Weather effects are not what gamers typically consider when purchasing a game or determining its value. So when games have above average weather effects, that is an act of generosity and love on the part of the game developers. They didn't have to put so much work into the weather, but they decided to push the boundary anyway.
How weather can look in animation is often talked about (like in the film Frozen or the anime Weathering With You), but it is not explored so much in video games. Some games do not bother with weather, especially when some games only take place indoors or within a small narrative time-frame. The games that tackle weather are often open-world and its narrative covers a large span of time.
What constitutes amazing weather effects is how real the weather feels, if it actually can influence how a player plays, and how dynamic the conditions are.
9 Red Dead Redemption 2
The weather of Red Dead Redemption 2 is not only dynamic and gorgeous, but it greatly influences the gameplay. Much like in real life, certain weather can only occur in certain areas. The types of weather the game has includes dust storms, snow storms, fog, overcast, rain, and clear skies.
Extra miles of detail went into the game in terms of how the weather influences how the player dresses up. The temperature is meant to be checked and they need to dress suitably for the heat or cold.
8 Days Gone
Many would claim that Days Gone has the best weather effects of any game. The action survival-horror game was released in 2019 and sets its story in a post-apocalyptic Oregon. Players take the role of Deacon, who is on a quest to find his wife. One of the games' mechanics is driving Deacon's motorcycle.
The dynamic weather system blew the minds of both critics and players. When it snows, snowfall collects on the ground and objects. Weather also affects how the players must interact with the motorbike's controls. Colder weather also make the enemies in the game, Freakers, stronger. Rain also makes more Freakers come out as well as dampen sounds.
7 Tom Clancy's The Division
Tom Clancy's The Division is an online only action role-playing game made by Ubisoft. It is set in a future New York City that was ravaged by a pandemic. Players take the role of someone assigned by Strategic Homeland Division to both investigate the outbreak as well as help rebuild operations.
The game has a weather system that is based on a math algorithm. Not only does it look good, but it affects the players with benefits and disadvantages depending on the weather. Storms and fog can hide the visibility of both the player and enemies.
6 Driveclub
This racing game came out in 2014 but its amazing weather effects were actually added in a patch. The raindrops when it rains seem all the more realistic by the droplets becoming streaks as the car drives faster. In snow, there are so many particles that visibility makes driving difficult (much like real life).
Not only does the weather on its own seem realistic, but the puddles and wet surfaces are strong in detail. The wet road surface is reflective of light and the puddles vary in size depending on the level of rain.
5 The Witcher 3
The third Witcher game was a giant leap in the game series in on every level, and that included weather. Storms could hit while the player sailed, making the water suddenly choppy and more difficult to travel on. How weather comes also feels natural, often having a overcast slowly collect before rain begins to fall. Like Red Dead Redemption 2, weather conditions can also vary on location. For example, No Man's Land is swamps so it gets a lot of fog and rain while thunderstorms can often occur off the coast of Skellige.
While the weather is amazing on its own, some people made mods for even more rich weather detail.
4 Sea Of Thieves
Released in 2018, this first-person multiplayer game puts you on the decks of a pirate ship sailing the high seas. As in real life, weather plays a very important role in how each moment of the game plays out. Sails must be angled to catch the ever-shifting winds. Fog can obscure vision, making it harder to spot other ships. Rain can cause your ship to slowly fill up with water, and storms brings the threat of lightning and rough waves damaging the ship.
In a game in which you are constantly weighing the odds and making tough calls, weather can play a huge factor. This can be in the form of wind helping you escape a pursuing hostile vessel or a crew debating to risk a storm to bring their hard-won plunder back to port.
3 Horizon: Zero Dawn
This open-world action role-playing title is full of beautiful natural views and badass robots to fight with only arrows, a spear, and traps at that players' disposal. Much like the Witcher 3 and Red Dead Redemption 2, Horizon Zero: Dawn's open world is enriched through changes in the weather.
Like in real life, some players need to wait out storms due to the lack of visibility from the heavy rain. Before the game came out, it was actually planned for possible random lightning strikes to hit the player or enemies, but ultimately it was decided that was too unfair and the game did not include that possibility.
2 Ghost of Tsushima
This 2020 action-adventure game got a ton of praise for its combat, historical accuracy, and its visuals. It won awards for its audio, visual-effects, and art direction. The weather is an element in all those traits. Not only is the weather beautiful, but it can change depending on the players' play-style. For example, more storms occur if the protagonist sets himself on the Ghost path of skills.
Of course, players can also just change the weather with their flute. However, weather being effected by a games' morality meter is an extra juicy detail.
1 Mad Max
The sandstorms in the 2015 Mad Max game are a treat. The storms are both scary and beautiful. Players can watch them build up and suddenly hit them and put them and their vehicle at risk if it is not upgraded enough. Vision is limited to only what is directly in front of the player. There are flashes of lightning that can hit near you and put the earth on fire.
They are a delight to drive through, and many have mentioned that the storm segments are one of the best parts of the game.