Breath of the Wild What do you think of horses?

[el :BeoWolf:]

The horses in BotW are a pretty great way to get around if you lack a shiekah slate and shrines. The faster horses are even faster than the master cycle.

I really like riding around on Epona throught Hyrule. It really feels like a classic Fantasy game. Even if I can teleport across the Kingdom in a few seconds

 

[Quin]

I do, they are neat, but I havn't used one since I got the cycle I admit.

How do you lack a shiekah slate?....

 

[el :BeoWolf:]

Do you know anyone else in Hyrule that has one?

 

[Mellow Ezlo]

I unfortunately lack amiibo, so I can't use Epona. I love the ability to catch wild horses though, and the ability to register them. I also love that you can use different horses depending on what you're doing (for example, if you're traveling far, you'll want one with good speed and stamina, but if you're not going very far you can sacrifice stamina and/or speed so it's easier to catch). It's also nice seeing a wide variety of different horses to choose from, in terms of their general appearance.

If I have one criticism, though, it's that the controls are kind of awkward and hard to get used to. I'm still not completely used to them.

 

[YIGAhim]

Nope. They were poorly executed in BoTW and I'd rather run, fast travel or use the good ol master cycle

 

[Dio]

They're ****. They are annoying to control and I used a horse maybe 3 times in the entire game and those were very brief uses.

The Witcher 3 did horse riding best and allowed you to call your horse instantly from most places.

 

[Beauts]

The horses in this game were terrible and so annoying to ride. I just teleported to shrines and walked like a sensible person.

 

[Doc]

I absolutely loved my horse. I certainly enjoyed this approach to horses more than having Epona "assigned" to you at the beginning of the game. I also like that you had to train the horse and it feels like its own thing. I understand how that can feel a bit janky and be annoying, but it made me feel closer and more invested in my horse.

I only ever used one horse and would often go out of my way to get more horse to where I wanted to be. Especially when I started and didn't realize I could summon the horse at any stable. It certainly made me enjoy the finale more, because it was me and my trusty steed and me and some random horse.

 

[Shroom]

I haven't used one since I got the master cycle, but I thought they were fine. The ancient bridle and saddle fixed my main issues with the horses since you could call them from anywhere, and after I learned that I need to let a horse do its own thing on paths, riding became better. Need to go through an awkward spot? Z target and move around. Horse not following the paths right and wasting your time? Jump off and feed it apples until the bond is at 100, which, really doesn't take long.

I think the main issue I had with them is the fact that I just wanted to climb stuff and most paths I travel aren't very horse accessible, but for large patches of flat land, like central Hyrule, horses do alright.

 

[Azure Sage]

I did not mind the horses at all, however walking is more fun for me so I just did that. I haven’t warped in ages, either. I use the bike a lot cuz it’s super fun, but otherwise I walk. It feels more adventurous that way.

I feel like people who didn’t like the horses don’t realize that you have to train them lol. It’s not like it’s hard, just feed them 10 apples for instant max bonding.

 

[ray138]

I loved the horses. The variety, the training, the bridles, the customization, their look, their animations. They seemed alive in the world.
But I quit using them about halfway through the game. When my horse showed up at the final battle, I didn't even recognize it as one I'd ever caught.

 

[Spirit]

They. Suck.

 

[DeletedUser9]

Epona? What's an Epona? My two horses so far are Turq and Sunder. =P I like the horses. I've got a little story of my first adventure with Sunder, which is basically the entire reason I kept him, which you can read in the spoiler at the bottom of the post if you care, but it's things like that that make the systems in Breath of the Wild fun in the first place; crafting your own stories. Also, and I have no idea what the systems involved in this are, but it seems like the horses have different personalities, so for example Sunder hates stopping. Ever. He freaks out whenever I reign him in from anything other than a trot. It's hilarious.

I wish that the riding/taming systems were a little broader though. I know you can ride other animals but I think it's a huge mistake that you can't board them too. I'd rather ride a boar or a mountain goat, even a stag honestly, than a horse.

Spoiler

Basically I met Sunder by catching him just because I needed a quick ride to the tower I could see in the distance (which was the tower for the Hyrule Castle region). I kept dipping into the edges of that region and figured it would be handy to just grab the tower real quick so I could see the map. I caught Sunder because he looked black (it was night) and rode to the tower, quickly realizing the error of my ways as I had to skirt a guardian or two but then getting cornered by several in some ruins near the tower. I had to ditch Sunder there and then sneak to the tower. I did get it, and then I had to turn on the Sheikah Sensor to find my horse and get out of dodge, hiding from guardians in the ruins and tall grass the whole way. When I got to him and got out of there, day broke and I realized he was dark brown. I seriously considered ditching him, but I realized he had good stats and hell, we just went on a hell of an adventure together. So I kept him. He's my main horse now.

 

[AncientPoe]

I actually really loved the horses in this game. Excluding one missing control mechanic, these are the best they've ever controlled. I love the different ones you can catch, and I love feeding them apples or carrots out of my hand. They also lend some great early-game utility, since jousting a Guardian at full speed will absolutely knock it head over heels. This also encourages use of spear-type weapons, as they tend to be rather sub-par in most other regards (low damage and relatively low durability), because their superior reach and constant critical potential makes using them from horseback feel viscerally excellent. I love how they have different personalities, stuff you can't see a stat for (like how some are much more finicky about jumping hurdles) because it rewards paying attention and experimenting with different horses. I love how you can call one over and if your timing is good you can mount it from the front ,"Legolas-style", so that it can keep running. This looks really cinematic and has been very useful for me at times.

Sometimes while I'm randomly out doing whatever, I'll come across some wild horses and tame one on a whim, then suddenly we're off on an adventure. I'll get into fights with monsters to train it for combat, get a feel for its personality. Riding circles around a Hinox to confuse it and felling it with arrows and lances feels awesome. Sometimes after a particularly enjoyable adventure, I'll even keep it and boot one of my previous horses off the roster. I also love having fun naming conventions for them. In my original file, they're all named after undead enemy types, and in my Master Mode file they're all different herbs and spices. Burdock is my favorite.

I'm probably gonna be the only person on here to say this, but after having a bit of fun with the Cycle, I've gone back to using horses.

 

[biggoron_sword]

I use horses about 80% of the time when I'm traveling longer distances. When I'm playing on the TV, it's a great way to sit back and take in the scenery, listen to the music, (the song that plays while on a horse is incredible, imo) and appreciate the game for exactly what it is. So I don't primarily use horses as a means of transportation, I use them more to step back from the game for a bit and treat it like an audiovisual experience.