand to a package.
To prevent damage to packs in the rain, players can build a shelter to wait out the rain, or they can cover their packs with a tarp. Players can also use a truck to transport goods safely and in large quantities. Snowy areas can also be harmful, but more so for Sam, the main character.
Final Fantasy 12
Monster Hunter
Final Fantasy 12 it's more like a semi-open world, but it was one of the biggest of its era on the PS2 Final Fantasy games. In certain areas, the weather could affect those areas by opening new paths, closing areas, or new enemies appearing.
One of the biggest side quests in the game was rare monster hunting, and players had to pay attention to weather patterns to know when these rare monsters would appear. Also certain weather patterns could intensify, magic alignment like water spells would be stronger in rain.
Assassin's Creed Origins
Dust In The Wind
Assassin's Creed Origins was the first game to incorporate RPG elements into the game, and overall this large open world RPG was largely set in Egypt. The big weather that players had to watch out for were the sandstorms that would occasionally crop up as players explored the terrain.
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Sandstorms would affect visibility but not harm players, unlike sandstorms in some other games including Mad Max. If players used Eagle Vision to cut through the winds, they could use the sandstorm to their advantage to quickly and silently take out enemies.
Monster Hunter Wilds
A season of fallow and plenty
Monster Hunter Wilds is the first fully open game in the world Monster Hunter franchise where players can go from one end of the map to the other, hindered by story progression.
The game has two seasons called Fallow and Plenty, which can change how the environment behaves and what monsters appear there, and finally players can choose which season they want to explore from a menu of missions. For example, the starting area, Windward Plains, can have sandstorms that affect visibility and lightning storms that players must actively avoid or get hurt.
Sneaking with ease
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain it is divided into small biomes of open areas, but most of them have desert terrain with some vegetation here and there. This is another stealth game where players can use sandstorms to their advantage to sneak around guards or take them out.
Rain can also help keep players hidden as it will usually be darker, and if the water is pounding loudly enough, players can shoot enemies without suppressors as the deafening sound of the bullets will be covered.
Fallout 4
Radstorm alert
Fallout 4 has one of the most dangerous weather patterns found in any game: Radstorms. The game takes place in the Boston area of the USA, which is close to the ocean. The ocean winds affected the rain in the area to carry the radiation and that's it Fallout the fan knows that radiation can cause harmful effects.
If left untreated, it can sometimes mutate the player, so it's best to come prepared for the journey through the wasteland. Players can carry various drugs to counter the effects of Radstorm, such as Rad-X, or players can stay inside any type of shelter to weather the storm.
Xenoblade Chronicles X
Weather resistant mechs
Xenoblade Chronicles X has a huge open world area to explore that is full of nasty creatures much stronger and larger than the first group will be able to handle. Also, dynamic weather can affect all three types of character archetypes in the game. There are human and humanoid party members, enemies of all kinds, and mechs called Skells that can be piloted by both allies and enemies.
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Weather will affect these properties differently. For example, rain can reduce accuracy for party members and enemies, but if a character is piloting a Skell, rain will not affect their accuracy. Skells take a while to unlock, but they're definitely worth it, and not just because they can negate a lot of weather effects.
Pokemon Violet/Scarlet
Weather development
Pokemon Violet and Pokemon Scarlet are two of the largest Pokemon games that Game Freak has ever made that make good use of weather patterns in a variety of ways. One of the most obvious is that certain weather conditions can spawn Pokémon, like rain can spawn Water-type Pokémon.
Weather can also affect Pokemon evolution, such as Sliggoo evolving in Goodru during rainy weather. Evolutionary patterns are rare so far, but given how Pokemon the series is constantly evolving as players interact with the creatures, this could become more common in future Pokemon sequels.
Mario Kart World
Get a firm grip on this bike
Mario Kart World is the first game in the series to feature an open world that connects tracks during circuits, and players can also fully explore the world to discover mini-games and costumes. As a racing game, the effect of the weather on the cars shouldn't be that surprising.
If it is raining, the tires will slide and it can be easy to slide, which is even more dangerous in snowy conditions. In these situations, players simply have to be more tactical in driving. The terrain in general can make racing more challenging, such as mud, which will slow tire traction.
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