Video games provide diverse avenues for players to navigate their immersive digital landscapes, encompassing everything from walking and driving to soaring through the skies in planes and starships. Among various traversal mechanics, horseback riding stands out as a prevalent mode of transportation, especially in titles set in historical or fantasy settings.
Numerous games incorporate horseback riding, either as a mandatory journey or an optional exploration method. Examples range from the iconic Epona in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time to the fleeting equestrian moments in The Last of Us. Each title showcases horseback traversal with its unique spin. Below, we explore the ten best games where horseback riding plays a significant role, evaluating them based on gameplay dynamics, environmental design, mounted capabilities, and narrative importance.
10 Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
Alien Horses in a Beautiful Alien World
While traditional horses don’t exist in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, players ride direhorses—six-legged creatures that serve as mounts on the alien moon of Pandora. The Na’Vi can form neural connections with these animals, using them to traverse the expansive plains and forests of Pandora’s western frontier, hunt wildlife, and confront invading human patrols.
Though the experience of riding a direhorse is visually stunning, flying on an ikran, known as a banshee, remains a faster and more efficient travel option, especially for exploring the unreachable floating mountains.
9 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Climbing Mountains with Horses
Released in 2011, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim became notorious for its horses’ uncanny ability to scale mountains, allowing players to reach their destinations without adhering to the designated trails. Despite their peculiar climbing skills, these horses enable players to effectively traverse the expansive northern province of Tamriel.
However, players should note that Skyrim’s horses are generally fragile, often succumbing to minor threats. Despite their limitations, horses provide tactical advantages in combat, enabling mounted archery and assisting in close-quarter fights, particularly the loyal Shadowmere. Nonetheless, many players might opt for fast travel once the map is mostly explored.
8 Horizon Zero Dawn
On a Steel Horse I Ride
In Horizon Zero Dawn, horses are replaced by robotic mounts called Striders. These machines, resembling equines, are some of the most commonly encountered creatures in the game’s post-apocalyptic landscape. Aloy can override Striders to turn them into allies and swift rides across the varied terrains of the Sundom.
Striders offer advantages against human adversaries, delivering powerful kicks while allowing Aloy to remain agile in battle, although players often prefer the stronger Broadhead and Charger variants for their more robust capabilities.
7 Assassin’s Creed Origins
Riding Through Ancient Egypt
Assassin’s Creed Origins revolutionized horseback mechanics within the franchise by integrating them into an expansive open world. Set primarily in ancient Egypt, players have the freedom to navigate vast deserts and fertile regions and can engage in horse and chariot racing.
Unlike other titles in the series, Origins allows players to ride freely across its map’s diverse landscapes without interruptions, offering a smoother experience compared to the fragmented routes in later installments like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.
6 Ring of Fire
Torrent’s Big Adventure
Elden Ring, released in 2022, introduced horseback riding to the Soulsborne series with its spectral steed, Torrent. This innovative mount can be summoned at will using the Spectral Steed Whistle, allowing players to traverse the open world of the Lands Between efficiently.
Despite restrictions on summoning Torrent in dungeons or during boss fights, the steed enhances exploration with its unique double-jump mechanic, providing access to hard-to-reach places, and aiding in battles against formidable foes.
5 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Taming Horses in Hyrule
Released in 2017, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild revitalized the series’ approach to horseback mechanics by allowing Link to tame wild horses, each exhibiting distinct characteristics like strength, speed, and temperament. Players can find these horses throughout Hyrule, enhancing their exploratory experience.
The satisfaction of taming a wild horse and traveling the expansive landscapes of Hyrule adds an engaging layer to gameplay, offering players numerous ways to confront foes, including the notorious giant horse linked to Ganon.
4 Ghost of Yotei
Horses of Ezo
Ghost of Yotei offers players an expansive take on horseback gameplay, set in the beautiful Ezo region. Compared to its predecessor Ghost of Tsushima, Yotei provides a more open environment, showcasing stunning vistas of Atsu and his horse traversing the picturesque fields.
In these landscapes, players can collect items on horseback, reducing the need to constantly dismount, a feature that enhances the immersive experience of riding through the game’s beautifully designed world.
3 Shadow of the Colossus
Wander and Agro’s Journey
Shadow of the Colossus, both in its 2005 original and the 2018 remake, presents a narrative that hinges on horseback traversal. Players follow the protagonist, Wander, and his horse, Agro, on a quest to defeat 16 colossal beings to revive a female character named Mono.
Agro is not just a mode of transportation; she plays a vital role in the game’s mechanics, such as assisting Wander in climbing the colossi. However, the controls can be somewhat cumbersome at times, slightly detracting from the overall experience.
2 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Geralt and Roach’s Final Adventure
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt portrays an exceptional partnership between Geralt and his horse, Roach, setting the standard for horseback traversal in gaming. The expansive open world invites exploration, with combat seamlessly integrated into horseback riding as Geralt battles various foes while mounted.
Beyond the action, the relationship between Geralt and Roach adds a layer of charm, as comedic moments arise when Roach reacts to Geralt’s adventures, reinforcing their bond throughout the journey.
1 Red Dead Redemption 2
A Cowboy’s Paradise
No discussion of horseback riding in gaming would be complete without mentioning Red Dead Redemption 2, often hailed as the pinnacle of equestrian gameplay. Set in the twilight of the wild west, horses serve as the primary means of travel, enabling players to fully immerse themselves in the breathtaking landscapes.
The game boasts advanced mechanics for horseback activities, including racing, transporting goods, and engaging in combat. Even as the game approaches its seventh anniversary, Red Dead Redemption 2 continues to deliver some of the most lifelike and engaging horse riding experiences available, providing an authentic virtual equestrian adventure for players.
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