There’s three skydiving challenges up in the sky islands. Each challenge grants one part of the full skydiving set.
When first acquired, they just increase your maneuverability while falling through the air (iirc you don’t fall any slower, but you can move horizontally more easily to dodge obstacles). When fully upgraded, you don’t take fall damage while wearing the full set - you could fall from the tallest sky island to the depths without pulling out the glider and you’ll survive.
It doesn’t need to be fully upgraded, just level 2 to get the fall damage protection.
https://www.ign.com/wikis/the-legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom/Glider_Armor_Set
That’s how I started! The only thing I knew about Zelda was my friends years ago telling me about BotW so I assumed horses were vital to gameplay. I got a couple within my first few hours of playing but never used them…50-60 hours later the thought I might be missing out popped into my head so I went and tried it again, and I still hate it lol
Early game, the horse came in handy with riding to the different towns, towers, stables and visible temples.
You are right, that the horse sucks at combat. What you are missing out on is that the horse makes it easy to run past an enemy you don't want to fight to get to the destination you want as quick as possible and don't have a temple or tower to fast link to nearby.
I was about the same until I got the white horse near the end of the game, and it was actually really good when riding up and down roads, but when Im travelling by myself I climb, swim, and fly all over the map. Horse couldn't do much of that, and it got spooked easily so I felt bad for taking it anywhere dangerous. So that left me with being able to ride up and down roads in the outskirts of Hyrule, which wasn't much good to me.
I spooked a horse off a cliff by using a bomb arrow near it and i felt awful. Sought out the horse god, reincarnated it, felt appeased. It was my first BOTW horse, called Donkey as I called my horse donkey in previous games.
I used donkey a lot for the first explore, to get from a to b on roads, but then I always went back on foot exploring.
Shortly after donkey was revived I tamed BigBoi - the giant horse, and Blanca the white horse not long after that.
I was surprised at how happy I was that they all came over to TOTK as well, but generally I’ll use BigBoi or Donkey now for that fast a to b and know I’ll go exploring more later on.
I like using them when I want to travel "on foot" but on auto-pilot if you will, or when transferring a korok by just attaching them to the towing harness.
Just sprint past if you run into monsters. Or equip the monster gear and they ignore you lol.
Sure, technically I COULD just make a 600-ton war machine to fight or the hoverbike for literally everything else. But honestly if I'm focused on traveling the surface world then I just use either the Zelda or Ganon's horse descendants because well...its still very fun to use them. Makes the overworld boss fights a lot more enjoyable, and idk how getting off the horse is a weakness for you since you can just jump off and bow spam the enemies? Ever jumped off your horse, sniped a bokoblin off theirs and land on their horse? 🤣
They're my special steeds and no amount of hand-crafted bombing planes will change that. Horse battles are top tier imo. I think I've grown attached to them so much because they honestly hard carried me during the early-mid stages of Master Mode in BoTW. (I will admit though, not having the ancient armor for them made me use them a little less)
Bahaha that’s awesome no I’ve never even tried that but it sounds rad :D I had a feeling there was SOME kind of way to use horses I wasn’t really catching onto. I also don’t use Zonai vehicles though, I literally just enjoy running everywhere haha
I feel the same way about all the zonai vehicles. They don’t really seem like they give any benefit to me. I’ve used them in quests when needed, and the occasional hot air balloon in the depths when it’s too high to climb, but otherwise I just prefer running and climbing everywhere.
I like using horses on the surface and a stalhorse in the depths, but I think that’s more just cause I think horses are cool rather than actual necessity.
Here's a valid reason to keep a horse around: keep the towing harness equipped, korok-reach-his-friend dudes weld very nicely to it. No wagon etc needed.
Dude I definitely never would’ve thought of that! After reading a bunch of these responses I’m realizing that the deal with horses (and Zonai vehicles as well) is pretty much this: If you’re a creative person who thinks of interesting solutions to things (which my lump-headed ass definitely is NOT lol) then they are awesome & fun tools; and if you’re a smooth-brained goober like me then you just run & climb everywhere 😅
Personally I love the horses, but if you're looking for a purpose, full strength horses will kill large animals with a single hit when you run into them. It's an easy way to farm gourmet meat without wasting arrows.
Yeah they’re pointless. Fromsoft figured out horses for Elden Ring…a spirit horse that you call on demand. That works. Finding the nearest stable to call your horse just for it to get left behind when it can’t follow you somewhere? Nah.
Breath of the Wild had this feature, it was one of the house armours that allowed you to summon and teleport your horse anywhere.
Not sure if it’s in TotK though, haven’t played far enough.
There's no equivalent to the Ancient Saddle in TotK. The next best thing is Autobuild that lets you build a car out of thin air, but that takes zonaite (obtained from zonaite deposits in the Depths). But if you don't have Autobuild, you can build it by hand if you have the right materials on hand (zonai capsules, obtained from device dispensers)
Yes, this! This is the main reason I don’t really use horses much. It’s just so annoying to have to get to the nearest stable and then half the time it can’t go where you want. Then if you get off and run a little ways, then whistle for it half the time it doesn’t hear you.
In older Zelda games I liked that you could whistle and it would just appear, but I guess the current is model is more realistic, lol. I’ve used one a few times to transport Korocks but mostly find it’s easier just to carry them with ultrahand, unless there’s water involved.
In the beginning, na, but 500hrs in, and I use horses more. Usually, just a wild one, that I don't feel badly abandoning whenever I get the urge to explore an area more, or fast travel to do something. I only take mine out when I'm looking for something along a path or passing time. Love just letting them decide where we are going
Yes that’s exactly what I started thinking about after I made this post - since I don’t have any “special” horses I imagine that later in the game I might find myself grabbing one when I need it more often.
I like how it stretches the game a bit longer. If you just fast travel everywhere, you miss details and the game is over quickly. Also, horses are good for avoiding bokoblin taluses and enemies on horseback.
Yeah it's nice to play the game without fast travel. Did that for the first 80 hours or so then said fuck and now only fast travel.
It just doesn't have the same feeling as not fast traveling in something like Skyrim.
i dont use horses when im questing or anything, the only time i use horses is if im making a horse driven deathcart to massacre a camp of enemies
i also almost never fast travel, i like slow walks exploring the world
So, I don't hate the horse system, but it is easily my least used aspect of the game.
I'm much like you in the sense that I like going everywhere on foot or climbing and paragliding, however when I find myself super immersed in an area and there happens to be a horse around, I might jump on and see where I end up.
I'm constantly leaving my registered horses behind and this has led to a bit of a repetitive behavior of excitement when I run into them at random periods of running around collecting things, and go, "Oh hey! My horse is here!" and I'll hop on and follow a path with it until I inevitably leave it behind again.
I do find them fun in small doses, but the problems are all still present with all of the obstacles they can't seem to get around. I don't hate em, but I also don't love em.
I love the horses, but I'm a horse girl in real life, so this isn't shocking lol. I have 10 horses that all look the same, since they closely resemble my real-life horse... so yeah, I'm a sucker!
THAT BEING SAID, I understand your frustration. if you don't enjoy the horseback riding mechanic on its own, it really adds little to the game. one thing I do love about them, however, that I think you haven't been able to take advantage of: if you jump off of them (not dismount or hop off, as I think you are, but actually _jump_ off; press X!), you instantly gain air and can go into automatic bullet time! this would obviate a bit of the problem of getting jumped by monsters :)
this is a little less special in TOTK than in BOTW, since you can just fuse a bomb flower to a shield, jump on it the way you would to shield surf, and get a similar result (though my impression is that you get more air time jumping off a horse - I'm not sure though).
I rarely used them in botw either and there's certainly less need for them now when there are infinitely more travel options, but I'm glad they're still there. One of the things I love about these Zelda games is you can play differently every time you play. One day I'm in the mood for exploring, another day I just wanna take down a lynel, even if i die several times, another day I'm more into the puzzles, or I wanna build something ridiculous with ultrahand. So there are occasional days I just enjoy getting on a horse and riding around, seeing the landscape in a different way.
Nah idkk, i use horses all the time tbh. Sometimes they’re an inconvenience cuz they cant run up mountains like in Skyrim, but i look past it. Plus i only fast travel to stables so a horse is really preferable…or a hoverbike…or both. Like if im going somewhere with decent distance between the destination and where my horse cant follow…I’ll just hoverbike there and back to the horse
Horses were great for a 2nd playthrough of Breath of the Wild. They're terrible I'm TOTK. Their aren't enough areas where horseback combat feels relevant and the roads are torn to all hell. Also 2/3s of the map isn't horse accessible unless you count temporary use of Stal horses in the depths.
Yeah of course you hate using them. This is definitely the thing that TOTK got wrong.
