The Legend of Khiimori: Looks Like a Horse Game, Feels Like So Much More

The Legend of Khiimori: Not Your Typical Horse Game

Most horse games are boring, and once you've played one, you've essentially seen them all. Whether you're saving grandpa's ranch, taming that one untameable horse, or winning that unwinnable competition, it usually boils down to the same repetitive gameplay loop. Buy or breed a horse, train that horse, care for that horse, win that competition, repeat. 

And this is where Khiimori breaks the mould. The game throws you into the Mongolian wilderness, where you take on the role of a horse courier. As a result, the core gameplay loop is going to consist of you traversing treacherous terrain to master challenging deliveries. And while fetch quests may not sound exciting on paper, Khiimori really delivers here. 

Based on my short time playing the game, I can tell you that Khiimori really immerses you in its world. While riding, you encounter challenging obstacles, gather forage, and aren't bound by preset paths. So while that muddy patch down by the river may seem like a great shortcut at first, it can quickly turn into a draining detour without the right horse.

The Open World: Khiimori's Biggest Challenge

I've been following the development of Khiimori for some time now. And rather early on, I began to have some doubts about the feasibility of the game's concept. By design, the game relies on a vast, open world, which is a challenging feat to accomplish, especially without a massive team.  

While it's fairly easy to construct enormous open worlds, making them feel alive quickly becomes challenging. Oftentimes, small studios fall into the trap of creating giant worlds that look great but feel cold to the touch from the start. But so far, it seems like Khiimori is successfully striking a delicate balance here. 

Throughout my time playing, no area felt the same, and the world design was not just interesting but felt organic and dynamic. And this is not just due to the game world's design. It also comes down to the horse, which quickly becomes the glue that holds this entire game together.

The Horses

I know, I know. I said that The Legend of Khiimori wasn't your typical horse game, and doesn't really fit that description. However, that doesn't mean the horses don't play a central role in the game. And if you've ever watched a documentary about rural Mongolia, you know that it only makes sense. It's not Khiimori that revolves around horses; it's life in Mongolia at that time, and even into the present day.

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And the horses in this game are beautiful. And if you say otherwise, you're objectively wrong. The Mongolian pony is iconic, and I love that they chose to give this tough, stumpy pony the recognition that it deserves. But the horse design is not even the game's greatest strength. Khiimori manages to make its horses feel alive on the inside, not just beautiful on the outside. 

As soon as you dismount, your horse wanders off, and you'll find it grazing in the nearest patch of grass. Horses wandering off on you isn't a new mechanic by any means, but a horse wandering off into the direction of food? That one detail makes it much more meaningful. If your horse is unhappy with your chosen route, it will subtly let you know. And even the NPC horses populating the small pens throughout the village seem to have a mind of their own. 

When it comes to animations, the game excels in this area as well. In other games, I tend to gallop everywhere because trotting just feels... off. Yes, I am looking at you, Red Dead Redemption. But that's not the case here. Some animations still need to be refined, but that's to be expected at this stage. 

Graphics: Because They Matter

Khiimori is the kind of game that simply wouldn't work without beautiful visuals. And luckily, the game can deliver on those. While riding, I found myself pausing to take in the beautiful landscape more than once. In general, the style suits the game well, which is always lovely to see. 

However, beautiful graphics come with one significant drawback: system requirements. And especially for a game like Khiimori, that can quickly become an issue since the game's target audience isn't likely to have expensive high-end gaming rigs at home. I was, however, assured that optimization is a priority for the developers, and there will even be a sort of potato mode for those struggling on their systems.

It's Not All Sunshine and Rainbows

If you've read this far, you may get the impression that The Legend of Khiimori is guaranteed to be the next big thing, rivaled and beaten by none. And don't get me wrong, I see tons of potential in this game. But that doesn't mean that there aren't things that I am a bit worried about.

One of those things remains the world design. I have only played for 45 minutes, so it's only natural that everything felt fresh and new to me. But will that still be true after 20 hours? The game currently stands at a crossroads. It can either turn its world into its biggest strength or make it its biggest weakness.

Another significant factor in the game's eventual success is its story. Throughout my short time playing, I was not able to experience much in terms of story and character design. And without a solid story, the fetch-quest style of the game could quickly start feeling empty and emotionless, which would be a damn shame because the setting of Khiimori holds so much potential.

One often overlooked risk that many games fall victim to is feature overload. Khiimori has much to offer, which is great, until it becomes too much for the developers to handle. Many features are great, but only if they are refined and don't feel like points on a checklist. I'd rather see fewer but solid features than many that end up feeling rushed and incomplete.

In Summary, Check This Game Out!

Those of you who've read this far are likely interested in the game. And for good reason. Khiimori delivers on a great setting, engaging story, and stands out among the crowd. From what I have seen so far, the game has the potential to deliver on close to all of its promises.

I will certainly keep an eye on the future of Khiimori and update you as soon as I can obtain an early access version of the game. Right now, early access is scheduled to go live on November 4th. The game will be available on Steam, where you can wishlist it right now to stay up to date.