Horses promised untamed Wild West survival blending Red Dead Redemption freedom with The Forest crafting across frontier prairies and ghost towns. Launch reviews declare the dream too tame – horse husbandry demands feel busywork, survival systems lack bite, questlines repeat bandit ambushes and cattle rustling without narrative payoff. Scope ambition exceeds execution in this cowboy simulator launching December 5, 2025.
Players inherit rundown homestead managing horse stables, bandit raids, frontier trade. Core loop cycles feed/clean/ride horses, scavenge ghost towns, defend against rustlers. Reviews praise atmospheric frontier vistas but slam repetitive structure preventing cowboy legend emergence. Horse bonding system underwhelms – pets follow unquestioningly without personality or risk.
Core Mechanics Breakdown
Horse management dominates playtime. Feed hay, clean stables, train riding skills, breed superior stock. Survival basics – hunt deer, craft bullets, build homestead defenses – feel tacked-on checklist items. Combat cycles rifle headshots against bandit waves lacking tactical variety. Crafting tree unlocks barbed wire fences, dynamite traps, repeating rifle upgrades.
Open world spans prairies, ghost towns, mountain passes but lacks dynamic events. Random cattle rustles, buffalo herds, train robberies repeat predictably. Quests follow fetch-kill-fetch structure without memorable characters or moral dilemmas distinguishing Red Dead narratives.
Review Consensus: Ambitious But Shallow
- Atmospheric Wild West vistas and horseback traversal
- Functional horse breeding and ranch management
- Generous open world begging dynamic content
- Repetitive bandit combat lacking enemy variety
- Shallow survival systems beyond checklists
- Underwhelming horse AI and bonding
Genre Comparison Table
| Feature | Horses | Red Dead 2 | The Forest |
|---|---|---|---|
| World Reactivity | Static events | Dynamic systems | Cannibal AI |
| Combat Variety | Bandit waves | Gunfights, duels | Melee/ranged |
| Crafting Depth | Basic upgrades | Camp systems | Base building |
| Animal AI | Passive horses | Wildlife behavior | – |
Technical Reality
Performance stumbles plague ambitious scope. Base PS4 struggles 30fps amid horse herds, Xbox Series X dips during bandit sieges. PC demands GTX 1660 minimum, optimization promised through Early Access patches. Controls feel floaty – horse turning sluggish, rifle aim drifts unpredictably.
Multiplayer co-op teased roadmap Q2 2026. Ranch sharing, posse hunts, cattle drives planned. Single-player campaign spans 25-35 hours through four frontier regions lacking cohesion.
Wishful Thinking vs Reality
Marketing promised Red Dead survival successor. Reality delivers ranch simulator with combat tacked-on. Horse bonding lacks emotional investment – pets neither die nor rebel. Frontier lacks breathing world – ghost towns static, prairies empty beyond buffalo herds. Bandit AI pathfinds poorly, spawning unrealistically.
Roadmap optimism tempers launch disappointment. Multiplayer co-op, dynamic events, horse personality systems planned 2026. $39.99 price draws ire given content-quantity mismatch.
FAQs
Is Horses worth buying now?
Wait for multiplayer, patches. Atmospheric world appeals patient ranchers.
Horse management engaging?
Functional but busywork. Clean/feed/train cycles dominate playtime.
Combat satisfying?
Repetitive rifle headshots against bandit waves. Lacks dueling, stealth.
World alive?
Atmospheric vistas, static events. Dynamic systems absent.
Multiplayer coming?
Co-op posse hunts Q2 2026 roadmap.
Performance issues?
Console struggles, PC demanding. Patches promised.
Playtime realistic?
25-35 hours single-player. Repetition accelerates fatigue.
Conclusion
Horses saddles ambitious Wild West dreams onto shallow ranch simulator. Atmospheric prairies and horse husbandry charm patient players willing roadmap faith. Repetitive bandits, static world, busywork survival betray Red Dead expectations. Multiplayer co-op tempers launch disappointment if delivered. Frontier awaits patient cowboys – or multiplayer revival. Saddle up cautiously; this horse needs breaking.