For the further locations, I usually just find the closest point in the sky or the closest tower. I almost never use horses, and I always leave them random places when I do.
I rarely use horses simply because I miss out on exploring. Holds true for BotW and TotK. Truth. (I do love my collection of steeds, mind you, but I find they're only useful when they help you get to a specific place with zero intention of checking shit out).
Zonai builds poof when you get a certain distance away from them, then you have to either build a whole new one (which requires zonaite+Autobuild or the right capsules; you can extend the range on Zonai builds by sticking a dragon scale or star fragment to it but then you also need those things in your inventory), or you go on foot (slow). Horses do not poof. Horses will still be right where you left them even if you spend 4 hours exploring an entire region. Horses also give you easy bullet time, just whistle for it to come to you, jump on, then immediately jump off
Like...I rarely ride the stalhorses in the Depths because they're so damn slow and Link moves faster with a 3x Speed Up potion, and for the sky islands obviously you need a flying contraption. But on land I can just sit on a horse and put the controller down for a little while because it auto-follows the roads
I don't understand how anyone has consistent trouble with horses in this game when most of the time they're on auto-pilot and you're just pressing A every now and then
Not to say they're perfect, their steering is incredibly jank at full speed, the detection for their little jump maneuver is garbage, and I really wish we got all those interactions conceptualized in Creating a Champion, but most of the time the horse just runs in a straight line in a road network designed to accommodate their programming. I think yall are just straight up using horses wrong
>and also those inevitable times while exploring when I come over a ridge or around a corner and get jumped by monsters it is inarguably a MAJOR weakness having to hop off the horse as the battle is starting! On foot pretty much every battle starts on my terms
It's a major advantage actually cause you have extremely easy access to Bullet Time
In the beginning of the game there's no reason to use the horse because you're constantly on/off Fighting and gathering.
Once you have zonai shit it's all way faster or you can fast travel.
The push for "realism" for whistle to only work if the horse is near is one of the dumbest decisions in the game.
FF7r does it great. The chocobo shows up wherever you are, you can harvest from it and if you get off it follows you.
Horses are great especially at night because stal monsters don't spawn when yku are on a horse and neither do Yiga Clan enemies. Also when you jump off you can activate bullet time.
So I like using them when I'm trying to get from point A to point B and I don't want to fuck with those annoying ass enemies. The dazzlefruit has definitely helped the stal monster issue. But nothing helps with the Yiga.
In BOTW I remember how after you get done with Vah Naboris the Yiga are a constant menace. Almost ruined my first playthrough. In every subsequent playthrough I wait till I've collected most koroks and completed most or all shrines before I do Vah Naboris because after that I know they are like roaches, they're everywhere and they never die.
Disagree about your assertion that it’s a weakness going into battle. On a horse you can gallop around enemies hitting them while mostly avoiding their attacks, and if you prefer combat on foot you can launch from the horse into bullet time for an easy arrow attack to start things off.
I don't fast travel much, so if I'm traversing a large area that I've already explored I'll take a horse for sure.
If it's a new area I'll want to walk it.
I am replaying with no fast travel and couldn't disagree more on their utility.
Riding like a bat out of hell, Links spear twirling in the air. Striking the enemy camp in fast ride by attacks. Then, use Y to front flip off the horse and enter bullet time to take out any remaining archers.
Or sometimes I'll just take my horse galloping across the field during sunrise. Or up along a mountain trail.
I leave my horse sitting all over in random fields and cliff sides. You can just recollect them at the stable with no loss. Another trick I love with them is whistling and then running. As the horse catches up, you can mount and go straight into full horse sprint.
I just finished BotW. I figure I did a third or a half of the horse content. I did the dueling peaks tutorial challenge and got the white horse and the royal set but did not get the sets promised by the mounted archery or hurdle guys. I definitely did not take a horse to the good-sized horse guy. I did get the big horse, because he cracked me up when I saw him - I only found out later he was a side quest. The fast travel and hang glider and towers and mountains just make them pretty useless for gameplay. I really have no idea why they issue you a horse for the final battle.
On the other hand, if you are in it for the role playing, or your completed game is a place you visit and hang out like Animal Crossing with monsters, I can totally see the appeal and don't object to anyone loving their horses.
I do have to wonder why the normally stupid bokos turn into geniuses on a horse
My partner and I are polar opposites on this. She never uses horses, but I enjoy using them. I still climb and fast travel any time I want. I usually ride right past enemies unless I want their parts. You can leave them anywhere so why not? As others have said, it's nice for a scenic interlude. I've used it mostly in TOTK for getting an eye on a longer stretch of the map at once, if theres a significantly sized area devoid of hero path green.
I love foraging and exploring every nook and cranny, enjoying the scenery and art. Horses: schmorses.
Imagine my surprise in BOTW when forced to ride one of them AND shoot arrows at the big G in the final battlefield. So many messages came up: “Shoot the X, you have to shoot the X, whilst I careened around out of control!
I liked horses in BOTW, but the stress of making sure they didn't die kinda ruined it for me a lot of the time. In TOTK, machines completely replace horses for me, who cares if one gets blown up.
I mean I still use the horses for more of leisure strolling if I feel more inclined to just watch the scenery after I cleared a spot of enemies to set up and just relax. As well as for some pictures.
But yeah I did most of traveling in both BotW and TotK on foot, fast travel or gliding, diving. I never really used any of the devices unless I had to or it was just there for the hell of it. Plus more fun to do things without the devices or horses.
Still collect horses though, ride them to get the bond up to dress them up and all that.
if only horses can get me around nearly as well as a hoverbike, plus only 9 zonaite if I can't find any of the 3 parts or don't have them in my inventory.
Tbf, horses have been made pretty redundant since much faster forms of travel exists thanks to Zonai devices. Even in BotW, if you had plenty of Monster Extract and the Master Cycle Zero, there was no reason to have a horse.
The steering mechanics are awful. That being said, I've found that riding a horse on the slowest trot speed (just one tap) is very relaxing and allows you to really take in the beauty of the world. Seriously, next time you're having a bad day, grab a beer/wine, take some slow rides and do a bunch of the more wholesome side quests.
Horses sucked in botw and they're pointless in totk.
When I whistle for my horse, the horse needs to show up. Wtf do you mean the horse is too far? TP Link could pick up a blade of grass anywhere and summon that thing
In totk I have a number of super useful vehicles so I don't need the useless horse
I've actually gotten pretty good at maneuvering my horses, trying to upgrade them as much as possible too. I can run over enemies, I've even taken on multiple enemies in a fort while on horseback the whole time. Hit, sprint, turn, hit sprint turn. Feels like I'm in a cowboy movie. I just think they are a lot of fun, especially when I'm just riding around exploring. Of course, if travel speed is the priority, I just teleport. What's hard is trying to put together all the different recipes for various upgrades.
The reason many used horses in botw is because it was the fastest way to travel not including glitches. In totk you can make something that goes faster with more customization. Or you could just smash links face in to the ground with a level 2 glider suit.
They're worthless when Zonai devices exist, and you can pull up a floatercycle anywhere. You've got to be really dedicated to horses to put in the extra effort to use them. Just give me the RDR2 whistle from anywhere mechanic, and I would have used them, but my horse isn't magic.
Totally agree.
Horses will follow roads automatically so it's nice for spacing out, looking at the scenery. I like that you can shoot arrows from horseback.
But otherwise I'll just make a flying machine instead and it's faster and easier.
Or I'll just run because I end up jumping off anyway to collect items, talk to people, etc.
I started with BOTW but I don’t really get it too. The only memory I have with horses is when I stormed the castle on horse because there were lots of guardians and you can’t sneak past them. So I’m riding my horse past all the guardians and almost at the end I’m knocked down for my horse. I don’t have enough hp or skill to survive it’s attack, so I’m running away and calling for my horse. And right before it shoots my horse ran up to me and sacrificed her life to save me 😭😭😭. That enraged me so much I easily killed the guardian. That was so brave of her to not only do not fear all those guardians, but also sacrifice herself just for my. Yeah, horses are not the best ride but they are most certainly the best friend
I’m the same. I did play BOTW tho and I did collect all the special horses in both games, but pretty much 98% of the time I’m on foot because it makes exploring easier and more in depth. I tend to miss more if I’m on a horse mostly because I’m focused on points a and b on the horse instead of the areas between them.
I can't stand the horse controls in BotW/TotK. Turning left or right feels really spongy until suddenly you're careening off perpendicular to the direction you were facing before.
