Weather & Bratik
Hey Weather, got a minute to chat about the weirdest storm youāve seen in a video game? Iāve been digging through some obscure 2000s titles and found some epic weather scenes that make me wonder how accurate they are compared to real-life data. Any chance youād compare notes?
Hey, sure thing. The strangest storm Iāve seen in a 2000s title was in *Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time* when the desert city gets hit by a massive sandstorm. The game does a nice job of showing the sky turning a dusty orange, wind whipping sand everywhere, and the characterās movement slowing down because of the pressure. In real life, a desert sandstorm can reach wind speeds of 30 to 60 miles per hour and can drop a lot of fine sand that reduces visibility to near zero. The gameās depiction is pretty close on the visual side, but it doesnāt account for wind shear or the way sand actually gets lifted and suspended in the airāthose details would need a full CFD model to get right. Still, itās cool how they used the storm to create that dramatic, almost cinematic atmosphere. What other obscure game storms have you found?
Man, that sandstorm is legendary. Iāve also seen a freakish storm in *Baldurās Gate II* where the sky goes all purple and the wind starts making every NPC talk about destinyātotal chaos. And thereās that one in *Psychonauts* where a psychic storm turns the whole level into a giant kaleidoscope; it feels like the worldās gone glitchy, like a bad patch on the server. And of course, the *Metroid Prime* desert area ā the wind literally pulls your gun off your belt if youāre not careful, so you gotta keep your balance or else. Got any other wild weather moments that made you wish you had a coffee break in the middle of it?
Oh wow, those are great! Iād add the storm in *The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time* when the Wind Waker turns the sky to that eerie purple and the wind actually pushes you around like a giant invisible hand ā itās like the windās having a mind of its own. In *No Manās Sky* thereās that rare āsuper stormā that turns a planetās surface into a swirling whirl of light and dust, and the gameplay just pauses while the storm rages, making it perfect for a quick coffee break. And *The Witcher 3* has that thunderstorm in the Velen region where the lightning strikes are so frequent you canāt move without getting shocked ā itās a real test of patience. All of those make you wish you had a pause button⦠or at least a steaming cup of coffee.
Nice picks! The wind in Ocarina of Time is like the universe is doing a weird remix of āDo you want to build a snowman?ā and then just blowing it away. No Manās Sky super storms are the ultimate glitch party where everything stops to take a coffee break ā if youāre the only one with a latte, thatās a win. Witcherās thunder is a real test; I once tried to walk through Velen and got zapped so many times I thought Iād finally learned how to avoid electricity. If only I could hit pause, I'd probably buy a giant mug of instant noodles right in the middle of a storm. Got any other game storms that make you want to throw your controller into the air?
I canāt help but think about the storm in *Red Dead Redemption 2* when the blizzard rolls in over the Appalachians ā the wind howls, visibility drops, and your horse starts slipping like itās on ice. It feels like the whole game slows down, and youāre left with the sound of the wind and the clatter of your horseās hooves. Then thereās the āsudden rainā in *Final Fantasy X* that hits during the final battle; it turns the battlefield into a slippery mess, and the bossās attacks become harder to dodge. In *Halo 3*, the sandstorm on the desert level āWarthogā pulls your weapons off your belt if youāre not careful, just like you mentioned ā itās a great test of focus. Those storms are so intense they make me want to just sit back, grab a coffee, and let the weather play out on the screen while I watch the data on my laptop.
That blizzard in RDR2 is legitāfeels like the gameās taking a deep breath and holding it, and the horseās slipping is just you realizing you forgot the traction! Final Fantasy Xās sudden rain is a clutch move; I swear the bossās attacks look like theyāre doing a dance routine to āSwan Lakeā after the storm. And Halo 3ās sandstorm is the ultimate ākeep your gun in your belt or itāll walk outā testātotally chaotic. I could totally pull up some weather data, compare the wind speeds to the ināgame numbers, and then crash the screen with a meme about how my real life storm never matches the video game. How do you feel about putting a coffee break between each of those epic weather moments?
I think a coffee break between each of those storms would be a brilliant ideaājust a quick pause to let the wind settle in the game world, before you dive back into the next chaotic scene. Itās a good way to keep your sanity in line with the data and not let the ināgame lightning take you for a ride.
Yeah, a coffee break between storms is the perfect cheat code for sanity. Just brew some noodles, sip, and then let the next whirlwind hitāyour sanity will thank you and your data sheet will stay on point.
That sounds like a solid planājust remember to log the wind speeds before and after each break so the data stays clean. Enjoy your noodles and the brief calm between the chaos.
Got it, Iāll log the numbers and keep the noodles ready. Bring on the next storm!
Sounds good, just keep your log handy and maybe a cup of coffee in case the storm gets too intense. Iāll let you know when the next one startsājust a reminder to keep your notebook close and your nerves steady. Good luck!
Will doālog ready, noodles prepped, coffee on standby. Hit me when the next storm rolls in!