Must-Read: Polygon Analyzes Assassin's Creed Horses with an Expert of Equine History

Polygon writer Simone de Rochefort and Horse Historian Professor Donna Landry take a close look at the horses in the Assassin’s Creed games: The recent titles Origins, Odyssey and Valhalla all use the same horse model regardless of their vastly different settings and cultural context.

De Rochefort and Landry draw comparisons between this horse type and modern breeds, and go through the games’ Viking, Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece settings to discuss how horses in those regions and time periods might have looked.

I absolutely love this deep dive and am incredibly happy that for once, I am not alone in reporting on video game horse accuracy. The article is an absolute must-read for TMQ fans, horse history enthusiasts and equestrian gamers. Go read it, and let Polygon know if analytical horse content is something you want to see more of!

Click right here: Polygon: A horse expert weighs in on the Assassin’s Creed pony debate (that we started)

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“Horses 2025” on PlayStation 5 and The Massive Red Flags in its Trailer and Screenshots
“Horses 2025” on PlayStation 5 and The Massive Red Flags in its Trailer and Screenshots

A PlayStation 5 game by the name of Horses 2025 has recently appeared on the PlayStation Store.  A Cinematic Trailer was posted today via the official PlayStation YouTube Channel. Let’s take a look at why I have serious doubts about the legitimacy of this listing and why I consider it highly unlikely that anyone will get a quality experience out of this.

Abandonware Scam or Legitimate Re-Release? Lucinda Green’s Equestrian Challenge is available on Steam now, but raising suspicions
Abandonware Scam or Legitimate Re-Release? Lucinda Green’s Equestrian Challenge is available on Steam now, but raising suspicions

A new release of an old horse game is raising suspicions in the community: Let’s take a quick look at what we know so far, and why you might be better off saving your money

2024 in Review – Numbers, Insights and Reflections
2024 in Review – Numbers, Insights and Reflections

The year is coming to a close, and TMQ regulars know what that means: it’s time to dive into statistics, look back at highlights and share some reflections on the past, present and future. Let’s look at the numbers, achievements and highlights.

Announcement – Unbridled: That Horse Game will Release in Early Access on February 19th 2025
Announcement – Unbridled: That Horse Game will Release in Early Access on February 19th 2025

Unbridled: That Horse Game is an independently developed work-in-project horse game. After an extended period of Closed Beta testing with Patreon backers, developer Mindev Games has now announced their Early Access release date on Steam for February 19th 2025. 

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Recommended: "The Problem With Red Dead Redemption 2’s Horse Testicles – 'There's Too Many of Them'"
Recommended: "The Problem With Red Dead Redemption 2’s Horse Testicles – 'There's Too Many of Them'"

I was invited to a brand new podcast called You Are Error, hosted by games journalist Nathan Grayson for Aftermath. Nathan and I talked about some of the many ways in which mainstream video games keep dropping the ball when it comes to including horses and why I’m sure that the horse game audience is bigger than anyone realizes and has a lot of potential.

Horse Games – History of a Neglected Genre and its Untapped Potential – Talk from Devcom 2024
Horse Games – History of a Neglected Genre and its Untapped Potential – Talk from Devcom 2024

I was a speaker at Devcom 2024 in Cologne, giving a presentation on my horse game work. The recorded talk is now available on YouTube!

"Why Doesn't the Industry Make Good Girls' Games?" – A Video Essay into the History and Market of "Girly Games"
"Why Doesn't the Industry Make Good Girls' Games?" – A Video Essay into the History and Market of "Girly Games"

Moon Channel, a YouTube creator of gaming video essays, has released a fantastic video tackling the history and market of so-called “girl games” – video games deliberately marketed to and targeted at young female players.

Chariot Racing in Games – Horses, Representations and Untapped Potential
Chariot Racing in Games – Horses, Representations and Untapped Potential

Noa Leibson is an art historian, life-long rider and writer of equestrian fiction and non-fiction. I finally managed to take her up on her offer to give us all some fascinating insight into ancient historical chariot racing, the men and women (!) who participated in it, and how video games like Assassin’s Creed: Origins succeed and fail in their representations of this fascinating sport. 

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