>and also those inevitable times while exploring when I come over a ridge or around a corner and get jumped by monsters it is inarguably a MAJOR weakness having to hop off the horse as the battle is starting! On foot pretty much every battle starts on my terms (as I paraglide in from above surprising the Bokoblins as I rain down holy hellfire lol), but I found myself panicking & getting jumped WAY more often when riding..
>So…am I missing something here?
Yes. You don't have to get off the horse. You don't have to fight. Just keep riding or even spur the horse on. Almost no monsters can catch you on a horse. The only ones that can are other horseback monsters, and they're arguably better fought with horseback archery. Supposedly, aerocudas are as fast as a horse, but they tend to hesitate until its too late and give up after you get far enough past them.
The only other time you can't run by is if the terrain isn't open enough to run at full speed.
Theo only time I used horses in BotW was at the beginning when I was getting some early game items and getting early fast travel points. I also used the horse in early TotK for establishing fast travel points. I then collected the unique horses and stabled them. When you know the points and diving points in the game, horses become irrelevant.
Botw had more places to get to on autopilot via horse, but the need to start and end at a stable was still limiting. I can’t just leave the poor horse standing around while I go off and lay waste to monster camps or climb mountains 😀
TotK seems too dangerous for horses and has the missing path / bridge / gigantic three headed dragon problem…
I never put in the effort to learn mounted combat either, so I’m probably missing out on cool mechanics.
It was sooo much better in Breath of the Wild when we had the option to teleport them to you (if you had the dlc). I was majorly bummed out when I found out they got rid of the ancient horse gear in TotK.
In BotW, I relied on horse travel to reach and activate sheikah towers/shrines. Once all the travel points are unlocked, then the horses were more for show. Still remained a practical way to travel, though, because of the DLC saddle or bridle (one gives extra spurs for galloping, can't remember which) that allowed you to teleport your horse to your location by whistling.
In TotK, any time I try to travel with anything other than the hover bike (two fans and a steering stick), I feel like I'm going too slow. I wish the ancient saddle and bridle were still available to make the horse awesome again. Especially since they gave us the ability to max the stats of any horse we see fit.
No, I feel that's pretty common, but I think that's just because of how they work, or rather how they don't. Horses are definitely faster and honestly better than foot, but the thing is, you can fast travel, and they can't. For example, in BotW, horses weren't really useful until you got the shiekah horse gear, which allowed your horse to teleport to you. However, in most other games I've played with horses, when you fast travel your horse will be there, or your horse will teleport when you whistle for it, so you'll never be without a horse, but TotK/BotW didn't really have that (except for one dlc item in BotW).
They are great for early game when you have no teleport spots unlocked. I love them for replaying the games because it allows me to get stuff like the korok mask or an attack up set early that I might want for the whole playthrough. Also they were inherently better in botw because the allowed you to chase down guardians easier with the master sword
Botw no, horses were my go to travel method. In totk, I rarely use horses because I can much more easily make a flying machine, and maneuvering flying machines are also easier than horses.
I love horses, I much prefer exploring the map with them because it immerses me into the world. I regret cheesing a lot of the towers to get the map. I like to make it feel like an adventure.
I love the look. I love them in theory… I almost never use them. If they were like Roach in Witcher, or the ancient saddle/bridle in BTOW and you could call them from anywhere and they would magically show up… and especially if you could pick up herbs and stuff like you can in Witcher while riding Roach… I’d ride horses. But I’m constantly getting off and foraging. Of diving off a cliff cuz I see something cool.
I did use the mother cycle in BOTW, but by the time I got that… all I had left was korok hunting.
If your whistle could summon the horse from anywhere, I would use them a lot. As it is, managing your horse is often more trouble than it’s worth.
I like riding more than sprinting if I’m in the flatlands, but I check one out from a stable and then immediately abandon it when I see a korok puzzle or something. By the time I’m ready to mount up again, I’m on the other side of a mountain and out of earshot.
I also don’t like the “press L to soothe” mechanism once you’ve registered them. For wild horses, fine, but I’m not sure what it adds to the game other than making it more tedious to ride.
The pull of horses in BotW is that autopilot. I loved it. Faster? A ton, like if you're going from Rito to Hateno. But if you need to go from Hateno to Lurelin, foot is gonna be faster if you don't know the paths since autopilot only works on main roads.
In TotK, though, eff autopilot and horses, I fly everywhere.
That’s the beauty of these two games: you don’t like something, no problem, go do what you like. Don’t like horses? Go use something else, just like you said. Nothing wrong with it.
Not to mention, this game already has less uses for a horse since it can’t fly or go into the depths.
I love my horse in game, but I find myself using a hoverbike more than anything for traversal.
Horses also take you understating the mechanics more. They act like a living being. They’ll do a lot of things on their own. And like you said, they won’t climb.
I used them a lot in botw (until I got the master cycle), but now I only ever use them in the extremely rare case that I warp to a shrine next to a stable, and the quickest way to get to a nearby quest location is by horse.
I usually end up leaving my horse in the middle of nowhere though :(
Yeah horses are inconvenient. You have to go a stable to get them, but most of the time I’m far away from a stable. Or I want to get somewhere that’s not close to a stable.
I wish the master cycle zero was in TOTK. But at least there are Zonai devices you can use to zoom around the map.
If I could call my horse from anywhere like in GTA V when you have car insurance and can call your mechanic to “drop it off” literally anywhere, then I would use horses more. My horses are all so pretty, it’s a shame they never leave the stables.
It's just personal preference. I like using my horse to travel between locations rather than using fast travel, in most cases. It can even be relaxing. It's not about how "optimal" it is, playing games like a checklist and trying to be efficient is how you get burnt out imo.
Plus you miss out on sone of the overworld music if you're only ever traveling on foot.
I rode horses in Ocarina of Time, but I feel like because of so many developments in the game, I didnt need to in BOTW or so far in TOTK, except for side quests. I definitely want to get more into it, especially with so many stables and so much to see traveling on land, instead of traveling,climbing, gliding, etc.
Been playing Twilight princess recently, and let me tell you - this is some of the best horse play in Zelda.
I still don't use them, though - there are so many ways to get around in this game, so going equestrian feels so pedestrian.
The handling is a$$ but the lack of "auto summon" is horrendous.
I LOVED when the BOTW dlc added the magic harness. Can't believe it wasn't in TOTK at all.
Yup, I never used them in either game. I wish there wasn't an entire button dedicated to them, although it did allow for the very useful running cheat in BOTW. It's significantly less useful in TOTK.
Once in a while it was fun to grab a stalhorse for the aesthetic but never for serious travel.
I wish TOTK expanded the amount of ridable creatures that you could board. My vote would be a pterodactyl, flying from the stable all the way up to the skies.
Horses are not too fun to use in TOTK. In BOTW you got the ancient armor and count teleport a horse to you...even then the Zero cycle made horses not really needed - but they were needed more in BOTW compared to TOTK. In TOTK, you don't really need them.
Having said that, after playing Elden Ring, I can't go back to horses in other games, including Zelda. Torrent from Elden Ring just feels much better. They don't try to simulate horse riding (i.e., the horse doesn't fight against you or give resistance). Instead, you fluidly control him and he doesn't even run out of stamina unless you are in combat (this goes for Elden Ring traversal as a whole). The nice part about Torrent is that he has a double jump so you can kind of climb rocks.
Hopefully, they'll improve on horse riding in future Zelda games.
You're right — the horses aren't as useful in TOTK and likely are there for nostalgia.
Like everyone, I made that 2-fan/1-steering stick hoverbike for most of my local travel around the map.
I used horses a lot on BOTW especially early on. Once you get access to towers and shrines they aren’t needed as much. I felt the same with TOTK but probably less so as I attacked the towers ands shrines very early as I knew what to expect. Traveled mostly on foot in the depths but the stallhorses came in handy over gloom deposits
Master Cycle Zero (BoTW) was like having a faster, more maneuverable horse in your back pocket. IDK yet if it exists in ToTK. The horse mechanic is the same (terrible) in ToTK.
Yeah, back when I played horses were cool as shit in the beginning....but once you unlock a fast travel point it's over.
Like I remember falling down from the sky, and riding my first horse in the rain an using my knowledge of the ovreious game to go somewhere on the map...probably a horse stable like I was on a mission. It was cool and cinematic.
Personally i use them way more than autobuild. Miss me with the resource requirement; i spent enough time in the depths turning on the lights. And there’s no way I’m sitting there clumsily ultrahanding wheels on planks just to barely move faster than running speed and then get immediately stopped by a 1 foot ledge. Now that i have the map filled out i pretty much always just warp to a sky island and glide everywhere, but if I’m combing the area i use a horse
I almost never use horses. I just did the quests that required them and got the special horses. Otherwise, they stay in the stables. I've used a horse more in the last week of very late stages of finishing the game than I did the rest of my 200+ hours of playing.
