Polygonal_Sprite
Member
This, they feel great. They were awful in TW3.
-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
We need to have a serious talk about Horse Controls.
- Thread starter CertifiedFP
- Start date
This, they feel great. They were awful in TW3.
Well.. He probably just don't understand the need for comparrisons, when he and a whole lot of other feels like the horses in BoTW controls perfectly fine and realistically..
I have never had any problems at all with them.. cleared the horse race where you have to jump obstacles and so forth without problems and with good time to spare for the record of the stableowner..
I do think there is quite a difference between which horses you try to tame though.. some will easier get aggitated and not obey your command..
But traversing ground with horses is so easy and works perfectly for me, even up and down mountains and so on..
And when other peoples observations are so wildly different from yours then it seems you just need to spend more time getting accustomed to controls instead of complaining that everything about the horses is god damn awful and broken..
I just got my first horse in botw last night. He's turning here and there every few seconds right now, but I figured it was a feature where I need to tame it. Glad to hear that's the case, though I don't know how much I'll enjoy it yet.
I think Nintendo added this on purpose because there were complaints how Epona in the previous games was a bit too much like a motorcycle with legs. Epona did exactly what you wanted her to do, and had absolutely no personality on her own. Contrast that with Wander's horse in Shadow of the Colossus, where the horse had its own pathfinding and AI.
I'm guessing BoTW's horses try to handle more like the SoTC horse to give them a bit more life and personality.
I think Nintendo added this on purpose because there were complaints how Epona in the previous games was a bit too much like a motorcycle with legs. Epona did exactly what you wanted her to do, and had absolutely no personality on her own. Contrast that with Wander's horse in Shadow of the Colossus, where the horse had its own pathfinding and AI.
I'm guessing BoTW's horses try to handle more like the SoTC horse to give them a bit more life and personality.
Crayon
Member
No control problems here. It actually quite reminds me of really riding a horse.
iRAWRasaurus
Banned
I have 100 % bonding with my horse and I still think they control bad.
They actually do in Zelda too if your bond is deep enough with the horse
Astral/H3X
Member
iRAWRasaurus
Banned
Nah.
Realistic is the new bad.. Did you try riding a horse in real life? It does not control the same as a motorcycle..
packy34
Member
I have a 100 bond with mine and it still won't always turn when I move the stick. It's awful. I've all but given up completely on horses in this game.
grandwizard
Member
D-Horse is the best horse controls ever. They nailed that and even made it control well on m/kb which is a rarity. It always responded how I expected it to.
Roach from The Witcher 3 is one of the worst. Actively made me hate traversal in that game because of how terrible the horse controls were.
I really like BoTW's horse controls and the granularity you get over speed by 'stepping' down with the analog stick. It lets you slow down to a nice pace to talk to other travelers then speed back up really quickly. The way the horse sticks to paths and roads is nice too.
Roach from The Witcher 3 is one of the worst. Actively made me hate traversal in that game because of how terrible the horse controls were.
I really like BoTW's horse controls and the granularity you get over speed by 'stepping' down with the analog stick. It lets you slow down to a nice pace to talk to other travelers then speed back up really quickly. The way the horse sticks to paths and roads is nice too.
malboroking
Banned
Apparently not. Every thread I've seen with even the most minor of criticisms is flooded with defense force posts.
aggienader
Member
I fully agree with you OP and that's why I hate using the horse in BotW and Witcher.
It is okay to defend the game also.. that is what discussion boards are for.. of course some will love it and some will hate it.. if you can stand that someone has a different opinion than you, then I think you are in the wrong place..
And in the case of BoTW there is a pretty good chance.most will love it, that is usually the case with 98/100 meta games..
aggienader
Member
I can't stand the horse going off the path and the whole "calming down" mechanic.
UnemployedVillain
Member
Sounds like you haven't tamed it much. From when I got my horse to where it is now (a bit over half tamed) it handles much better
So you hate horses in real life and thinks they should have been like motorcycles in the game.. really does not sound like a problem with the game at all..
pirateluigi
Member
I wonder how many posters have ridden horses in real life? Because my wife and I both have for a long time and love the way they behave in BotW. It actually feels like you are controlling link as he rides the horse as opposed to controlling the horse directly and I love it. I also appreciate that you don't just mash soothe all the time. Instead, you soothe to reward the horse for acting correctly to increase the bond.
iRAWRasaurus
Banned
Theres a reason why I am playing a video game.
Crayon
Member
I agree. I think it's a really pleasant adaptation of the experience for a game. It's not even hard to control.
Please stop.
I don't like how horses control in Zelda does not mean I hate horses. Just stop.
It's not all good or all bad, and it works for the most part. The roleplay of catching and taming your own horse is pretty neat. It is just enormously annoying in certain situations.
eehmm... first RDR was very bad, not as bad as Witcher 3, but bad.
Horizon does this to a small extent. I like how you have to kick the horse every now and then cause he'll slow down or going downhill it wants to walk more carefully and will slow on a hill unless you encourage it. And it seems to take more encouragement. Also, aloy knows the basics of leaning back in the downhill and up on uphills. Not near the extent I hear on Zelda (can't play it, no Wii u or switch). But still makes it feel more like real riding.
atomic moth
Member
I'm just going to quote this again for posterity. I can't think of a more asinine conclusion to reach from reading criticism of a game. Don't do what Donny Don't does.
It should be requoted in the OP of every thread that might venture into Zelda criticism....
So every thread for the next week.
Yup, they nailed it in MGSV.
D1renegade
Member
Jaded video game horse riders owe it to themselves to play Horizon.
