Weather the weather whatever the weather, whether you like it or not

One of the problems with dynamic environments like changing weather and time of day is that they’re dynamic. For instance, during one of the cutscenes in Xenoblade Chronicles, a character looking out over a landscape observes that it’s so peaceful. Meanwhile, she’s being pelted with rain. The wind whips the trees and grass into a frenzied dance. Thunder crashes overhead. Lightning tears through the sky, illuminating ominous shapes in the distance.

“It’s just the calm before the storm,” says Shulk, as perceptive as ever. You’d think a guy who could see into the future would make a better weather man.