You’ve likely already heard of Horses, the new indie horror game from studio Santa Ragione, after several digital storefronts, including Steam and Epic Games, banned the title. While the controversial new horror-adventure game is available on a few platforms, the ones that are still selling it probably won’t have it much longer. Amid all these headlines, you’ve probably wondered why such prominent retailers banned the game in the first place. Don’t worry! I played Horses, so you don’t have to. It isn’t as bad as you think until it finally is, which happens quickly. While I didn’t time my gameplay, the Horses experience gets pretty shocking around fifteen minutes in.
About ‘Horses’
In Horses, players take on the role of Anselmo, a young Italian man sent to a farm by his father to gain real-world experience instead of lazing around. The game seems pretty normal at first — feed the dog, chop wood, harvest vegetables, among other standard chores. When you meet the Farmer, however, you start to feel uncomfortable. The visuals amplify this unsettling feeling with weird close-up shots of speaking and eating mouths, both of which work too well given the game’s crude, monochrome graphics.
Then the Farmer shows you his horses.
Controversial Gameplay
If you know nothing about the game, this is where the shock first hits. The farmer’s livestock aren’t horses at all; the “horses” are actually naked humans in horse masks, which are held on by metal collars. The “horses” are in a small enclosure, and you are promised they are treated well. Then the Farmer asks you to race him, and you hop on one of the horses’ shoulders to start the race.
The game’s story doesn’t get any better; Horses quickly turns into a twisted torture simulator. Anselmo tends to and punishes the prisoners. At one point, players help castrate and stitch up one “horse.” Later, after the Farmer has too much to drink, he dons a horse mask and other gear. You’ll also meet the farmer’s dog, Fido — a human in a dog mask.
Content aside, how is the gameplay? Not great. The player character doesn’t feel great to control, and the whole thing looks like a first-gen PS2 game (in the worst way). You do a lot of walking and picking up items to complete tasks. You also spend a lot of time talking with the Farmer and other characters.
There isn’t really any music playing until something creepy starts to happen; when there is music, it is used well. The use of live-action clips during tasks drives up the “unsettling” factor. At one point, you mix up a concoction for a syringe, and the live-action shot makes it extra creepy.
One of the few good things about the presentation is the game’s use of dialog caption cards, like a silent film.
Final Thoughts
I grew up during the dawn of dial-up internet, and most of my generation quickly became desensitized to the grotesque by consuming the early internet’s prevalent shock content. I understand why many storefronts won’t sell Horses, and I also respect those that do, like GOG, letting players choose.
But when the credits rolled, only two questions came to mind: Why was this made, and who was this made for?
Those questions are not for me to answer. What I can tell you, though, is that I didn’t enjoy my Horses experience. Some parts of Horses will stick with you because of the shock factor, but overall, the game is mediocre. Horses‘ intense themes are not for the faint of heart; some moments may potentially upset, disgust, or trigger players, so tread lightly.
I’m not going to say if you should play it or not. That is up to you, as the player, to decide.
Follow us on MSN for more content you love,
