Favourite examples of weather systems/effects in video games

OrangeRKN wrote:Just Cause 4's biggest gimmick is its weather systems and they can create some very fun moments, especially when a tornado is tearing through a base and debris and enemies are flying everywhere.

The tornado was a great addition, was able to stay aloft for ages using the wingsuit when flying close to it.

Also, on a separate note...

I've always found the Wind Waker weather effects incedibly atmospheric.

How could I have forgotten!

Rollercoaster Tycoon, and price gouging umbrellas from the park shop whenever the weather got bad. The perfect integration of weather effects and gameplay.

What a great topic!

I love the sandstorms in Mad Max. They roll in pretty suddenly and it's chaotic when you're caught in the midst of one; the graphical effect and the sound are very well done as they create a sense of disorientation.

The weather effects in Fallout 76 are also excellent. There is a constant-but-subtle change from sunny weather through dull, grey periods, sometimes with rain and thunder, through to the occasional rad storm (yellow radioactivity) and, for me, it's the lighting that really makes it. The way that different zones in the gameworld have differing weather and lighting is great.

Last edited by Ironhide on Tue May 24, 2022 4:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Knoyleo wrote:How could I have forgotten!

Rollercoaster Tycoon, and price gouging umbrellas from the park shop whenever the weather got bad. The perfect integration of weather effects and gameplay.

This

I quite like the weather effects in Stardew Valley, not for the realism (because they aren't) but they're really atmospheric.

Post videos of your examples if you can, its fun to watch them

Another one I loved was Metroid Prime and the way the rain splashed on your visor. That coupled with the soundtrack made for a great feeling!

FS 2020. Flying through a Hurricane is so nice.

Rain effects on the Tanker chapter from MGS2 still look fantastic today.

There are plenty of great visual examples of weather but I think it's a bit depressing that so few games actually do anything to take advantage of weather in terms of altering gameplay

Watch that vid above. It’s about 4mins long… :shifty:

The rain in Forza Horizon 2 is just wonderful, the way it randomly blows in and then disappears to leave damp, reflective roads is very realistic.

I found the effect in the sequels to not have the same impact as in the seasons of Spring/Autumn you just expect it to be raining anyway.

Also a shout out to the wind and the rain in Micro Machines '96 which had a massive affect on gameplay.

Ace Combat 7 has a couple of missions with thunderstorms that are pretty cool. It doesn't have a huge gameplay impact but you can get caught in strong winds and the rain effects in cockpit view are a nice addition too.

Jenuall wrote:There are plenty of great visual examples of weather but I think it's a bit depressing that so few games actually do anything to take advantage of weather in terms of altering gameplay

I'm not sure it's really so few, there are a lot of examples of gameplay affecting weather posted here already. And just think of all the golf games with wind!

Arkham Knight had really incredible looking rain.

And the sandstorms in MGSV were pretty damn cool. Made it easier to sneak into a heavily guarded area but you were much more at risk of running head first into a solitary guard.

Driveclub really was an amazing looking game

FatDaz wrote:...Driveclub really was an amazing looking game

That's a good call. It still looks good now, let alone a few years ago. Even recognising the awful launch, I still can't believe that Sony shuttered this down.

Going back to an older title, I always liked the rain effect in Streets of Rage 2. Pretty simple but the colouring was great.

The dust storms on the later desert mountain trails of Lonely Mountains Downhill were so 'dusty', it had me reaching for a glass of water. The way the dryness is conveyed and the poor visibility is excellent.

Another vote for BotW and Driveclub.

The latter in particular just looked amazing and the impact on your grip levels was just brilliant fun to play around with. On Sundays I regularly used to end with a race in a snowstorm with the camera locked to cockpit view. Tremendous fun.

YouTube

In Diamond and Pearl, and subsequently their remakes, the snow in Snowpoint City is replaced with 'diamond dust' on Junichi Masuda's birthday, January 12th. I think it also occurs on various other days of significance in the original games, but in the remakes, the only other day is November 19th, their launch day.

Also the way Delfino Plaza gets more sunshine as you progress through Mario Sunshine is genius.

Favourite examples of weather systems/effects in video games

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