Now, when the weather outside is frightful, Pokémon GO players can expect it to be just as unpleasant in augmented reality.
A new update to the popular location-based AR game brings a dynamic weather system to the game. In the new update, weather effects on the game's map will reflect the actual weather in the user's location. The game will account for sun, rain, snow, fog, and wind, as well as partly cloudy conditions.
In addition, the weather will also impact how Pokémon in the game behave. Players can now expect a better chance of catching certain Pokémon depending on the weather conditions. For example, Mudkip is more likely spawn during rainy weather. Also, outdoor conditions can enhance a creature's powers (on sunny days, Charizard's Fire Spin will shine brighter and hit harder).
With this update, Niantic has found yet another way to bring the augmented world of the game closer to the real world it parallels. Usually, AR is limited to our senses related to visual and positional input, but by allowing real world conditions like rain to be mirrored in the game, the entire sense of realism can be heightened.
Arriving later this week for iOS and Android, the update will also bring a host of new pocket monsters to the game to join Mudkip, Treecko, Torchic, and other creatures native to the Hoenn region in the original game.
Just make sure that your smartphone is waterproof (or maybe wrap it in a sandwich bag) before you venture out to catch a Mudkip during a torrential downpour.
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Cover image via Niantic/YouTube
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