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Best Weather Effects in a Game

Driveclub
Batman: AK
Uncharted 4
Battlefield 1

Have yet to see a game with nice cloud patterns though.

Horizon 3 has what looks to be the best i've ever seen.

u8EgMuVuGrslO.gif


Before I thought Arma 3's volumetric clouds were:

arma3_beta_pantherapc_4.jpg


Arma's look fantastic...until you move your head and the clouds are locked to your perspective :/
 

Ramirez

Member
When the blizzard kicked in during a DZ adventure in The Division I was stunned. I rarely care about graphics, but that shit blew my mind.
 

demon326

Member
2647005-4822724578-26466.gif

I always thought STALKER had great lightning effects.


STALKER is just the best example of lightning effects, nothing comes near it and that is almost ten years ago... I remember exploring a building and the thunder started outside as it was pitblack on the inside.. you could see the shadows of the windows inside the building as the lightning struck..

Now i want to play the game again, sigh :p
 
I prefer the windscreen rain effects of Forza Motorsport 6 to Driveclub. They may not be as "wow look at me" but they look more real to me.

And that effect in Forza where condensation forms briefly is a lovely touch.
 

Data West

coaches in the WNBA
Rain puddles on the ground in GTA V are really incredible looking

And I usually say it in these kinds of threads, but I'll say it again. The storms in Red Dead Redemption are legit intimidating.
 

Noobcraft

Member
Physics wise, the rain puddles in Forza 6 are frightening. You can literally "feel" them.

Coming onto one in full sim settings at 100mph+ is downright scary. Heck, any rain race is scary where there is settled water.

Edit* I noticed they'll have the new water physics in Horizon 3 too. You hit it fast and you're going for a ride and a wreck into the surrounding area.
Lol nobody can handle the puddles on the Nurburgring. Unbeatable AI pretty much always wrecks.
http://xboxdvr.com/gamer/Mr Noobcraft/video/18510266
 
Man when the wind picks up in The Witcher and you can see the thinner trees actually bending in the breeze, with the uncanny sound design letting you hear the wind rush through and the tree branches snap. Such a cool immersive experience.
 

Ame

Member
Driveclub and Uncharted 4's rain sequence. Absolutely incredible!

MGS2's tanker weather was impressive for a game released in 2001. 1 year into the PS2's life cycle.

V53Bo8l.gif
 

cooldawn

Member
It's hard not to say DriveClub because it has absolutely amazing weather effects...but the one that wow'd me the most is Gran Tusrismo 5. Controversial, I know, but here's the scenario.

Nordschleife 24hr layout (Nordschleife and F1 GP layouts combined), 4:30am, weather set to '1', '2' x speed. This is my default scenario. Whenever I think of great weather effects I think does it make me feel as good as this?

So far I haven't answered yes.

Unfortunately I'm not a GIF generator so I can't convey what I mean.
 

drotahorror

Member
Did you change the graphics settings before the rain started?

There's a weird glitch where rain splats on thin air and the texture for them looks all weird if you don't restart after changing settings.

That could have been it yeah, it was my first or second boot of the game.
 
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. with a few mods is crazy. When the weather changes you just feel the terror and scramble to look for cover. Games have come along that have had better looking weather in some regards, but no game has come along that has DONE weather better.
 
That Mad Max storm was sick! I kinda wish I had picked it up on the PSN flash sale, but I know it will go cheap again and I have plenty of other games to play first.

Both have been said before, but I'll repeat Rise of the Tomb Raider for it's snow storms and sense of extreme cold, and Dying Light for the frenetic tropical storms. When night comes and the trees whip into a frenzy and debris is obscuring your vision - the sense of dread is intense!
 
Mad max just seems to cheat it with color grading (and some dust)

I think it's much more impressive if a game has volumetric clouds (and cloud shadows) and does good rain and has good lighting.

Driveclub is probably the most impressive I've seen, though that horizon 3 gif looks awesome too (is that game even out?)
 

Watevaman

Member
Yeah it's a shame the game isn't that good, because they do some really neat effects.

oj0I7yu.gif

That's probably the best effect of a surface getting wet that I've seen. Granted I don't have many in immediate memory, but most games just use a fade between the effect and the base texture under it or maybe randomize a clipping mask for stuff like puddles. I'm sure Homefront is doing something similar but that looks exactly how it looks when it rains on dry concrete.
 

BigTnaples

Todd Howard's Secret GAF Account
The Witcher Wild Hunt
Skyrim
Driveclub
The Division
Metal Gear Solid 2
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
Metro Redux
Fallout 4
Uncharted 4
 
not sure about best... maybe Witcher 3 on PC?

at least on PS4, Witcher 3 is maybe my favorite... either Witcher 3 or Driveclub

Witcher 3 sunset thunderstorm in the swamp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHRoXu5wFt8

slowly approaching rain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chVzniT-wj4

morning drizzle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AWiEEMq5yg

MGS V's rain in the jungle is pretty too
https://youtu.be/P6lxL30hLvQ?t=517

probably overall best though for effects? i guess Driveclub is pretty awesome

gorgeous wet pavement after a rain with wheel roostertails
https://youtu.be/AAzDXGcvIXg?t=4

just driving in pretty rain with a jag and aston martin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmOmKc2s7XY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83iApD9mRDQ

window wipers actually wiping away the rain off the window
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga9BiCatf4s

rain at night: can't see much
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKFbe2T84Jc

and, probably the craziest...night snowstorm: can't see shit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST_johW8wag
 

Linconan

Member
That Mad Max storm was sick! I kinda wish I had picked it up on the PSN flash sale
Very much worth it mate.

A mate of mine watched me play and got so pumped he went straight down and bought it. lol
He was kicking himself too that he didn't pick it up when it was 30 bucks (au) i think it was on the Store deals.

To tell the truth, when i first got it i only played alittle on only in little bits here n there before it sat and gathered abit of dust.There was just too many games that came out, i knew it could wait but now since everything has died down,
i'm hitting it hard now and loving every minute.



Totally blown away by the Effects and it needed more praising.
...and the reason is just that, the Weather actually affects the gameplay and not just a showcase for, Just Because.
 

Gattsu25

Banned
2647005-4822724578-26466.gif

I always thought STALKER had great lightning effects.

STALKER's one of those games that you can't truly appreciate it from watching a GIF or even a video. There's something to be said about the atmosphere in that game. When a storm rolls up on you, you know it before it hits and you hide for cover while it's going down. Especially considering that the sound design is where STALKER always shone.
 

VanWinkle

Member
Batman: Arkham Knight has the best rainfall in any game I've ever seen. Driveclub has fantastic weather interaction, and the shaders are incredible, but the actual rainfall itself doesn't look like anything special. Uncharted 4, in the small time we saw it's rain effects, looked great, but the splatter on the ground looked unfinished.

Resistance Fall of Man and Rise of the Tomb Raider both have amazing snowfall effects.
 

SaganIsGOAT

Junior Member
Growing up in the snow made me realize how bad video games were at doing it. It tends to look okay for about 10-20 feet in front of you but then it just seemingly stops being rendered and the illusion breaks down. You end up feeling like it's literally only snowing around you. I think the Division was the first game where a snow storm blew through and I legit felt like the entire city was being hit by a snowstorm. Best snow effect in a game for me by far
 

Gen X

Trust no one. Eat steaks.
What was that survival horror game set on a boat, Cold Fear? From memory that had some great weather effects when on the deck.
 
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