God Dayumm
Banned
If you want a mount with precise control, robustness and able to walk steep inclines and geometries, what we need is donkeys and mules not horses
DarkConfidant
Member
This, MGSV, Red Dead 2, and Shadow of the Colossus were great in my opinion.
In what I've played of Zelda so far, I've yet to bother with horses.
this opinion is impossible
lord_of_flood
Member
Yeah, the horse controls in BotW are a bit too realistic for me at times. In BotW, the guy who runs the horse stable will sometimes mention that horses don't turn very well when running at high speed, so you can't just run at max speed all the time. I much preferred it in past Zelda games where the horse turned pretty easily, even when running at max speed.
but... I've come to really like my digital horse because of it. I go out of my way to find apples and feed her. I enjoy it.
Overall, Agro is still the best horse. Between the AI and the animations, she was just amazing. Hard to believe that was over a decade ago.
A lot of people don't like Agro so I can understand why they didn't want to go too hard in that direction. At the same time, most videogame horses are dull and lifeless so I appreciate that they didn't phone it in either. BOTWs horses are a great middle point.
A lot of people don't like Agro so I can understand why they didn't want to go too hard in that direction. At the same time, most videogame horses are dull and lifeless so I appreciate that they didn't phone it in either. BOTWs horses are a great middle point.
QuixoticNeutral
Member
This is exactly it.
The 'realism' of the simulation isn't that the horses act like real-world horses. It's that the riding is just like real-world riding. That's a compliment, as handling horses is incredibly intuitive once you know the absolute beginner's fundamentals.
One click for a walk, two clicks for a trot, a few more for a canter or a gallop in an open field. You stay on a trail or open meadow without doing anything but occasionally slow down to cautiously, manually guide a descent on a steep slope. Momentum and animal instinct do most of the work for you, and once you're on the trail you are free to spin the camera and snap screenshots all you like.
People who think the controls are the problem are not in for a good time when they get on a real horse someday and realize that BotW's steeds are kind enough not to run your face into low-hanging branches or stop to nibble at trail-side vegetation every five minutes. (Parachuting onto your saddle is also not something I recommend you try at home.)
Messofanego
Banned
Is this really a spoiler? It was part of trailers.Didn't know we get horses in Horizon.
Thanks for the spoiler
DragonGirl
Banned
As someone who has played many games with horses (the Zeldas, SotC, a tiny bit of Skyrim and RDR) and has ridden real horses, the horses in BotW are the best I've ever seen. They behave pretty much exactly how I would anticipate a real horse to behave and are very easy to control. I suppose the problem people might be having is unfamiliarity with horses when dealing with a game that treats horses very realistically. Real horses are not mountain goats and can be very balky and picky over what sort of terrain they'll run across. I was actually surprised by how well the horses in BotW were willing to go down rocky slopes. They even have all of a horses natural gates: walk, trot, canter, gallop and are very responsive.
If you are having trouble with your horse in BotW, here are some tips:
A wild caught horse is not your friend, you have to bond with it. The instructions are right on the screen assuming you didn't turn off the HUD, but every time it acts up, press L to sooth it. You can also hold apples or carrots to feed it and raise its affection. Once the horse is tame you no longer need to sooth it. The taming process only takes a few minutes.
Register your horse at a stable, you can register up to five. You can board your horses at stables and doing so will make them available anywhere in the world that has a stable. At least some of the stables has a woman NPC working at them who can change the appearance of your horse and swap around their gear if you've found any saddles or bridles.
If your hose gets stuck and won't move, you can take direct control of it. I forget which button, but I think it's one of the right shoulder buttons. That said, they do NOT balk at every change in elevation or rocky roads. A tamed horse is game to go most anywhere that does not require climbing.
Horses can die, if your horse has taken some hits, feed it. If it dies, there is a horse fairy who will revive any lost horse for a price.
Once a horse is fully tamed, it will follow the roads on its own, you do not need to babysit the controls.
The horses in this game are great, the best I've ever seen, but again, they are also realistic and horses are not mountain goats. Pick your paths logically for a several hundred pound animal with hooves and no climbing ability. That said, they aren't perfect, and I've been annoyed by the AI when trying to jump things as they are inclined to avoid obstacles, even steeples they are supposed to jump over if your approach is a bit off. But for the overwhelming most part, they are very well done.
If you are having trouble with your horse in BotW, here are some tips:
A wild caught horse is not your friend, you have to bond with it. The instructions are right on the screen assuming you didn't turn off the HUD, but every time it acts up, press L to sooth it. You can also hold apples or carrots to feed it and raise its affection. Once the horse is tame you no longer need to sooth it. The taming process only takes a few minutes.
Register your horse at a stable, you can register up to five. You can board your horses at stables and doing so will make them available anywhere in the world that has a stable. At least some of the stables has a woman NPC working at them who can change the appearance of your horse and swap around their gear if you've found any saddles or bridles.
If your hose gets stuck and won't move, you can take direct control of it. I forget which button, but I think it's one of the right shoulder buttons. That said, they do NOT balk at every change in elevation or rocky roads. A tamed horse is game to go most anywhere that does not require climbing.
Horses can die, if your horse has taken some hits, feed it. If it dies, there is a horse fairy who will revive any lost horse for a price.
Once a horse is fully tamed, it will follow the roads on its own, you do not need to babysit the controls.
The horses in this game are great, the best I've ever seen, but again, they are also realistic and horses are not mountain goats. Pick your paths logically for a several hundred pound animal with hooves and no climbing ability. That said, they aren't perfect, and I've been annoyed by the AI when trying to jump things as they are inclined to avoid obstacles, even steeples they are supposed to jump over if your approach is a bit off. But for the overwhelming most part, they are very well done.
Lame, haha. This is part of the (beginners) horse riding experience and would make for some funny and frustrating moments in game.