Ah, heatwaves. We never get any better at coping with those 25 degrees plus temperatures so instead, we pray for rain. And obviously, complain when it finally comes…
In the midst of all this tropical heat, we recommend cooling down and rehydrating with some seriously soggy games. Here are ten games with the most intense rain effects to keep you cool throughout Summer!
Heavy Rain
The clue is in the name! While this one may seem a little obvious, it is an absolute classic and its bouncing raindrops and drenched textures are perfect examples of pathetic fallacy. The rain amps up towards the big finale, cranking up the tension and flooding your senses with desperation and drama. And, if you’re a PS Plus member, you can pick up Heavy Rain for free as one of July’s monthly PS Plus games!
Resident Evil: Revelations
One of the most torrential intros in videogame history, Resident Evil Revelations boasts some immensely dramatic rainfall. RE Revelations starts you off on the Queen Zenobia ship in the middle of a disastrous storm. With sea spray pelting the hull, rain trailing down the portholes, and masses of water pooling on the diamond plate steel, the whole scene is the perfect setting for some serious horror to take place.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Koopa City
There’s nothing quite like a drive through the city on a rainy evening. The roads, the signs, the neon lights, all slick with rainfall. The Koopa City track featured in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe shows off some surprisingly impressive weather effects, dowsing the roads in water. Not only are the visuals impressive, but the track is actually more slippery due to the weather. With the addition of little on-screen droplet effects, skidding around this track in the pouring rain is simply delightful and super atmospheric.
Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Another rainy opening to a game, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to The Past’s infamous intro is made all the more iconic for its driving rain and flashes of lightning. The rain lashes across your screen and scatters over the ground in heavy splashes giving this iteration of Hyrule a real sense of reality even with its 16bit graphics. The sound of thunder rolling overhead amid the constant hum of rainfall makes this one of the most intense instances of videogame rain of all time.
Batman: Arkham Knight
There are very few settings more gothic than Gotham. Throw in a bit of the Caped Crusader slicked with heavy rain and you’ve got yourself a metal album cover. Pretty much all of Arkham Knight takes place under constant, relentless rain and under the cover of darkness. This is one of the moodier implementations of rain in videogames and we definitely recommend spending some of your Summer taking in the wistful scenery and smelling the petrichor.
Metroid Prime – Tallon IV overworld
For this entry, we’re taking a trip to the world of Metroid Prime, specifically the planet of Tallon IV’s overworld. The very moment you enter Tallon IV’s atmosphere, your ship plunges through thick plumes of raincloud, landing in an overcast alien glade. From there, you hop out of your ship and that’s when the real magic begins. As you explore the area, raindrops dapple across your visor, covering it entirely when you look up to the clouds. The whole of Tallon IV’s overworld is steeped in gloomy atmosphere that’s sure to cool you down on a hot day.
Harvest Moon GBC
No one has ever been as happy to hear rain on the weather forecast as a Harvest Moon fan. Not only does rain mean you won’t have to spend hours of your day watering your crops, but it also means you can spend the entire day doing whatever you please all while listening to the sound of it. It also looks super moody. Everything looks darker under the clouds, the raindrops are thick and plentiful, and even the music takes a break to let you really enjoy the solitary joy of a rainy day.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
We’re taking another dip in the Legend of Zelda puddle! This time it’s the unmistakably awe-inspiring setting of Breath of the Wild. While the rain in Hyrule may make scaling those mountains or conquering that building a nigh on impossible task, we can’t help but feel like that little annoyance is actually pretty ingenious and immersive. The blustery veils of vapour pitted with big droplets of rain all against a gorgeous soundscape make the wet weather in BOTW something to sit back and enjoy. Or use to your advantage to make your battles look all the more epic…
Super Mario Odyssey – New Donk City
The moment you arrive in Super Mario Odyssey’s Metro Kingdom, you’re met with some of the most delectable rainfall and droplet effects we’ve seen in gaming. The glaze of rain over every surface, the ripples after every drop that falls, the wind blowing spray across the city. It’s the perfect setting for a boss fight. A boss fight that, unfortunately, if won, will banish the clouds above New Donk City permanently! But are still areas of the map that can take you back to more dramatic parts of town. We wholeheartedly recommend taking a trip in one of New Donk City’s taxi cabs to relive the rain.
Driveclub
Finally, we have arguably the best rain effects in videogames to date in Evolution Studios’ Driveclub. There’s simply nothing like it for realistic rain. The masses of water washing over your windscreen, the droplets accumulating at the edge of the window as the wipers push them aside, the way each drop of rain and body of water reacts to the movements of your car as you drive. It’s absolutely mesmerizing and makes for one of the most immersive driving experiences. The drops flow away from each corner you tackle, streaming backwards as you race into the weather and constantly strafing left and right as you manoeuvre around the track. If you’re craving realistic rain, Driveclub is definitely the place to be.
That’s all the rain we’ve got for now! We hope you enjoy splashing your way through these games, levels and areas and we hope they help you stay cool in the heat. What other rainy experiences in games are your favourites? Let us know in the comments! Until next time, stay hydrated!