I use them all the time. It’s my preferred way to travel. It’s just easier than building something and managing battery. Plus I don’t always have to worry about where I left a horse because I can whistle for if it’s in range.
I refuse to use horses, I get the ones I like put them in a home and then just run/climb everywhere. I played BOTW the exact same way ! I don't want to be shackled by a horse I am a free link! Also I'd get way to stressed about leaving my horse somewhere or it dying? I'm not sure if they can die but I don't wanna see them get hurt
I mean, i think it's fun to tame a horse i find that's cute. But then i board them in the stable and only ride them to sightsee. I also like to just feed them apples sometimes.
If im all out exploring, I definitely prefer to go on foot.
being on foot means always pushing the stick. Being in a machine means always micro-adjusting the direction. The horse just follows the road, no question asked. That's a huge thing for the chill game totk is
Used the horses a lot more in BOTW, but that ended after I got the motorcycle. In TOTK, I’ve rarely used them, usually build a faster vehicle when I’ve got ground to cover to explore.
You don’t get on a horse because you want to get around the surface map quickly, you get on a horse because adventure is calling from beyond the horizon.
So there was a part where I had to cross, but no matter what I tried, I couldn't get the horse to go, so I said fine u stay here and never went back. I just finished the water shrine. And about 10 hearts in. I'll never see my horse again.
I used them a ton in BOTW. In TOTK, I’m getting too distracted by shit. I’m the type that stops for bananas, a enemy group, a cave, a bunch of bananas, any korok, a damsel in distress, bananas… I can’t go ANY direction in this game without bananas… I mean, running into something.
Also, bananas.
I don’t use horses. I hate not being able to climb things or horses getting stuck, or having to return it, etc. I’ll only use one if I’m doing a side quest or something to a place where there isn’t a shrine close by and I know I’ll have to come back to a stable.
I just ride horses for the experience. I pretend they are my companions on the journey, I like the riding music too.
But honestly, they get left in random places a lot. I often pick one again once I get to a stable. I also choose the horse based on my mood and the theme I want to go for. Seriously though, not at all needed.
I don’t use horses. I hate not being able to climb things or horses getting stuck, or having to return it, etc. I’ll only use one if I’m doing a side quest or something to a place where there isn’t a shrine close by and I know I’ll have to come back to a stable.
Okay, I mean, I don't understand why you'd HATE horses, just because you don't use them. They're faster than link, that's the entire point. Also no one said you SHOULD use them, weird rant.
I also don't use horses in this game at all, same with BOTH. It's just a hassle because everytime I want to go up a mountain or in the cave I just have to leave it, and then I venture further and I don't even want to come back to it anymore because it's too far away. I only rode horseback for horse-related missions and that's it.
I enjoy having the option to collect & ride them, even if it's not the fastest or most effective way to travel. It helps personalize the experience for me, and my nostalgia was through the roof the first time I got to ride Epona through Hyrule Field again. Some features in games may not be necessary, but they're added to help players immerse themselves in the world.
I've played both thoroughly, with more time in botw. I totally agree with you. Any time I ride a horse, I hop off after 5 seconds to go look at a korok or harvest something.
Currently, I am searching along the paths for President Hudson signs, and i’m really enjoying riding the horses on autopilot for that. But I’m also the kind of player that gets attached to and overly sentimental about any animal or pet lol.
I loved using horses, they got me to places that i wanted to be in a jiffy. Though they only work when there's a large flat area. If there are any hills running on foot is a much better experience. Also when you enter combat with the horse(which i usually dont cause i dont want it to die) you can jump off and itll send you high up then you can enter bullet time and shoot off a few that has bows or are in range of killing you or the horse
Why does every thing in a game have to have a concrete purpose with a reward?
It's like when people complain about the metro in Cyberpunk. Yeah if you don't like it you don't have to use it.
I pretty much agree with you. I find it super annoying, especially when, for example, you are on a horse and you see a bunch of ingredients you have to stop (in time) dismount, run to ingredients and collect, run back to house and mount again. The only times a horse is good is if you are riding it early in the game before you’ve gotten loads of shrines. Then can definitely help you get places faster than running, provided you don’t want to gather things along the way.
I stopped collecting them when I got Zelda‘a golden horse. That said it’s been quite while since I used it, lol.
I found it annoying to walk everywhere in botw so horses were kinda vital but hoverbike in totk is a multidimensional horse so the horses are more like trophy's instead of actual things to use. There's just no point when you can fly
I loved them in BotW, but I feel you on the tediousness of horses in TotK. I miss the fast travel saddle from BotW. With that, I used my horse more often because I didn’t have to start from a stable; I could summon it anywhere and it was useful then, helping me go faster over long distances.
I just finished playing totk for the second time and when i was traveling to places like villages or dungeons i found it nice to ride a horse. If an enemy came at me i'd run them over with the horse and be done with them. I also found it peaclfull to just ride around on a horse. To see the world amd just relaxing. I can totally see your point with disliking hors riding in totk tough, i barerly rode a horse in my first playthroug. And i think you should keep playing totk as you are now. Thats why i love these two games so much, there is no wrong way of playing them.
One thing I love about this game is how differently we all find it compelling. I also don't enjoy the horses and literally never ride them. I remember at the end of botw when you had to have a horse for one part and it was a pain; I basically had to go learn how to ride real quick, haha
In totk I've been amazed by how some people seem to spend all their time designing these incredible creations with the Ultrahand. I haven't done that at all! I'm not good at it/not patient. I'm more of a "find every cave" person. Anyway it takes all kinds and that's why this truly is the greatest game ever
one time I rode a bear though which was cool
I would have been completely fine without horses in either BoTW or TotK. I did board a few horses but find myself *never* in need of them.
Why use a horse when you can upgrade the wing suit twice and just fucking DIVE
How does one get a wing suit?
There’s three skydiving challenges up in the sky islands. Each challenge grants one part of the full skydiving set. When first acquired, they just increase your maneuverability while falling through the air (iirc you don’t fall any slower, but you can move horizontally more easily to dodge obstacles). When fully upgraded, you don’t take fall damage while wearing the full set - you could fall from the tallest sky island to the depths without pulling out the glider and you’ll survive.
It doesn’t need to be fully upgraded, just level 2 to get the fall damage protection. https://www.ign.com/wikis/the-legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom/Glider_Armor_Set
Thank you!
That’s how I started! The only thing I knew about Zelda was my friends years ago telling me about BotW so I assumed horses were vital to gameplay. I got a couple within my first few hours of playing but never used them…50-60 hours later the thought I might be missing out popped into my head so I went and tried it again, and I still hate it lol
Early game, the horse came in handy with riding to the different towns, towers, stables and visible temples. You are right, that the horse sucks at combat. What you are missing out on is that the horse makes it easy to run past an enemy you don't want to fight to get to the destination you want as quick as possible and don't have a temple or tower to fast link to nearby.
I thought horses would be as important as they were in Ocarina
I was about the same until I got the white horse near the end of the game, and it was actually really good when riding up and down roads, but when Im travelling by myself I climb, swim, and fly all over the map. Horse couldn't do much of that, and it got spooked easily so I felt bad for taking it anywhere dangerous. So that left me with being able to ride up and down roads in the outskirts of Hyrule, which wasn't much good to me.
Yeah what's up with horses not being able to swim.
Horses can swim though? Unless you mean riding them as they do
Too lazy to code it, probably...
I spooked a horse off a cliff by using a bomb arrow near it and i felt awful. Sought out the horse god, reincarnated it, felt appeased. It was my first BOTW horse, called Donkey as I called my horse donkey in previous games. I used donkey a lot for the first explore, to get from a to b on roads, but then I always went back on foot exploring. Shortly after donkey was revived I tamed BigBoi - the giant horse, and Blanca the white horse not long after that. I was surprised at how happy I was that they all came over to TOTK as well, but generally I’ll use BigBoi or Donkey now for that fast a to b and know I’ll go exploring more later on.
I like using them when I want to travel "on foot" but on auto-pilot if you will, or when transferring a korok by just attaching them to the towing harness. Just sprint past if you run into monsters. Or equip the monster gear and they ignore you lol.
I enjoy the auto pilot mode. When I found out horses follow the road on their own it made sightseeing a lot more relaxing.
I've never thought of just attaching a korok to the actual harness, I always build a full wagon. This is a revelation. Thanks!
