12 Swelteringly Hot Games to Help Take Your Mind Off this Harsh Winter
Ubisoft's Far Cry 3
Max Payne 3
While the first two games took place in wintery New York City, Max Payne 3 sees the titular character take a little vacation to sunny São Paulo, Brazil. It’s not much of a vacation when he’s working private security for a wealthy family and the boss’s trophy wife gets kidnapped, but at least there’s no snow there. There are a few brief flashbacks in Hoboken, NJ during the winter, but the majority of the adventure is in the favelas of Brazil.
Super Mario Sunshine
Mario, Princess Peach, and head Toad/butler Toadsworth decide to escape the troubles of the Mushroom Kingdom and vacation to Isle Delfino. Mario gets framed for polluting the island with goop and is sentenced to clean it, but at least you’ll be spending time cleaning up sunny beaches and jumping into water a lot to fill up your F.L.U.D.D. water pack.
Grand Theft Auto V
This version of San Andreas is the closest you could get to a virtual Southern California. The southern area, Los Santos County, contains beaches, tennis courts, and golf courses. Blaine County, in the north, is a literal desert. You can’t get much warmer than that.
DOOM
DOOM may not be the most conventional place to get away from the winter, but it’s set on Mars where there is no snow to worry about. You’ll have the portal to Hell opening up and spewing demons everywhere to worry about instead.
The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD
Sail the Great Sea with Link in this updated Gamecube classic which was derided for its cel-shaded look upon initial release. Other than an island completely made out of ice, there’s no shortage of habitable islands to visit and explore while the giant sun shines down on you.
Dead Island
Dead Island takes place on the fictional island of Banoi, but you’d wish it was real with the gorgeous resort and clear oceans. You could probably do without all the zombies, but they can easily be taken of with a multitude of weapons and a melee system that lets you manually control your swing.
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 1 & 2
Far Cry 3
Pokemon Sun & Moon
Forza Horizon 3
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Max Payne 3
While the first two games took place in wintery New York City, Max Payne 3 sees the titular character take a little vacation to sunny São Paulo, Brazil. It's not much of a vacation when he's working private security for a wealthy family and the boss's trophy wife gets kidnapped, but at least there's no snow there. There are a few brief flashbacks in Hoboken, NJ during the winter, but the majority of the adventure is in the favelas of Brazil.
Super Mario Sunshine
Mario, Princess Peach, and head Toad/butler Toadsworth decide to escape the troubles of the Mushroom Kingdom and vacation to Isle Delfino. Mario gets framed for polluting the island with goop and is sentenced to clean it, but at least you'll be spending time cleaning up sunny beaches and jumping into water a lot to fill up your F.L.U.D.D. water pack.
Grand Theft Auto V
This version of San Andreas is the closest you could get to a virtual Southern California. The southern area, Los Santos County, contains beaches, tennis courts, and golf courses. Blaine County, in the north, is a literal desert. You can't get much warmer than that.
DOOM
DOOM may not be the most conventional place to get away from the winter, but it's set on Mars where there is no snow to worry about. You'll have the portal to Hell opening up and spewing demons everywhere to worry about instead.
The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD
Sail the Great Sea with Link in this updated GameCube classic which was derided for its cel-shaded look upon initial release. Other than an island completely made out of ice, there's no shortage of habitable islands to visit and explore while the giant sun shines down on you.
Dead Island
Dead Island takes place on the fictional island of Banoi, but you'd wish it was real with the gorgeous resort and clear oceans. You could probably do without all the zombies, but they can easily be taken care of with a multitude of weapons and a melee system that lets you manually control your swing.
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
While the real Rio 2016 Summer Olympics was marked by various controversies, the only conflict in this game is choosing Mario or Sonic characters. The game offers beach volleyball, horseback riding on the beach, freestyle swimming, and rugby taking place in the middle of a lagoon. It is available for the Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS, so you can take the Summer Olympic Games with you if you need to leave the house for any reason.
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 1 & 2
Both games take place in Mexico City, one of the world's largest cities, and the sequel carries the global conflict into El Paso, Texas. Each game offers tactical action in a warm climate, and will get you ready for the latest entry set in Bolivia, Ghost Recon Wildlands, which releases March 7.
Far Cry 3
Taking place on a tropical island somewhere between the Pacific and Indian Oceans, Far Cry 3 is literally about a vacation gone wrong. There are no hang-gliding or fishing minigames, but you can hunt sharks and clean out pirate outposts. Everything in this place is trying to kill you, but at least it beats shoveling snow.
Pokemon Sun & Moon
Pokemon Sun and Moon moves the franchise from the mainland into the sea with islands based on the Hawaiian and Pacific Islander cultures. Expect tons of palm trees, exotic fruit, and original Pokemon with an island flair to them. It's different enough for those who have stuck with series, and is accessible for those who have not played since the Game Boy titles.
Forza Horizon 3
Forza Horizon 3 sections off a huge piece of Australia for racing on and off the roads. You can drive alongside beautiful beaches or hit the sand dunes of the Outback. Taking a nice, leisurely drive is a lot better than clearing off the feet of snow from your actual car.
About the author
Tom Meyer
Follow on Twitter @tomeyerz for musings on video games and things that confound him.
