The horses are worth playing, even if they’re not very good

horses He became the current face of the struggle against censorship of video games and what has become art. After being banned from Steam and the Epic Game Store, the narrative horror game became a best-selling game on GOG.com, bringing gamers of all stripes together to support it. But as a game, horses It’s not worth it – neither a ban nor, having played it myself, all the glowing praise.

horses It is a collaboration between independent studios Holy reason And Italian director Andrea Loco Pollera. Bolera wrote the game and acted and directed the FMV cutscenes interspersed throughout, while the developers at Santa Ragione worked on the technical aspects. It’s a short experience, taking approximately three to four hours to complete. But although it’s thankfully short, by the end I was desperate to finish it.

in horsesyou play as Anselmo, a 20-year-old sent by his father to a farm for two weeks to learn the value of good old-fashioned hard work. Under the guidance of the overbearing farm owner, Anslemo is given a number of chores that you can complete with a simple click of the mouse. Watering the garden, feeding the dog, and tending to a herd of titular horses – naked humans wearing horse masks permanently attached to their faces with a collar. Over the course of 14 days, Anselmo learns about horses, their master, and how much suffering they – and by extension, the player – can endure.

In all the conversations about this game, from the impact the Steam and Epic bans have had on the art and games, to horses‘It’s worth a narrative horror experience, and I haven’t seen much talk about how funny it is. After reading the extensive content warning and knowing some of the nasty surprises the narrative had in store, my first visceral reaction to the game was to laugh out loud.

An examination of the tomb revealed the presence of dead horses named Bojack and Artax. After the farmer, the next character you meet is a dog, and naturally, you can try to pet it. I thought it was very funny that the developers would make something so depressing and disturbing horses I’m still beholden to the unwritten game development rule that says “if it’s a dog, it must be a pet.” Although this guy growls at you if you try, well… it does also A human in an animal mask.

The first seven days passed in a fun atmosphere enhanced by FMV action, lofi graphics, animations, and interactions, all of which I found charming. Whenever the farmer speaks, the play on his face is zoomed in as his lips wrap around immobile teeth. When Anselmo wants to express an opinion or make a choice, you have to choose between the thumbs up or down button or smiley faces that resemble… The pain charts you see in hospitals While his unblinking face sways or shakes at your choice. In Horse Race vs. Farmer, using the WASD keys to move created a diagonal motion as if the human underneath was realistically responding to the weight of a grown man on his shoulders.

I even found the explicit stuff funny. Due to some game design choices, these moments are not graphic at all. Sex between horses looks like two models playing off their polka dotted tops against each other while barely making a sound. When you find the farmer late at night watching his dog and horse attack him, his convulsive movements clearly indicate that he is supposed to be masturbating. But due to the limitations of the animation (and his chastity cage), his hands are dramatically crossed across his stomach. This is the game banned from Steam while mentioned above Sex status Featuring uncensored close-ups of full penetration, moaning and everything.

But as hilarious as it is unintentional horses It disarmed me, it brutally undermined the message of the game. The horses that randomly attack her are supposed to reinforce how the totality of her dehumanization has reduced her to her basest, most animalistic instincts. But using animation and graphics that were revolutionary when the Dreamcast was new, turns those moments of horror into comedy. This doesn’t mean that we as humans don’t often laugh when we’re supposed to be terrified, or that a more serious and realistic design would be better (gosh, no). But front-loading the funny stuff created an ironic distance between me and the more appropriate emotions the rest of the experience was trying to evoke.

With each passing day, moments of escalating brutality began to appear as jump scares. Instead of being bothered, I felt like I was watching a comedy wearing the same piece on the floor. One of the least effective narrative devices is shock for shock’s sake, and while I’m sure that wasn’t the intention, that’s what it feels like.

I got bored quickly. This may be exactly what the director was going for, highlighting that when there’s so much ugliness around you, you can’t help but turn it into background noise. But this only happens when you have no choice (or choose not to do anything) and this game is designed to give the player little choice. There are moments when Anselmo says no, he’s forced to do something anyway. How am I supposed to remain in a state of uncomfortable tension over my actions or inactions, if my participation is predetermined by the game code? A more interesting game would have allowed me to make my own decisions and force me to live with the consequences. But as the game is, I’m forced to live with the consequences of playing it.

Steam ban horses, Although it has led to all this positive attention, it is still a tragedy. Eventually interest will fade and the gaming community will move on to a new cause, and leave horses On platforms with much less access than Steam. I’m glad I played it. horses It’s worth playing – if for nothing else, then to appreciate the games that do it best horses Failed to do so.

^{horses Available now on GOG.com, Humble, and itch.io.}