My Horse Review

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Game Description

It’s Your Horse of Course!

No more dreaming. The times of wishing that you could have a horse are over for now. My Horse gives you exactly what you should expect from the title: a horse of your very own. Now you can experience the thrill of tending to one of these beautiful and majestic creatures. It won’t be easy; horses may be strong animals, but they require a lot of love and care to lead happy and healthy lives. It will be up to you to feed your steed, clean up after it, and train it properly so that it can grow to be strong, fast and heedful of your commands. Who knows? You just might also raise a champion racer as well!

Get to Know Your Horse

The horse of My Horse is not just a walking bundle of statistics; it is treated as a living and breathing animal. It very much has a mind of its own and will graze, pace, run laps and play without any of your input. Like the real-life animal, every horse has a unique personality. Through careful consideration and tender care, both you and it can take the first steps to forming a beautiful friendship.

• Drink in the look of your horse and its environment in beautifully crisp 3D graphics.
• Watch your animal move with lifelike precision. Gauge its mood by paying special attention to its more subtle actions and motions, such as the position of its ears.
• Give your horse a unique name.
• Take snapshots using the in-game camera.
• Call the animal over to your position with a single tap of the screen. Show your affection by stroking its muzzle.

The Care and Feeding of Your Horse

A horse is a big responsibility in both real life and in this game. Fortunately, the latter does not involve nearly as much back-breaking labor or the need to get your hands literally dirty. A few strokes of your finger are all that will be needed to tend to your horse’s needs.

• Ensure your horse is properly fed by mixing the correct proportions of grain together.
• Reward your companion for good behavior by feeding it treats like sugar cubes.
• Pick up after the horse to maintain a clean and sanitary pasture.
• Give your steed a good washing. Rub your finger over every inch of its coat to wash off all the grime and dust that it accumulated after a long day in the field.
• Hire outside help to handle some of the more humdrum tasks, liking mucking the stables, restocking the feed rooms, and more.

Get Better Over Time

What you start out with in My Horse doesn’t necessarily equate to what you’ll end up with. As you play the game, tend to your horse, and so on, you’ll accrue a number of valuable resources, like money, that can be spent to improve your horse-rearing experience and equestrian career in a myriad of ways.

• Acquire experience as you tend to your horse. Level up to get new tasks that will really keep your horse’s health and happiness up when they are done.
• Hire a professional trainer to train your horse for the competitions if you’d rather not do so yourself.
• Buy a variety of items and upgrades, such as new feed recipes, treats, saddles, and so on.
• Be on the lookout for especially rare and valuable gems. Spending them can cause all sorts of seemingly magical effects to occur. Your workers could finish their tasks instantaneously, your horse could recover all of its stamina in no time flat, and more!

Enter the Competition

My Horse is not just a pet simulator. There is also a fair amount of action as well. If you want to see how the horse that you have been raising with your blood, sweat and tears fares physically, then nothing gauges your progress better than some healthy competition. Put the horse’s skills and your reflexes to the test by entering all kinds of horse-riding contests. Put on a show and you’ll earn enormous cash rewards and some recognition to boot!

• Train your horse. Teach it how to sprint, hurdle and overcome obstacles.
• Tap the button on your screen at the correct time to make your horse perform a daring leap in the air. Master this technique to win the crowd’s favor!
• Watch the action unfold before your very eyes in real time.
• Put on a good enough show to unlock even more challenging competitions.

Take the Experience Online

My Horse doesn’t just need to be about your horse in particular. There’s a whole online community of fellow equestrians out there that can enhance your game in many unexpected ways.

• Lend a hand to your friends by tending to their own horses while they’re away. Give them a nice surprise when they find their prized mare to be even happier and healthier than ever before.
• Earn extra experience and money by caring for other players’ horses.
• Show off screenshots of your steed to all your friends on Facebook.
• Enter competitions against other players and see how both you and your horse perform in comparison to all of them. Earn a bigger cash prize the higher up on the ladder you go.

Make My Horse Yours

My Horse is by far one of the most unique titles you will likely find for the iPad and iPhone. It has all the aspects we know and love about the pet simulator and adds a few challenging components with a competitive edge on the side. It’s also one of the best-looking iOS games around and pushes the graphical capabilities of both devices to their limits. Horse lovers will definitely find a lot to enjoy about My Horse, but other gamers might also attain a newfound love for our equine friends as well.

My Horse Review

Magnificent Simulation

My Horse is exactly what its name implies. As soon as the app boots up, players are presented with their starter horse. Dan the friendly farmhand encourages you to introduce yourself to the animal. After a few carrots and a bit of gentling, the game allows players to rename their horse and begin living the life of a horse owner.

There are minigames involved, but they are also pretty realistic. Mucking out the stalls, picking manure and plants out of the pasture and grooming your horse are but a small sample of the minigames My Horse has to offer. None of these minigames are remotely challenging, but they keep the horse happy and healthy. They also help strengthen the bond between horse and player.

