Weather has come a long way in video games, starting as a way to set dress up games, or even as a way to express important moments in cutscenes. The sky might be dark and stormy if a villain appears, or it might rain as characters cry over dead bodies. These are all good examples, but as consoles evolved, developers were able to use better technology for gameplay purposes.
10 Games Where Weather Affects Gameplay
Many games have dynamic weather effects, but some games go beyond weather scenes.
Now, weather effects in games have become more dangerous because they can affect the gameplay. Sometimes this helps bring new immersion opportunities, while other times the weather effects can be very annoying to deal with. Let's go over some of the biggest games that use weather effects well, for better or worse.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Rain slick surfaces
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild With the amazingly realized Hyrule, one of the most free open world games of all time, 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 any surface, and can be devastating when trying to explore and collect things.
There are also other weather-based hazards, such as having to drink something hot to prevent Link from losing heart in cold snowy areas, or vice versa in hot areas.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Be careful with timing
in the players Death Stranding 2: On the Beach You can explore large areas of desert, mountains, and forests throughout Mexico and Australia. The only real weather problem is rain, which is called timefall, because rain in this world contains a chemical that can quickly extinguish anything it touches, from human hands to packages.
To prevent packages from getting damaged in the rain, players can build a shelter to wait out the rain, or they can cover their packages with a tarp. Players can also use trucks to transport goods safely and in bulk. Snowy areas can also be harmful, but even more so to Sam, the hero.
Final Fantasy 12
monster hunter
Final Fantasy 12 Similar to semi-open world, but it was one of the biggest of its era on the PS2. final fantasy Games. In some areas, weather can affect these areas because they open new paths, close areas, or new enemies appear.
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, some weather patterns can be stronger, alignment magic like water spells will be stronger in rain.
Assassin's Creed Origins
Dust in the air
Assassin's Creed Origins It was the first game to incorporate RPG elements into the gameplay, and overall, it was a massive open-world RPG set largely in Egypt. A major weather pattern players had to look out for was sandstorms, which would occasionally spawn as players explored the terrain.
The best city builders with a dynamic weather system
These remarkable city builder games have dynamic weather systems, providing additional levels of immersion.
Sandstorms will affect visibility, but will not injure players, unlike sandstorms in some other games. Mad Max. If players use Eagle Vision to cut through the winds, they can use Sandstorm to their advantage to take out enemies quickly and silently.
Monster Hunter Wild
A season of fruit and plenty
Monster Hunter Wild It is the first fully open-world game monster hunter franchise, where players can move from one side of the map to the other, which is gated by story progression.
The game has two seasons called Fallow and Plenty, which determine how the environment behaves and what monsters will appear there, and finally, players can select which season they want to explore from the mission menu. For example, the starting area, the Windward Plains, can have sandstorms that affect visibility and lightning storms that players must actively dodge, otherwise they will be injured.
Hiding with ease
Metal Gear Solid 5: Phantom Pain The open areas are divided into small biomes, but most of them are desert areas with some vegetation here and there. This is another stealth game where players can use sandstorms to their advantage to sneak past guards or take them out.
Rain can also help players hide, as it will usually be darker, and if the water is loud enough, players can shoot enemies without stifling them, as the deafening sound of the bullets will be covered.
Result 4
Redstorm alert
Result 4 There is one of the deadliest weather patterns found in any game: Radstorms. The game takes place within the Boston area of the US, which is close to the ocean. The ocean breeze has the effect of radiating the rain in the region, and doing nothing good result Fans know that radiation can cause harmful effects.
If left untreated, it can sometimes mutate the player, so it's best to be prepared when traveling dirty. Players can carry various meds to negate Radstorm effects, such as Rad-X, or players can stay inside any type of shelter to wait out the storm.
Xenoblade Chronicles X
Weather proof mechs
Xenoblade Chronicles X There is a vast open-world area to explore filled with evil creatures, much stronger and larger than the initial party can handle. Also, dynamic weather can affect all three types of character archetypes in the game. There are human and nonhuman party members, all kinds of enemies, and mechs called scales, which can be wielded by allies and enemies.
Games with huge maps that won't waste your time (exploration without fillers)
Get lost in these open-world adventures and forget you're playing a game thanks to how packed with content they are.
Weather will affect these characteristics differently. For example, rain can reduce accuracy for party members and enemies, but if a character is piloting a scale, rain will not affect its accuracy. It takes a while to unlock the scales, but they're definitely worth it and not just because they can negate a lot of weather effects.
Pokemon Purple/Scarlet
Weather development
Pokemon Purple and Pokemon Scarlet Two are big Pokemon games ever made by Game Freak, and they make good use of weather patterns in a variety of ways. One of the most obvious is that certain weather conditions can bring out Pokemon, like rain can bring out Water-type Pokemon.
The weather can also affect how Pokemon evolve, such as Sliggu evolving into Goodra during the rainy season. Evolutionary patterns are rare for now, but given how Pokemon As the series continues to evolve, how players interact with creatures may become more common in future Pokémon sequels.
Mario Kart World
Grip that wheel tight
Mario Kart World It is the first game in the series to feature an open world that connects tracks together during a circuit, and players can fully explore the world to discover mini-games and costumes. As a racing game, the effects of weather on cars shouldn't be all that surprising.
If it rains, the tires will slip, and it can be easy to slide around, which is even more dangerous in snowy conditions. In these situations, players must be more efficient while driving. Aggregate terrain can make running more challenging, such as mud, which slows down tire traction.
Red Dead Redemption fans, these open-world games deserve your time
The freedom to explore nature in these open-world games is amazing, and Red Dead Redemption fans can enjoy them.