Dec 24, 2022Weather effects have been the most advanced in Animal Crossing New Horizons compared to previous games, yet it never rains or snows.
Weather has always been one of the most important yet most underrated features in any Animal Crossing game. The changing climate gives the game the immersion it needs.
When rain drops are falling from the sky, it creates this special cozy atmosphere within the village that you can only find in Animal Crossing games. You see your beloved villagers stroll across the island in tiny cute rain boots holding a cute umbrella they may just picked up from Nook’s Cranny, you can even hear their splashy footsteps as they walk through the wet grass.
Weather affects are the reason it is so fun to play the game in real time along with real life seasons. The color of leaves are changing just like they do in real life and weather gets colder and warmer and portraying that feeling in the game makes it just so much more fun and cozy to play.
Nintendo put a big focus on weather in New Horizons
I have played Animal Crossing New Horizons since the day it launched, actually a day before it officially launched and have since then put in a borderline unhealthy amount of hours into the game.
When the Nintendo gave us a good look at the game during its E3 presentation in 2019, Aya Kyogoku the director on the New Horizons ( and previous AC games ) revealed that there was a big focus on the weather patterns in New Horizons.
I was so excited to hear this announcement, as prior to the reveal I was hoping that Nintendo would take the weather effects a step further.
Animal Crossing New Horizons Thunderstorms and Blizzards are beautiful
Wind would brush through the trees and flowers, making them look like they are dancing, different rain patterns with thunderstorms and dark clouds mixed in within the sunny setting of a tropical island. I was truly excited to hear about all these immersive features that would bring my town to live even more.
No weather on many islands…
Now that I have played Animal Crossing New Horizons for so long I have noticed that these promised weather effects do occur but very seldomly. Every day I boot up my game I have either a clear blue sky or a blue sky with some tiny clouds and looking through various communities it is actually very hard to find footage of snow fall, rain fall or any of the even more rare weather patterns like thunderstorms.
I have had the privilege of seeing a thunderstorm one time during the entirety of my New Horizons life span. Of course I have also been witnessing a couple rain showers but they were light and lasted only about an hour before the sun came out again. This defeats the purpose of having a rainy day. Why is Nook’s Cranny selling dozens of different umbrellas when really I never need them? Able Sisters are selling rain coats and boots but I never get a reason to put them on.
I spent Halloween and the entire month of October with a clear blue sky even though I was hoping to get some spooky weather, fog, rain, wind… I would have taken anything but all I got was picture perfect summer weather.
While I enjoy a sunny day I feel that Nintendo has done a poor job bringing variation into our islands using the weather as a means. I would like to see weekly rain, windy days and thunderstorms. It is obvious Nintendo put a lot of effort making the weather feel great and fun – why not give us a bigger taste of it?
It shouldn’t be a rare occasion to have water fall from the sky when living on a tropical island. Especially now that we are entering the winter season, I have yet to see a snow flake fall from the sky and I am afraid that white Christmas may not be a thing on my island this year.
Please Nintendo – give us some more weather variation.
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