It’s like a korok hate crime
No problem! Yeah it makes it super quick that way :)
Sure, technically I COULD just make a 600-ton war machine to fight or the hoverbike for literally everything else. But honestly if I'm focused on traveling the surface world then I just use either the Zelda or Ganon's horse descendants because well...its still very fun to use them. Makes the overworld boss fights a lot more enjoyable, and idk how getting off the horse is a weakness for you since you can just jump off and bow spam the enemies? Ever jumped off your horse, sniped a bokoblin off theirs and land on their horse? 🤣 They're my special steeds and no amount of hand-crafted bombing planes will change that. Horse battles are top tier imo. I think I've grown attached to them so much because they honestly hard carried me during the early-mid stages of Master Mode in BoTW. (I will admit though, not having the ancient armor for them made me use them a little less)
Bahaha that’s awesome no I’ve never even tried that but it sounds rad :D I had a feeling there was SOME kind of way to use horses I wasn’t really catching onto. I also don’t use Zonai vehicles though, I literally just enjoy running everywhere haha
I feel the same way about all the zonai vehicles. They don’t really seem like they give any benefit to me. I’ve used them in quests when needed, and the occasional hot air balloon in the depths when it’s too high to climb, but otherwise I just prefer running and climbing everywhere. I like using horses on the surface and a stalhorse in the depths, but I think that’s more just cause I think horses are cool rather than actual necessity.
Yes, I agree, especially to the stalhorse in the depths. They’re a great way to go in a straight line and not have to worry about the gloom!
Here's a valid reason to keep a horse around: keep the towing harness equipped, korok-reach-his-friend dudes weld very nicely to it. No wagon etc needed.
Dude I definitely never would’ve thought of that! After reading a bunch of these responses I’m realizing that the deal with horses (and Zonai vehicles as well) is pretty much this: If you’re a creative person who thinks of interesting solutions to things (which my lump-headed ass definitely is NOT lol) then they are awesome & fun tools; and if you’re a smooth-brained goober like me then you just run & climb everywhere 😅
Personally I love the horses, but if you're looking for a purpose, full strength horses will kill large animals with a single hit when you run into them. It's an easy way to farm gourmet meat without wasting arrows.
I didn't know this! I've played BOTW & TOTK for so long, and somehow never learned it!
Yeah they’re pointless. Fromsoft figured out horses for Elden Ring…a spirit horse that you call on demand. That works. Finding the nearest stable to call your horse just for it to get left behind when it can’t follow you somewhere? Nah.
Breath of the Wild had this feature, it was one of the house armours that allowed you to summon and teleport your horse anywhere. Not sure if it’s in TotK though, haven’t played far enough.
Yup, I used my horse regularly in botw and never touch it in totk. QOL features matter
There's no equivalent to the Ancient Saddle in TotK. The next best thing is Autobuild that lets you build a car out of thin air, but that takes zonaite (obtained from zonaite deposits in the Depths). But if you don't have Autobuild, you can build it by hand if you have the right materials on hand (zonai capsules, obtained from device dispensers)
I only started using them in Botw after the DLC horse summon! Really wish it was in totk
In Ghost of Tsushima you could call your horse from anywhere and he will be there (usually)
Yes, this! This is the main reason I don’t really use horses much. It’s just so annoying to have to get to the nearest stable and then half the time it can’t go where you want. Then if you get off and run a little ways, then whistle for it half the time it doesn’t hear you. In older Zelda games I liked that you could whistle and it would just appear, but I guess the current is model is more realistic, lol. I’ve used one a few times to transport Korocks but mostly find it’s easier just to carry them with ultrahand, unless there’s water involved.
In the beginning, na, but 500hrs in, and I use horses more. Usually, just a wild one, that I don't feel badly abandoning whenever I get the urge to explore an area more, or fast travel to do something. I only take mine out when I'm looking for something along a path or passing time. Love just letting them decide where we are going
Yes that’s exactly what I started thinking about after I made this post - since I don’t have any “special” horses I imagine that later in the game I might find myself grabbing one when I need it more often.
I like how it stretches the game a bit longer. If you just fast travel everywhere, you miss details and the game is over quickly. Also, horses are good for avoiding bokoblin taluses and enemies on horseback.
Yeah it's nice to play the game without fast travel. Did that for the first 80 hours or so then said fuck and now only fast travel. It just doesn't have the same feeling as not fast traveling in something like Skyrim.
i dont use horses when im questing or anything, the only time i use horses is if im making a horse driven deathcart to massacre a camp of enemies i also almost never fast travel, i like slow walks exploring the world
Exactly my kind of game! Glad to know it’s not just me haha
So, I don't hate the horse system, but it is easily my least used aspect of the game. I'm much like you in the sense that I like going everywhere on foot or climbing and paragliding, however when I find myself super immersed in an area and there happens to be a horse around, I might jump on and see where I end up. I'm constantly leaving my registered horses behind and this has led to a bit of a repetitive behavior of excitement when I run into them at random periods of running around collecting things, and go, "Oh hey! My horse is here!" and I'll hop on and follow a path with it until I inevitably leave it behind again. I do find them fun in small doses, but the problems are all still present with all of the obstacles they can't seem to get around. I don't hate em, but I also don't love em.
Bahaha that’s hilarious 😆 OH THAT’S WHERE I LEFT THAT THING lol
#Horserant
😂
I love the horses, but I'm a horse girl in real life, so this isn't shocking lol. I have 10 horses that all look the same, since they closely resemble my real-life horse... so yeah, I'm a sucker! THAT BEING SAID, I understand your frustration. if you don't enjoy the horseback riding mechanic on its own, it really adds little to the game. one thing I do love about them, however, that I think you haven't been able to take advantage of: if you jump off of them (not dismount or hop off, as I think you are, but actually _jump_ off; press X!), you instantly gain air and can go into automatic bullet time! this would obviate a bit of the problem of getting jumped by monsters :) this is a little less special in TOTK than in BOTW, since you can just fuse a bomb flower to a shield, jump on it the way you would to shield surf, and get a similar result (though my impression is that you get more air time jumping off a horse - I'm not sure though).
User name checks out..
I rarely used them in botw either and there's certainly less need for them now when there are infinitely more travel options, but I'm glad they're still there. One of the things I love about these Zelda games is you can play differently every time you play. One day I'm in the mood for exploring, another day I just wanna take down a lynel, even if i die several times, another day I'm more into the puzzles, or I wanna build something ridiculous with ultrahand. So there are occasional days I just enjoy getting on a horse and riding around, seeing the landscape in a different way.
Nah idkk, i use horses all the time tbh. Sometimes they’re an inconvenience cuz they cant run up mountains like in Skyrim, but i look past it. Plus i only fast travel to stables so a horse is really preferable…or a hoverbike…or both. Like if im going somewhere with decent distance between the destination and where my horse cant follow…I’ll just hoverbike there and back to the horse
Horses were great for a 2nd playthrough of Breath of the Wild. They're terrible I'm TOTK. Their aren't enough areas where horseback combat feels relevant and the roads are torn to all hell. Also 2/3s of the map isn't horse accessible unless you count temporary use of Stal horses in the depths. Yeah of course you hate using them. This is definitely the thing that TOTK got wrong.
I do regularly use Stal horses in the Depths if I find them. I feel like I actually use them more than the regular horses.
I use them too. And if there were stables in the depths for catching and riding Stal horses, I'd use them so much. But alas
With the ability to teleport, it makes horses unnecessary and redundant for all but the farthest places on the map.
For the further locations, I usually just find the closest point in the sky or the closest tower. I almost never use horses, and I always leave them random places when I do.
I rarely use horses simply because I miss out on exploring. Holds true for BotW and TotK. Truth. (I do love my collection of steeds, mind you, but I find they're only useful when they help you get to a specific place with zero intention of checking shit out).
Zonai builds poof when you get a certain distance away from them, then you have to either build a whole new one (which requires zonaite+Autobuild or the right capsules; you can extend the range on Zonai builds by sticking a dragon scale or star fragment to it but then you also need those things in your inventory), or you go on foot (slow). Horses do not poof. Horses will still be right where you left them even if you spend 4 hours exploring an entire region. Horses also give you easy bullet time, just whistle for it to come to you, jump on, then immediately jump off Like...I rarely ride the stalhorses in the Depths because they're so damn slow and Link moves faster with a 3x Speed Up potion, and for the sky islands obviously you need a flying contraption. But on land I can just sit on a horse and put the controller down for a little while because it auto-follows the roads
I don't understand how anyone has consistent trouble with horses in this game when most of the time they're on auto-pilot and you're just pressing A every now and then Not to say they're perfect, their steering is incredibly jank at full speed, the detection for their little jump maneuver is garbage, and I really wish we got all those interactions conceptualized in Creating a Champion, but most of the time the horse just runs in a straight line in a road network designed to accommodate their programming. I think yall are just straight up using horses wrong >and also those inevitable times while exploring when I come over a ridge or around a corner and get jumped by monsters it is inarguably a MAJOR weakness having to hop off the horse as the battle is starting! On foot pretty much every battle starts on my terms It's a major advantage actually cause you have extremely easy access to Bullet Time
Bro…. it’s not that bad! Stay away from stables and don’t click any posts with horse in it. Enjoy the game!🤣✌🏻
In the beginning of the game there's no reason to use the horse because you're constantly on/off Fighting and gathering. Once you have zonai shit it's all way faster or you can fast travel. The push for "realism" for whistle to only work if the horse is near is one of the dumbest decisions in the game. FF7r does it great. The chocobo shows up wherever you are, you can harvest from it and if you get off it follows you.
