A well-implemented day and night cycle can work wonders when it comes to creatingimmersive video games. Sometimes, a bittersweet scene is made all the more symbolic with a setting sun as its backdrop, or maybe it feels nice to take a break from everything, sit down with one’s character, and watch the sun rise.
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Shifting skylines are undoubtedly beautiful, but there are some games that not only use day and night cycles toimprove the atmospherebut also to make the games’ mechanics much more meaningful. The best day and night cycles can completely transform a video game, as evidenced by the following titles.
10Minecraft
The first game to come to many gamers’ minds when thinking of day and night cycles isMinecraft. Those playing for the first time in Survival Mode likely had a small frightonce Creepers started spawningand shook any expectation of a peaceful world.
Though a simple concept, an added layer of difficulty at night switches up the optimal playstyle and forces players to strategicallyplan their crafting, gathering, and building. Unless, of course, one would rather forgo any terror in the night and switch to Creative Mode instead.
9Terraria
WhileTerrariamay seem like a 2D clone ofMinecrafton the surface, the game differs not only in style but in how it handles days and night as well. Along with monsters spawning in the night, events such as the fearsome Blood Moon and Solar Eclipse have a chance of spawning, thus making the passage of time far less predictable.
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Given thattunneling underground inTerrariaplays such a prominent role in the core gameplay loop, day and night may seem insignificant. However, those wanting to feel the changes in the sky no matter where they travel can pick up theTime Hair Dye from the Stylist for 5 Gold Coinsfor an always-on-hand indicator.
8Don’t Starve
Day and night is expected in survival games, butDon’t Starvemakes the mechanic all the more brutal as vision is greatly impaired and sanity quickly falls for both the character and the player alike. Luckily, torches only take2 cut grass and 2 twigs to craftwhich will keep the Night Monster at bay.
Players shouldn’t get too cozy, though, as seasons and Ruins can throw off the typical balance of day and night. Those daunted need not try to survive alone, however, as the game’s multiplayer sequelDon’t Starve Togetherallows players to suffer alongside their friends.
7Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Whereas many titles set their days and nights to last mere minutes, theAnimal Crossingseries sets itself apart by having the in-game time map onto time in the real world. Or onto the internal time of someone’s game console, at least.
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Watching the sunset inAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsat the same time as real life may be fun in its own right, but the time of day also affectsseveral events and mechanics. In addition to bugs and fish only spawning during specific times, one will have to wait until nightfall to catchWisp’s spirit piecesorstargaze with Celeste.
6Dying Light
What takes a calm and peaceful night and makes it terrifying? Zombies.Dying Lightis one of many zombie survival titles where sunset fills players with existential dread. If a player’s safe house is heavily fortified, perhaps a nap until morning won’t feel too bad… unless a storm comes and cuts off power.
For those less enthused by gritty realism, there’s alsoProject Zomboid, although the cute graphics don’t make anything less terrifying. After a couple of jump scares while running through the forest under the cover of night, hijacking a vehicle and driving nervously until sunrise may prove the superior option.
5The Witcher 3
Geralt of Rivia’s job as a monster slayer is made possible due to his track skills just as much as his combat prowess. Examining the footsteps and lairs ofthe terrifying monsters found thourough theWitcherseriesis all part of the Witcher profession, even if the village folk never seem to understand. The time of day is just as much a clue as the howling wind.
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TheWitcher 3isn’t the only game to let the time of day play a key role in monster hunting.Pokemonfans eager to catch them all have to keep the sun’s position in the back of their mind too to fill out their Pokedex entirely.
4Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
Stealth action game and fifth entry in theMetal Gear Solidseries,ThePhantom Paintook the survival aspects ofSnake Eaterand increased them tenfold. While it’s hard not to miss the joys of eating hapless reptiles in the middle of a jungle,The Phantom Painprovides players plenty of opposition in the way of nightly sandstorms among other unfortunate weather patterns.
Konami’s decision to switch gears with the series to createMetal Gear Survivemay have been shortsighted when they already had a unique stealth/survival hybrid on their hands. Nights were made all the more compelling with Naked Snakes’ endless combos of comical ways to take down foes.
3Warcraft 3
Anyone who’s ever fallen victim to aPhoton Cannon Rushknows the importance of visibility in RTS games.Warcraft 3added an extra layer to this worry with the introduction of a day and night cycle. The time a player chooses to launch their siege is just as important as the resources available.
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Factions receive bonuses depending on the time of day.Humans and Orcsare able to regenerate in the day and Night Elves are shadowmelding gods under the cover of the night. Why wait for the passage of time though? With anAncient of Wonders and enough Moonstonesat one’s disposal, time truly is just a construct.
2Dragon’s Dogma
IfDragon’s Dogmawasn’t already such a bleak setting on its own, night helps to make it all the more unsettling. Beasties about and all the more eager to attack, but those who picked the Assassin class are only emboldened to retaliate.
Magic: The Gatheringplayers are likely familiar with the concept of spells and abilities being at the mercy of the sun and moon. Even so, it feels nice to feel those effects, albeit to a lesser extent, in an action RPG. Of course, that’s not to say that the Sorcerer’s High Maelstrom skill needs anything to make it more overpowered.
1V Rising
A game with vampires is bound to have meaningful day and night systems, right? Well, many forgo the opportunity and opt to set the game entirely at night. Luckily,V Risingdoesn’t shy away from such mechanics, giving players an extra challenge once the sun rises. Sometimes, it’s the little things that matter like fleeing back to one’s base as the sun rises only to get stuck in aPVP free-for-all.
Seeing asV Risingis a relatively new game at the time of writing, fans of the genre will be hoping that future titles find ways to make day and night more meaningful. The concept is far from fully-explored, and with the constant push formore immersive games, it’s only a matter of time before day and night is seen as more than just a pretty change of the skyline.
