Like many women, I went through a horse-adoring phase, but after a halcyon adolescence spent shoveling manure and being kicked in the head, reality set in and I could no longer find the time or money to ride. Luckily for me, horses are rapidly becoming a regular feature in videogames, gracing everything from Mount and Blade to Suikoden III to Gallop Racer to Ocarina of Time.. But while the use of horses shows advancements in graphical quality and AI, very few games actually treat horses as what they are: living creatures that can be characters in their own right, and that have a huge impact on the player’s experience.
There are ways for horses to function both as gameplay elements and as individuals.
I’m not sure how many equestrians are gamers (or vice versa), but I know that those of us who are often end up cursing under our breaths whenever we play a videogame that features riding. The horses don’t act naturally, they’re mechanical, they’re mindless, and this destroys our immersion. It’s a shame, because the proper use of horses in a game can hugely increase immersion, whether the player is familiar with the animals or not. I’m not saying we need to go through the half-hour long process of grooming, saddling, rubbing down, etc. that one would with a real horse (though I for one was tempted to whack John Marston upside the head every time he went to bed without unsaddling his mount), but there are ways for horses to function both as gameplay elements and as individuals.
There tend to be two ways in which games use horses: they either have one horse as a single, emphasized character, or they have multiple, interchangeable horses used as basic transport.
Nobody can deny that Epona was a huge step forward for the Zelda franchise. Remember that cute little filly following you around Lonlon Ranch? The surge of pride when you beat Ingo at the race? That adrenaline rush when Epona leapt over the wall to freedom? It was an incredible moment that established Epona firmly both in the Zelda canon and in the annals of gaming.
But is Epona really a character?
She was certainly useful, but let’s look at her full role. Ocarina of Time, as an N64 game, may not have had the processing power to truly imitate horse behavior, so let’s examine Twilight Princess. What, exactly, does Epona do? And I’m not talking about when Link was steering her around Hyrule – what does she do on her own?
Not one hell of a lot.
When Link wasn’t on her back, Epona stands around, performs a few simple animations, maybe rears during a cutscene. Despite Twilight Princess’ feature of horseback combat, Epona can’t steer independently or perform any kind of autonomous actions.
Now, let’s look at another individual horse: Agro, from Shadow of the Colossus.
He’s one of only two major characters in the game, the other being the player character, Wander, and is necessary from a gameplay perspective. It is impossible to complete many battles and, indeed, to properly traverse the landscape without Agro. Wander’s isolation leads to a near-automatic bonding with Agro. Just think of the Companion Cube in Portal; in any other circumstances, it would have been a useless burden, but in that industrial wasteland it became a valued friend. But there’s more to Agro than this.
I asked before what Epona did independently; let’s put the same question to Agro. When not being ridden, Agro wanders around, he grazes, walks to water sources to drink. He gallops across the fields and rears up on his hind legs, the same way real horses will when they’re turned out loose in a paddock. He follows Wander of his own accord, and comes running up to him after having a stretch. But even more interesting, let’s look at the things Agro did while being ridden. Agro swerves to avoid cliffs or obstacles. He will occasionally ignore commands. During the battle with Dirge (the sand serpent), Agro is left to run independently while Wander shoots the monster’s eyes. Agro does not need commands to act. Agro does not need to be steered around every obstacle. Agro acts of his own accord. It didn’t surprise me in the slightest to find out that the game designers had studied horse behavior while programming Agro. Agro is a character, and because he is, it’s easier to step into Wander’s shoes, and be swept away by his isolation and his quest.
The use of multiple, interchangeable horses is becoming increasingly common in games, and while it is more difficult and costly in terms of processing power to make multiple animals interesting and unique, it is still possible.
Horses can be bought at random stables throughout The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and for the most part the animals differ only in color. Much like Epona, the horses in Skyrim have few independent actions. With the exception of stomping the crap out of bandits, the Skyrim horses tend to hold in one place, and don’t react to much around them. In terms of cinematics and animations they might be more sophisticated then Epona, but all in all, they have approximately the same function to both gameplay and the player.
In many ways, horses are among the most intimate and valued NPCs. They travel with the player through the world, carry them into battle, and accompany them throughout the course of events.
In contrast, look at the horses in Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption. Much like in Skyrim, most of the horses have similar stats and differ only in colour. The big contrast with Skyrim, however, is that the horses act independently. As in Shadow of the Colossus, the horses wander away, graze, and explore of their own volition. Interestingly, however, each horse also seems to have its own characteristics. Both my husband and I are horse people, and we both began using different animals for different jobs. That horse is bolder about going into canyons and down slopes. This horse is fast, but nervous around gunshots. This was not simply a feature of the different breeds; on my first playthrough, my American standardbred was fast, but very nervous. On my second playthrough, however, the standardbred I caught was charging without fear into any situation.
Most impressively, like Agro, the horses will react while Marston is riding them. They will stop and rear if they hear gunshots, snort and shy if they see a snake. This might seem like little more than a gimmick, but I believe that it goes to the core of why this whole issue matters. I watched a non-horsey friend of mine playing Red Dead Redemption. At one point, his horse started and reared up. Under his breath, my friend muttered, “Uh-oh. Something’s going on.”
My friend has never been on a horse in his life, but within a few hours of playing this game and with no one telling him so, he knew to watch his horse and trust its instincts. For those few hours, he was a rider. Now, I’m not saying that playing Red Dead Redemption will teach one how to ride (any more than playing Guitar Hero will teach one how to play guitar), but a good game, a truly immersive game, will put the player right in the mindset of the character he’s playing. John Marston is a horseman, and by causing the horses to react to the environment, Red Dead Redemption allows the player to become a horseman, too.
The reactions of the horses in Red Dead Redemption help to draw the player into the saddle and the chaps of John Marston. Agro’s independent actions and devoted following of Wander helps you to bond with both protagonist and horse. Agro followed Wander like a puppy. Agro took joy in his surroundings. Agro aided and could be injured in battle, and still came limping desperately at Wander’s call. And was there anyone whose heart didn’t break a little when Agro tumbled down that cliffside and out of sight? Would it have been possible to bond with Agro if he’d had the same reactions actions as Epona? I don’t think so.
The fact that horses are living beings elevates them immediately beyond the level of vehicles to that of NPC. A non-speaking, non-human NPC, but an NPC nonetheless. Think of how the player would relate to an NPC that not only did not speak, but who stood like a statue, did not react to the environment, and only followed the player character around. In contrast, think of Yorda in Ico. She and Ico couldn’t communicate vocally, but she still managed to be a strong, interesting, and valued character, because of her interactions with the world around her and with Ico himself, making the game infinitely richer and more interesting.
We are now in an age where NPCs can communicate in ways beyond text and/or voice. With the new advances in graphical quality and processing power, NPCs can communicate through gestures, facial expressions, and their reactions to the world around them. This last is particularly important, because NPCs serve as guide and gateway into that world. Whether they’re accompanying you into battle, gathering flowers, casting a spell, or demonstrating a dance, NPCs are one of the best and most valuable ways to draw a player into the world of the game. In many ways, horses are among the most intimate and valued NPCs. They travel with the player through the world, carry them into battle, and accompany them throughout the course of events. They are an instant connection and mode of interaction with the game world. They warn of danger. They follow us into battle. They defend us. Most of all, they are a familiar and trusted figure in what might be a hostile and brutal landscape. They are much more than simple transportation, and they should be treated as such.
Rachel Verkade is a 31 year-old gamer and horsewoman living in Montreal with 3 cats, a multitude of reptiles, and 1 husband. Her background is in literature and wildlife biology.