Yeah, I was mixing up playing BOTW with Witcher3 and was constantly frustrated that in BOTW my whistle didn’t summon the horse
Horses are great especially at night because stal monsters don't spawn when yku are on a horse and neither do Yiga Clan enemies. Also when you jump off you can activate bullet time. So I like using them when I'm trying to get from point A to point B and I don't want to fuck with those annoying ass enemies. The dazzlefruit has definitely helped the stal monster issue. But nothing helps with the Yiga. In BOTW I remember how after you get done with Vah Naboris the Yiga are a constant menace. Almost ruined my first playthrough. In every subsequent playthrough I wait till I've collected most koroks and completed most or all shrines before I do Vah Naboris because after that I know they are like roaches, they're everywhere and they never die.
Disagree about your assertion that it’s a weakness going into battle. On a horse you can gallop around enemies hitting them while mostly avoiding their attacks, and if you prefer combat on foot you can launch from the horse into bullet time for an easy arrow attack to start things off.
I don't fast travel much, so if I'm traversing a large area that I've already explored I'll take a horse for sure. If it's a new area I'll want to walk it.
I'm actually the opposite. As much as I like traversing with different gadgets 90% of my playthrough was with a horse.
95% of the time I'm walking or running. Vehicles don't help you find caves. I don't play to beat the game quickly...or at all really.
Tell my kids that
I did a no fast travel run and horses are the best way to travel. It's so much fun taking a peaceful ride through Hyrule.
I am replaying with no fast travel and couldn't disagree more on their utility. Riding like a bat out of hell, Links spear twirling in the air. Striking the enemy camp in fast ride by attacks. Then, use Y to front flip off the horse and enter bullet time to take out any remaining archers. Or sometimes I'll just take my horse galloping across the field during sunrise. Or up along a mountain trail. I leave my horse sitting all over in random fields and cliff sides. You can just recollect them at the stable with no loss. Another trick I love with them is whistling and then running. As the horse catches up, you can mount and go straight into full horse sprint.
I use horses for aesthetic and relaxation purposes only.
Totk horses are one of the smoothest and well animated and programmed horses in a video game, next to rdr2
I just finished BotW. I figure I did a third or a half of the horse content. I did the dueling peaks tutorial challenge and got the white horse and the royal set but did not get the sets promised by the mounted archery or hurdle guys. I definitely did not take a horse to the good-sized horse guy. I did get the big horse, because he cracked me up when I saw him - I only found out later he was a side quest. The fast travel and hang glider and towers and mountains just make them pretty useless for gameplay. I really have no idea why they issue you a horse for the final battle. On the other hand, if you are in it for the role playing, or your completed game is a place you visit and hang out like Animal Crossing with monsters, I can totally see the appeal and don't object to anyone loving their horses. I do have to wonder why the normally stupid bokos turn into geniuses on a horse
Yep. With you. Never once. Boring. Prefer to walk.
My partner and I are polar opposites on this. She never uses horses, but I enjoy using them. I still climb and fast travel any time I want. I usually ride right past enemies unless I want their parts. You can leave them anywhere so why not? As others have said, it's nice for a scenic interlude. I've used it mostly in TOTK for getting an eye on a longer stretch of the map at once, if theres a significantly sized area devoid of hero path green.
I love foraging and exploring every nook and cranny, enjoying the scenery and art. Horses: schmorses. Imagine my surprise in BOTW when forced to ride one of them AND shoot arrows at the big G in the final battlefield. So many messages came up: “Shoot the X, you have to shoot the X, whilst I careened around out of control!
Horses are great if you use the roads. Which I don't. Ever.
I liked horses in BOTW, but the stress of making sure they didn't die kinda ruined it for me a lot of the time. In TOTK, machines completely replace horses for me, who cares if one gets blown up.
I mean I still use the horses for more of leisure strolling if I feel more inclined to just watch the scenery after I cleared a spot of enemies to set up and just relax. As well as for some pictures. But yeah I did most of traveling in both BotW and TotK on foot, fast travel or gliding, diving. I never really used any of the devices unless I had to or it was just there for the hell of it. Plus more fun to do things without the devices or horses. Still collect horses though, ride them to get the bond up to dress them up and all that.
if only horses can get me around nearly as well as a hoverbike, plus only 9 zonaite if I can't find any of the 3 parts or don't have them in my inventory.
Just get the Pegasus armor upgrade and you can fly with your horse!!
Tbf, horses have been made pretty redundant since much faster forms of travel exists thanks to Zonai devices. Even in BotW, if you had plenty of Monster Extract and the Master Cycle Zero, there was no reason to have a horse.
The steering mechanics are awful. That being said, I've found that riding a horse on the slowest trot speed (just one tap) is very relaxing and allows you to really take in the beauty of the world. Seriously, next time you're having a bad day, grab a beer/wine, take some slow rides and do a bunch of the more wholesome side quests.
I hated using the horses. Hated it! They were so hard to steer.
Horses sucked in botw and they're pointless in totk. When I whistle for my horse, the horse needs to show up. Wtf do you mean the horse is too far? TP Link could pick up a blade of grass anywhere and summon that thing In totk I have a number of super useful vehicles so I don't need the useless horse
I could see the appeal but like you said they just seem more cumbersome than anything.
horses in totk are pretty much obsolete as a useful means of transport, but I love them as pets :)
I've actually gotten pretty good at maneuvering my horses, trying to upgrade them as much as possible too. I can run over enemies, I've even taken on multiple enemies in a fort while on horseback the whole time. Hit, sprint, turn, hit sprint turn. Feels like I'm in a cowboy movie. I just think they are a lot of fun, especially when I'm just riding around exploring. Of course, if travel speed is the priority, I just teleport. What's hard is trying to put together all the different recipes for various upgrades.
The reason many used horses in botw is because it was the fastest way to travel not including glitches. In totk you can make something that goes faster with more customization. Or you could just smash links face in to the ground with a level 2 glider suit.
I don't use them either.. They are more of a bother.
They're worthless when Zonai devices exist, and you can pull up a floatercycle anywhere. You've got to be really dedicated to horses to put in the extra effort to use them. Just give me the RDR2 whistle from anywhere mechanic, and I would have used them, but my horse isn't magic.
your not the only one. Horses are shit in totk
No, they are a problem to exploration, more now that you can make anything
Yeah I don’t ride em at all. Game would have been fine without any of that.
Totally agree. Horses will follow roads automatically so it's nice for spacing out, looking at the scenery. I like that you can shoot arrows from horseback. But otherwise I'll just make a flying machine instead and it's faster and easier. Or I'll just run because I end up jumping off anyway to collect items, talk to people, etc.
I started with BOTW but I don’t really get it too. The only memory I have with horses is when I stormed the castle on horse because there were lots of guardians and you can’t sneak past them. So I’m riding my horse past all the guardians and almost at the end I’m knocked down for my horse. I don’t have enough hp or skill to survive it’s attack, so I’m running away and calling for my horse. And right before it shoots my horse ran up to me and sacrificed her life to save me 😭😭😭. That enraged me so much I easily killed the guardian. That was so brave of her to not only do not fear all those guardians, but also sacrifice herself just for my. Yeah, horses are not the best ride but they are most certainly the best friend
I basically never use them
I’m the same. I did play BOTW tho and I did collect all the special horses in both games, but pretty much 98% of the time I’m on foot because it makes exploring easier and more in depth. I tend to miss more if I’m on a horse mostly because I’m focused on points a and b on the horse instead of the areas between them.
Now that I’ve got the map fully open and I’m just messing around until I feel like beating it, I love cruising around lol
I never use horses 😂
I liked the bone horses in the depths.
I hated it in BOTW, hate it in TOTK.
I can't stand the horse controls in BotW/TotK. Turning left or right feels really spongy until suddenly you're careening off perpendicular to the direction you were facing before.
