Summary
Dynamic weather adds a level of immersion while exploring a game. Watching the clouds part and become sunny can be very peaceful while seeing a storm in the distance can add tension to the experience.
Some games have taken this effect to the next level so that the changing weather has a real impact on gameplay and not just the aesthetic feel of a game’s world. Needing to keep an eye on the forecast, or scouting out the horizon for potential dangers makes a game’s experience more meaningful than just searching for the next enemy to kill.
No Man’s Skyhas grown since it was first launched in 2016. Base building and survival mechanics haveexpanded through multiple updates, which also introduced unique hazards like gravitational events.
Players can come across many kinds of planets as they explore the galaxy. Temperatures, atmospheric content, and the presence of life vary greatly from planet to planet. Players have to take shelter to stay alive on harsher planets, and extreme weather events like deadly firestorms can pop up on the most extreme planets. The weather is another dangerous aspect of stepping onto unknown planets.
Sea of Thievesis all about sailing across the sea as a pirate. Exploration is a huge part of the experience as players sail from island to island in search of treasure, delivering cargo, or battling foeswith other players.
Players have to use a map and compass to navigate the huge map in addition to learning how to use the sails and rudder to take advantage of the wind as it changes speed and direction. Storms can arise, with light rain and wind around the edges and severe winds near their center. The more intense the storm, the taller the waves get as well, to the point that waves can pummel holes in the hull of a ship and potentially sink it. Overcoming the weather is a big hurdle for new pirate crews in this sea.
During World War 1, Russia succumbed to a Civil War between the communist Reds and monarchist Whites. Hundreds of legionaries from Czechoslovakia became stuck in Russia as battle lines separated them from their new republic to the West. To return home, these soldiers had to take an armored train east from Moscow across Siberia to the distant port city of Vladivostok. InLast Train Home,players control one of these trains moving across the huge country during winter.
In addition to fighting in RTS battles with small squads of soldiers, players must keep their soldiers alive during the 9,000-kilometer journey. As winter falls in Siberia, food becomes increasingly scarce and soldiers can become sick if they are not kept warm. Managing coal to keep both the train and its heaters running becomes a central part of the game in the later chapters. Surviving a Russian winter is as bleak and challenging as it seems.
Tears of the Kingdomis a direct sequel toBreath of the Wild,the game that redefined theZeldaseries with its focus onopen-world exploration. From climbing mountains to swimming up waterfalls to gliding through the air, players are free to explore Hyrule as they see fit.
In addition to enemies found throughout the world, players also have to deal with terrain and weather as they travel across Hyrule. Rain causes cliffs to become slippery, which can cause Link to fall while climbing. Lightning, which is attracted by equipping metal weapons, can cause damage. When snow falls, it can be hard to see. Players need to keep an eye on the weather forecast to be prepared.
TheCivilizationseries has been the metric for turn-based strategy games for many years. Players choose a civilization and leader, with options ranging from George Washington toAttila the Hun. They run their country from the Stone Age to the near future, all while advancing culture and technology and possibly conquering the world.
TheGathering StormDLC forCivilization 6introduced climate change to the long-running strategy series. Its effects begin as carbon emissions increase during the Industrial Revolution. Storms and droughts can decimate a city’s fertility, and floods can permanently remove terrain tiles from the map. The consequences of ignoring a civilization’s environmental impact can be disastrous.
InStardew Valley, players have inherited a dilapidated farm and need to rebuild it almost from scratch. They spend their days farming crops, raising livestock, mining, fishing, and helping their rural community. As their farm and connection with the locals grow, players end up revitalizing the entire town.
Weather plays a big role in the life of a farmer. Most crops can only beplanted in specific seasons, although none of them can be planted outside during the winter. Rain is a blessing to players early on in the game since it means that they don’t have to water their crops that day. Players can build lightning rods to create a battery the day after thunderstorms, which happen mostly in the summer. Since so many game mechanics rely on the weather, players need to get to grips with how they work.
7Just Cause 4
Fly Through The Skies With Caution
InJust Cause 4,players control secret agent Rico Rodriguez as he helps liberate different fictional countries from dictatorships. The series' newest entry takes place in Solís, based on multiple South American countries. Traversing the made-up island nation with a combination of Rico’s upgradeable grappling gun, wingsuit, and parachutes is always a good time.
However, players will have to keep an eye on the skies as they cross the island nation. Tornadoes can form randomly while players are exploring, and they move as unpredictably as they do in real life. They can suck objects (and Rico) off the ground and throw them around as they spiral across the terrain. Thunderstorms are also a danger, especially since moving through the air is generally the best way to travel. The skies of Solís are as much a threat to Rico as the seemingly endless supply of goons attempting to shoot him down.
Death Strandingputs players in control of Sam Bridges, a courier who has to deliver goods between isolated cities across a post-apocalyptic United States. The world as we know it collapsed when it was blended with another world called “The Beach,” which brought invisible monsters called Beach Things with it. These so-called BTs cause a nuclear-level explosion if they consume a living being, and so almost all survivors of the original incident have stayed inside protected colonies while couriers brave the territory in between.
In addition to these monsters, the world also has to deal with a uniquetype of weather called Timefall. While it looks like regular rain, it decays everything it touches to the point that children can become wrinkled and aged in a matter of seconds. Players must navigate Timefall to keep both themselves and their cargo safe.
Mad Maxtakes place in a post-apocalyptic desert where water and fuel are treasured resources. Players explore the land in a fully customizable car, battling other wanderers on foot and in vehicles while also progressing the story.
The game also features sandstorms that became iconic thanks to the 2015 movieMad Max: Fury Road.In addition to making it difficult to see, players caught in sandstorms are also endangered by flying metal. Lightning storms are even more dangerous, using the same dangers but adding the chance of being hit by lightning. The desert is full of extremes from dryness to furious storms.
The world ofFrostpunkis in trouble.Temperatures started rapidly declining, which sparked a global famine followed by an environmental apocalypse. As the game starts, people evacuate London to head to a location far to the north where a special generator was built. Their desperate plan is to form a city around the generator, using its heat to stay alive.
Players have to manage all of this city’s resources and people. They must juggle the citizens' jobs, housing, health, and food, along with all construction and scouting expeditions. After some time, a blizzard the likes of which has never been seen before hits the city. If players have managed everything well enough, they achieve victory against the most extreme weather in gaming.