The movements of the virtual horse follow no discernible pattern and appear to be totally random. In addition, the horse isn't always chomping at the bit to follow commands issued by players, often opting to take its sweet time in following a direction. Swishing of the tail, tossing of the head, braying and trotting all happen in a haphazard way, further strengthening the illusion that the horse you hold in the palm of your hand is a real animal with a mind of its own. This is the goal of any good simulation game, and My Horse delivers a truly believable and immersive experience for players.

Astonishing Graphics

It's clear that the graphics in My Horse were designed to wow players right off the bat. In the beginning cutscene, a beautiful brown horse is shown in breathtaking detail as it browses through green grass in a lush pasture. Tapping the horse draws its attention to you, and it skittishly prances over for a closer look. Curiosity and caution war within the animal as it walks in a wary half circle near the player. The mannerisms of the horse are so eerily realistic that even players with no equine experience will be able to recognize the lifelike nature of the animal. It's awe-inspiring.

The surroundings are rendered with the same faithfulness, making horse and background blend together seamlessly. Even mucking out the stalls looks realistic, making this game essential for any little girl who dreams of owning a real horse!

The graphical prowess of this game can't be overstated. Even if someone has no interest in horses or simulation gameplay, this game is a must play for looks alone. It's shocking to see that a handheld device is capable of such stunning visual output, and it demonstrates the latent power of iOS and Android as the gaming platforms of the future.

Purchasable Items and Collectible Horses

Nothing motivates players to rack up in-game coins like some swag, and My Horse has plenty of it. Reins, saddles, boots and more may be purchased from the store, giving players something to work for. One issue is that some colors must be bought using gems, and gems are harder to earn than coins. One solution is for players to buy some gems with real money, but the game never requires players to pay in order to access anything important, which is nice.

The upgraded tack also gives players a much needed edge during competitions, making it an important aspect of the game, regardless of a player's fashion sense.

In addition to items, players are also given the opportunity to collect horses. In a virtual world, space isn't an issue, so who wouldn't want to collect lots of different horse breeds? More horses equals more fun!

Competitions

What the game lacks in plot, it gains in competitions. The competition aspect of the game gives My Horse focus and provides players with something to train for. There are several unique competitions for players and their horses to participate in, and health and happiness stats come into play in a big way. The ultimate accomplishment is to win big at the World Championships.

Play With Friends

My Horse is a great game to play with friends. Chores make up a significant portion of the game, and having friends pitch in and help is a big advantage.

Photograph Special Moments With a Built-in Camera

My Horse allows you to take loads of pictures with the in-game camera. The game gives players plenty of latitude in terms of where pictures may be taken. If you really want to snap a shot of your horse chowing down on some feed, knock yourself out. Want a picture of your horse prancing pretty in the pasture? Go for it! The pictures may be shared via email, Facebook or Twitter from within the game itself, making it easy to share fun photos with friends.

Taking and sharing photos is a surprisingly addictive aspect of My Horse. Snapping an awesome shot of a favorite horse rearing up on its hind legs is just plain fun, time and again. Photos are also a great incentive to purchase sweet new gear from the shop.

Great Use of the Touchscreen Interface

My Horse was designed with touchscreens in mind, and it really shows. Interacting with the horse using simple taps is natural and easy, and the game is very responsive to input from players. The environment and menus are also perfect for fingertip navigation.

The minigames were also designed to be an interactive, hands-on experience as well. Mixing special blends of horse feed using your finger in lieu of a utensil is fun, especially when the grains all whirl and blur together as if they're really being mixed. Plucking manure out of the pasture will have players in a constant state of gratitude that the game is a mere approximation of the real task.

Lacks Difficulty and Challenge

If you're the type of player that thrives on pulse-pounding gameplay and overcoming harrowing obstacles, My Horse is probably not the game for you. Like many games in the simulation genre, My Horse simply isn't challenging. The game is often time-consuming, and it requires focus, persistence and patience, but that's about it. If you're willing to put in the time and effort, you are guaranteed to succeed.

For some players, this will be a serious con. However, My Horse is an outstanding example of what a simulation game should be, and it would have been cheapened by the addition of lives, character death and so on.

Big Game Requires Lots of Space

This rich and vibrant game needs a healthy amount of space, which is understandable given the graphics and programming. For users feeling the pinch of dwindling free space, this is a con. However, the game justifies every megabyte, making it worth clearing a bit of room if necessary.

Conclusion - Fantastic Horse Sim Worth The Play Time

At its core, My Horse is a virtual pet game on steroids, giving everyone the opportunity to own and love their very own horse. This game has appeal for all players, regardless of age or gender. This game's replay value is potentially endless, depending on how much players enjoy interacting with their horses.

The graphics alone justify the download, and it's a must play for anyone with a capable device. This game scores an 8.0. For a horse simulation game, this is as good as it gets. Download it for the visuals, and stay for the fun.

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