Humans have been around horses since the dawn of time and over the years have built an unbreakable relationship. Horses have helped us throughout history and we wouldn’t be in this place without these beloved animals.
There is something about horses that is
strangely attractive to humans. Their appearance and the extraordinary feel
when riding a horse gives humans an experience of a lifetime. That is why we
cry watching movies about horses like Seabiscuit, who according to TwinSpires
was one of the most successful of all time.
However, horse riding isn’t available for
everyone due to location, the popularity of horse riding or cost. This is where
horse riding games come in handy. Horse riding games have become more realistic
thanks to technology, and you can really experience what is like breeding,
owning, and riding a horse.
Here are some of the best horse-riding
games that you should try right now.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Even though this game isn’t centered around
horses, these beloved creatures play a really important role. On top of that,
Red Dead Redemption 2 has one of the best horse-riding mechanics that are
closest to real-life riding.
The attention to realism of the horses in
RDR 2 is mesmerizing. Each horse comes with a unique physical appearance (some
are small some bigger), the horses have stamina and health, accurate movements,
and impeccable horse anatomy. They even went to a point where the horse’s
testicles shrink during cold weather.
Additionally, RDR
2 also has unique breeds such as Arabian Horse, Appaloosa, Mustang, and
Thoroughbred which they use in popular races like the Belmont Stakes.
In terms of realism in horse riding, this
is the best game to go for.
Star Stable
This is more of an equestrian
game that focuses on horses and the entire process of breeding, owning, and
riding a horse. It is an MMO game where you can compete against players from
all around the world. As you progress through the game you will level up both
your horse and your character, as you attempt to climb the leaderboard of
having the fasters horse in the game.
By performing specific tasks, your horse
will improve its abilities like speed and stamina, and you can also customize
both your character and horse.
You start the game with one horse, but as
you progress you can purchase more horses from the huge selection of unique
horse breeds.
Horse Riding Tales
This is another not-so-much realistic game
in terms of graphics, but the gameplay is very close to owning a horse in real
life. Just like Star Stable, this is an MMO game that can be played with people
from all around the world.
However, Horse Riding Tales goes back to
where it all started, and instead of purchasing your horse, you have to catch
it. Once you catch the wild horse, it is time to tame it using taming orbs that
can be crafted through materials like iron, cotton, amber, wood, and opal. You
can also create a stable for your horses, and get as many as you like.
The main objective of the game is to
complete various quests and participate in competitions and country races. As
you progress through the game your horse will improve its abilities and become
more powerful.
When it comes to horses, they are not
categorized in specific breeds, rather than by their color and unique
abilities.
Riding Club Championship
Riding Club Championship is very similar to
Horse Riding Tales, only it has fewer features and a slightly different
objective. This is also an MMO game that you can play online, and horses are
also not categorized in specific breeds.
Throughout the gameplay, there are plenty
of ways for you to get involved in the equestrian world. You can groom and take
care of your horses, build courses, participate in competitions, judge obstacle
events, collect riding gear and equipment, and much more.
The only difference to the other games we
covered is that you can only have one horse at a time.
Shadow of the Colossus
This is not a game that focuses on
equestrian tasks, but it does include a horse that is crucial to its gameplay.
Shadow of the Colossus is about an empty world where the main character has his
horse to conquer the giants.
Even though this game is not as realistic
as the previous ones we covered, it still provides a pleasing and enjoyable
horse-riding experience for most parts of the game.
You are stuck with only one horse named
Argo, with extraordinary abilities that will take care of you at all times.