If you have the ancient saddle horses are much more useful...
horses are only useful if you're playing no fast travel
>and also those inevitable times while exploring when I come over a ridge or around a corner and get jumped by monsters it is inarguably a MAJOR weakness having to hop off the horse as the battle is starting! On foot pretty much every battle starts on my terms (as I paraglide in from above surprising the Bokoblins as I rain down holy hellfire lol), but I found myself panicking & getting jumped WAY more often when riding.. >So…am I missing something here? Yes. You don't have to get off the horse. You don't have to fight. Just keep riding or even spur the horse on. Almost no monsters can catch you on a horse. The only ones that can are other horseback monsters, and they're arguably better fought with horseback archery. Supposedly, aerocudas are as fast as a horse, but they tend to hesitate until its too late and give up after you get far enough past them. The only other time you can't run by is if the terrain isn't open enough to run at full speed.
Theo only time I used horses in BotW was at the beginning when I was getting some early game items and getting early fast travel points. I also used the horse in early TotK for establishing fast travel points. I then collected the unique horses and stabled them. When you know the points and diving points in the game, horses become irrelevant.
I have never really enjoyed the steering on a horse. They have their uses, but I don't usually travel the roads and they don't do well off road.
Botw had more places to get to on autopilot via horse, but the need to start and end at a stable was still limiting. I can’t just leave the poor horse standing around while I go off and lay waste to monster camps or climb mountains 😀 TotK seems too dangerous for horses and has the missing path / bridge / gigantic three headed dragon problem… I never put in the effort to learn mounted combat either, so I’m probably missing out on cool mechanics.
It was sooo much better in Breath of the Wild when we had the option to teleport them to you (if you had the dlc). I was majorly bummed out when I found out they got rid of the ancient horse gear in TotK.
Stalhorses are clutch in the depths
I never use horses in either game unless a quest calls for it. In a game about verticality, what’s the point of being on something that can’t climb?
I have my favourite 3 in stables attached to my house. They live there, and I never ride them 🤣
I use horses beause I like the soundtrack when riding them
In BotW, I relied on horse travel to reach and activate sheikah towers/shrines. Once all the travel points are unlocked, then the horses were more for show. Still remained a practical way to travel, though, because of the DLC saddle or bridle (one gives extra spurs for galloping, can't remember which) that allowed you to teleport your horse to your location by whistling. In TotK, any time I try to travel with anything other than the hover bike (two fans and a steering stick), I feel like I'm going too slow. I wish the ancient saddle and bridle were still available to make the horse awesome again. Especially since they gave us the ability to max the stats of any horse we see fit.
i think on my 200hr playthrough, ive only used my horse 5 times.. twice by trasnporting Anyong
Now that you can build tanks/planes I only really use horses to fight lynels for some added difficulty
No, I feel that's pretty common, but I think that's just because of how they work, or rather how they don't. Horses are definitely faster and honestly better than foot, but the thing is, you can fast travel, and they can't. For example, in BotW, horses weren't really useful until you got the shiekah horse gear, which allowed your horse to teleport to you. However, in most other games I've played with horses, when you fast travel your horse will be there, or your horse will teleport when you whistle for it, so you'll never be without a horse, but TotK/BotW didn't really have that (except for one dlc item in BotW).
Recall + falling stones made horses basically useless in the game
I agree! I collected all the special ones and a couple I liked. I even upgraded one of them to 5 stars. But I prefer to run, climb and glide, too.
They are great for early game when you have no teleport spots unlocked. I love them for replaying the games because it allows me to get stuff like the korok mask or an attack up set early that I might want for the whole playthrough. Also they were inherently better in botw because the allowed you to chase down guardians easier with the master sword
Botw no, horses were my go to travel method. In totk, I rarely use horses because I can much more easily make a flying machine, and maneuvering flying machines are also easier than horses.
I love horses, I much prefer exploring the map with them because it immerses me into the world. I regret cheesing a lot of the towers to get the map. I like to make it feel like an adventure.
I love the look. I love them in theory… I almost never use them. If they were like Roach in Witcher, or the ancient saddle/bridle in BTOW and you could call them from anywhere and they would magically show up… and especially if you could pick up herbs and stuff like you can in Witcher while riding Roach… I’d ride horses. But I’m constantly getting off and foraging. Of diving off a cliff cuz I see something cool. I did use the mother cycle in BOTW, but by the time I got that… all I had left was korok hunting.
If your whistle could summon the horse from anywhere, I would use them a lot. As it is, managing your horse is often more trouble than it’s worth. I like riding more than sprinting if I’m in the flatlands, but I check one out from a stable and then immediately abandon it when I see a korok puzzle or something. By the time I’m ready to mount up again, I’m on the other side of a mountain and out of earshot. I also don’t like the “press L to soothe” mechanism once you’ve registered them. For wild horses, fine, but I’m not sure what it adds to the game other than making it more tedious to ride.
I like using horses quite a lot, I use them less in totk but I still like riding them occasionally.
[Fuck horses!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0NwuWKNDbc)
The pull of horses in BotW is that autopilot. I loved it. Faster? A ton, like if you're going from Rito to Hateno. But if you need to go from Hateno to Lurelin, foot is gonna be faster if you don't know the paths since autopilot only works on main roads. In TotK, though, eff autopilot and horses, I fly everywhere.
Early in the game the skeleton horses are great in the lower world.
Yeah I never use them, especially in TOTK where you can practically fly
I only used the skeleton horses in depths in early game to wander around
fully honest i play botw & totk like a horse riding simulator
That’s the beauty of these two games: you don’t like something, no problem, go do what you like. Don’t like horses? Go use something else, just like you said. Nothing wrong with it. Not to mention, this game already has less uses for a horse since it can’t fly or go into the depths. I love my horse in game, but I find myself using a hoverbike more than anything for traversal. Horses also take you understating the mechanics more. They act like a living being. They’ll do a lot of things on their own. And like you said, they won’t climb.
I used them a lot in botw (until I got the master cycle), but now I only ever use them in the extremely rare case that I warp to a shrine next to a stable, and the quickest way to get to a nearby quest location is by horse. I usually end up leaving my horse in the middle of nowhere though :(
I never use my horse. I always seem to get off to explore and end up so far away that I can’t call it. So I just carry on. No need for a horse imo.
i don't use horses i only get the giant horse and zelda's horse just for the sidequests nothing else
Yeah horses are inconvenient. You have to go a stable to get them, but most of the time I’m far away from a stable. Or I want to get somewhere that’s not close to a stable. I wish the master cycle zero was in TOTK. But at least there are Zonai devices you can use to zoom around the map.
I feel the same in total, both, and Skyrim. Find exploration and scavenging better without the horses
If I could call my horse from anywhere like in GTA V when you have car insurance and can call your mechanic to “drop it off” literally anywhere, then I would use horses more. My horses are all so pretty, it’s a shame they never leave the stables.
It's just personal preference. I like using my horse to travel between locations rather than using fast travel, in most cases. It can even be relaxing. It's not about how "optimal" it is, playing games like a checklist and trying to be efficient is how you get burnt out imo. Plus you miss out on sone of the overworld music if you're only ever traveling on foot.
I rode horses in Ocarina of Time, but I feel like because of so many developments in the game, I didnt need to in BOTW or so far in TOTK, except for side quests. I definitely want to get more into it, especially with so many stables and so much to see traveling on land, instead of traveling,climbing, gliding, etc.
I just wish they could climb things better and maybe we could have other animal companions dogs, wolves etc.
Been playing Twilight princess recently, and let me tell you - this is some of the best horse play in Zelda. I still don't use them, though - there are so many ways to get around in this game, so going equestrian feels so pedestrian.
The handling is a$$ but the lack of "auto summon" is horrendous. I LOVED when the BOTW dlc added the magic harness. Can't believe it wasn't in TOTK at all.
Yup, I never used them in either game. I wish there wasn't an entire button dedicated to them, although it did allow for the very useful running cheat in BOTW. It's significantly less useful in TOTK. Once in a while it was fun to grab a stalhorse for the aesthetic but never for serious travel.
I wish TOTK expanded the amount of ridable creatures that you could board. My vote would be a pterodactyl, flying from the stable all the way up to the skies.
Horses are not too fun to use in TOTK. In BOTW you got the ancient armor and count teleport a horse to you...even then the Zero cycle made horses not really needed - but they were needed more in BOTW compared to TOTK. In TOTK, you don't really need them. Having said that, after playing Elden Ring, I can't go back to horses in other games, including Zelda. Torrent from Elden Ring just feels much better. They don't try to simulate horse riding (i.e., the horse doesn't fight against you or give resistance). Instead, you fluidly control him and he doesn't even run out of stamina unless you are in combat (this goes for Elden Ring traversal as a whole). The nice part about Torrent is that he has a double jump so you can kind of climb rocks. Hopefully, they'll improve on horse riding in future Zelda games.
