I have a deep respect and fascination for Mongolian culture. While no culture can be singularly defined by just one element or historical legacy, it is safe to say that the relationship between the people of the Mongolian Plateau and their horses has been a strong and fascinating element of their culture. The nomadic peoples that would come to make modern-day Mongolia built their life, legacy, and even empires on the backs of horses, and this cavalry legacy is undoubtedly one that has inspired the imaginations of people all over the world.
The spirit of that relationship between horse and rider is encapsulated by The Legend of Khiimori, a game built around the beauty of the Mongolian steppe and a celebration of its people.
In The Legend of Khiimori, you play as a courier in 13th-century Mongolia, riding across the wide expanse of the steppe as you deliver packages between the land’s scattered nomadic settlements. It’s not a game about war, survival, or conflict, but about exploration and riding in a beautifully rendered digital steppe.
As you might imagine from what I’ve told you so far, your horse is the most important aspect of The Legend of Khiimori. Unlike a lot of games, your horse is not just a means of getting around, but an extension of your character’s lifestyle, a vital instrument that she can’t do her job without, and one that lives, breathes, feels, and must be taken care of.
The so-called “horse mechanics” of The Legend of Khiimori are staggering in their depth. It’s so much more than just a riding system that makes use of a stamina bar, because your horse has needs that must be met and a health bar that must be paid attention to. You need to keep your horse fed, hydrated, and happy, and make sure you ride at a pace that is somewhere between comfortable for your horse and efficient enough for your own needs. After all, most of the game is played at your own pace; the time it takes you to get from area to area is more or less down to how quickly you feel like moving.
One especially neat mechanic is your ability to gather crafting materials from horseback, which is a little timing minigame that rewards your horse with stamina when you pull it off.
Even taking care of your horse is an intricate process. Your horse can be brushed, petted, fed, given medicine, and even have its hooves cleaned of dirt and buildup to ensure its continued health. Your saddlebags must also be evenly packed to prevent too much weight from resting on either side.
An intricate horse-breeding system is also present, allowing you to raise your own perfect mount and dictating everything from coat color to intricate riding stats in the process. To say that The Legend of Khiimori is the horse fan’s dream game might be underselling it: horses are everything in this title, and it shows.
While the game is not about combat or fighting, dangerous animals will occasionally cross your path, and the game provides multiple means of dissuading them from attacking you. For those who don’t feel like killing wolves in their video game, you can always take non-lethal routes to prevent animal attacks, like tossing a sack of horse dung in their direction.
The Legend of Khiimori combines all of its intricate horse-care mechanics with a beautiful world that feels worth exploring. The gorgeous Mongolian steppe is captured in an incredibly well-designed open world, full of different weather effects and a day-night cycle that make everything feel so alive. An exploration game is nothing without a world you want to explore, and this game definitely has it.
For all that I’ve praised about The Legend of Khiimori, it’s important to remember that the game is just now releasing into Early Access. While what the game has to offer now is impressive, it’s far from finished, and it shows.
That beautiful open world I mentioned earlier comes with a bit of a cost, as the game currently doesn’t run incredibly well. The biggest Early Access hiccup currently present in The Legend of Khiimori is the game’s inconsistent frame rate. While I loaded into the game quickly and it was definitely playable, I couldn’t get past 50 FPS on ultra settings, and it would constantly hiccup and stutter down to around 30.
It was a noticeable visual distraction that took away from the experience just enough to warrant mentioning, but I’m sure it’s one the developers will address soon. I also feel like, even on ultra settings, the game didn’t quite look like it did in screenshots. I think it was something to do with the lighting, but I can’t be totally sure.
Beyond the FPS drops and my horse occasionally clipping into buildings, the game was in a fairly solid state. Noticeably, however, it is currently also missing a lot of content promised later in the game’s roadmap. Particularly missing is any story content, which would add a lot to the current experience. I’m interested to see how the game’s writing pans out and what kind of story the developers choose to tackle with the incredibly unique style of game they’ve made.
Overall, The Legend of Khiimori is a great exploration game that has a ton of promise as its development moves forward. It’s not finished, and it has quite a ways to go until it is, but if it’s caught your eye, I don’t see any harm in giving it a try during Early Access, especially if you’re a big fan of horses or horse games and want something that intricately captures a rider’s experience.
Pros
- Deep and impressively detailed horse care, breeding, and riding mechanics
- Beautifully crafted Mongolian steppe setting with dynamic weather
- Relaxing exploration-focused gameplay loop
Cons
- Frame rate instability and occasional object clipping, among other small bugs
- Limited overall content due to Early Access, including a missing story mode
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