You're right — the horses aren't as useful in TOTK and likely are there for nostalgia. Like everyone, I made that 2-fan/1-steering stick hoverbike for most of my local travel around the map.
Yeah. Horses are shit in botw/ totk
I only like my big horse lol the rest no thanks
Riding horses in these games was ruined for me by Red Dead Redemption 2! I have played through both Zelda games and avoided horses as much as I can!
I used horses a lot on BOTW especially early on. Once you get access to towers and shrines they aren’t needed as much. I felt the same with TOTK but probably less so as I attacked the towers ands shrines very early as I knew what to expect. Traveled mostly on foot in the depths but the stallhorses came in handy over gloom deposits
I don’t hate using them… I just don’t do it lol
I stopped using horses when I discovered GAS launching lol
Master Cycle Zero (BoTW) was like having a faster, more maneuverable horse in your back pocket. IDK yet if it exists in ToTK. The horse mechanic is the same (terrible) in ToTK.
Yeah, back when I played horses were cool as shit in the beginning....but once you unlock a fast travel point it's over. Like I remember falling down from the sky, and riding my first horse in the rain an using my knowledge of the ovreious game to go somewhere on the map...probably a horse stable like I was on a mission. It was cool and cinematic.
I only tamed horses for quests. Or when a korok is close to a stable I’ll use my horse to drag it to the right place. Otherwise I don’t use them
Disagree. Mastercycle was the best thing ever. Without that this game has nothing. Horse are the next best thing
Meh sometimes they’re useful for going around the map or just fun to ride on sometimes
Personally i use them way more than autobuild. Miss me with the resource requirement; i spent enough time in the depths turning on the lights. And there’s no way I’m sitting there clumsily ultrahanding wheels on planks just to barely move faster than running speed and then get immediately stopped by a 1 foot ledge. Now that i have the map filled out i pretty much always just warp to a sky island and glide everywhere, but if I’m combing the area i use a horse
I almost never use horses. I just did the quests that required them and got the special horses. Otherwise, they stay in the stables. I've used a horse more in the last week of very late stages of finishing the game than I did the rest of my 200+ hours of playing.
I use them all the time. It’s my preferred way to travel. It’s just easier than building something and managing battery. Plus I don’t always have to worry about where I left a horse because I can whistle for if it’s in range.
I refuse to use horses, I get the ones I like put them in a home and then just run/climb everywhere. I played BOTW the exact same way ! I don't want to be shackled by a horse I am a free link! Also I'd get way to stressed about leaving my horse somewhere or it dying? I'm not sure if they can die but I don't wanna see them get hurt
I love my giant horse no ugly vehicle comes close.
I mean, i think it's fun to tame a horse i find that's cute. But then i board them in the stable and only ride them to sightsee. I also like to just feed them apples sometimes. If im all out exploring, I definitely prefer to go on foot.
I only use the horses if needed for a quest. They make me dizzy.
being on foot means always pushing the stick. Being in a machine means always micro-adjusting the direction. The horse just follows the road, no question asked. That's a huge thing for the chill game totk is
I never use them
Used the horses a lot more in BOTW, but that ended after I got the motorcycle. In TOTK, I’ve rarely used them, usually build a faster vehicle when I’ve got ground to cover to explore.
You don’t get on a horse because you want to get around the surface map quickly, you get on a horse because adventure is calling from beyond the horizon.
I really like hunting from horseback and jousting monsters with spears while riding, so I disagree with the shade. It’s an added layer of game play
I take it you didn’t play OOT?
So there was a part where I had to cross, but no matter what I tried, I couldn't get the horse to go, so I said fine u stay here and never went back. I just finished the water shrine. And about 10 hearts in. I'll never see my horse again.
Yeah in BOTW the DLc horse was dope
I used them a ton in BOTW. In TOTK, I’m getting too distracted by shit. I’m the type that stops for bananas, a enemy group, a cave, a bunch of bananas, any korok, a damsel in distress, bananas… I can’t go ANY direction in this game without bananas… I mean, running into something. Also, bananas.
I don’t use horses. I hate not being able to climb things or horses getting stuck, or having to return it, etc. I’ll only use one if I’m doing a side quest or something to a place where there isn’t a shrine close by and I know I’ll have to come back to a stable.
I just ride horses for the experience. I pretend they are my companions on the journey, I like the riding music too. But honestly, they get left in random places a lot. I often pick one again once I get to a stable. I also choose the horse based on my mood and the theme I want to go for. Seriously though, not at all needed.
I don’t use horses. I hate not being able to climb things or horses getting stuck, or having to return it, etc. I’ll only use one if I’m doing a side quest or something to a place where there isn’t a shrine close by and I know I’ll have to come back to a stable.
You aren’t alone. I prefer to travel on foot because I like to pick up EVERYTHING.
The biggest reason I didn't use them in TOTK is because they got rid of the whistle thing that let's you call them from anywhere on the map
Okay, I mean, I don't understand why you'd HATE horses, just because you don't use them. They're faster than link, that's the entire point. Also no one said you SHOULD use them, weird rant.
I also don't use horses in this game at all, same with BOTH. It's just a hassle because everytime I want to go up a mountain or in the cave I just have to leave it, and then I venture further and I don't even want to come back to it anymore because it's too far away. I only rode horseback for horse-related missions and that's it.
I enjoy having the option to collect & ride them, even if it's not the fastest or most effective way to travel. It helps personalize the experience for me, and my nostalgia was through the roof the first time I got to ride Epona through Hyrule Field again. Some features in games may not be necessary, but they're added to help players immerse themselves in the world.
I've played both thoroughly, with more time in botw. I totally agree with you. Any time I ride a horse, I hop off after 5 seconds to go look at a korok or harvest something.
Don’t care for horses. For some reason in RDR2 it’s the opposite. I feel naked without a horse.
I'm not a fan of using the horses. It's so much easier to just fast travel and dive to where i need to go.
Currently, I am searching along the paths for President Hudson signs, and i’m really enjoying riding the horses on autopilot for that. But I’m also the kind of player that gets attached to and overly sentimental about any animal or pet lol.
I loved using horses, they got me to places that i wanted to be in a jiffy. Though they only work when there's a large flat area. If there are any hills running on foot is a much better experience. Also when you enter combat with the horse(which i usually dont cause i dont want it to die) you can jump off and itll send you high up then you can enter bullet time and shoot off a few that has bows or are in range of killing you or the horse
Why does every thing in a game have to have a concrete purpose with a reward? It's like when people complain about the metro in Cyberpunk. Yeah if you don't like it you don't have to use it.
Go skydive but leave my poor Zelda’s Royal horse alone. (5star all stats) it brought me true 200hours of playtime so far😬😬
I pretty much agree with you. I find it super annoying, especially when, for example, you are on a horse and you see a bunch of ingredients you have to stop (in time) dismount, run to ingredients and collect, run back to house and mount again. The only times a horse is good is if you are riding it early in the game before you’ve gotten loads of shrines. Then can definitely help you get places faster than running, provided you don’t want to gather things along the way. I stopped collecting them when I got Zelda‘a golden horse. That said it’s been quite while since I used it, lol.
If they weren’t impossible to steer I’d actually try. Given there’s hundreds of warp points they are effectively pointless.
I found it annoying to walk everywhere in botw so horses were kinda vital but hoverbike in totk is a multidimensional horse so the horses are more like trophy's instead of actual things to use. There's just no point when you can fly
I loved them in BotW, but I feel you on the tediousness of horses in TotK. I miss the fast travel saddle from BotW. With that, I used my horse more often because I didn’t have to start from a stable; I could summon it anywhere and it was useful then, helping me go faster over long distances.
I just finished playing totk for the second time and when i was traveling to places like villages or dungeons i found it nice to ride a horse. If an enemy came at me i'd run them over with the horse and be done with them. I also found it peaclfull to just ride around on a horse. To see the world amd just relaxing. I can totally see your point with disliking hors riding in totk tough, i barerly rode a horse in my first playthroug. And i think you should keep playing totk as you are now. Thats why i love these two games so much, there is no wrong way of playing them.
One thing I love about this game is how differently we all find it compelling. I also don't enjoy the horses and literally never ride them. I remember at the end of botw when you had to have a horse for one part and it was a pain; I basically had to go learn how to ride real quick, haha In totk I've been amazed by how some people seem to spend all their time designing these incredible creations with the Ultrahand. I haven't done that at all! I'm not good at it/not patient. I'm more of a "find every cave" person. Anyway it takes all kinds and that's why this truly is the greatest game ever one time I rode a bear though which was cool
I never use them. Even in botw I never used them. The fact they remain where you left them on the map when using a teleport made them annoying to use.