The Witcher 4 Aims to Rival Red Dead 2 for Best Horses in Gaming

Alright, so let’s dive into the whole epic horse rivalry thing — yeah, you heard me right, ’cause it’s a turf war, but, like, with horses. Sounds weird? Bear with me.

You know, Red Dead Redemption 2, right? That game really set the bar for horsin’ around in video games. Not joking, Rockstar packed a whole bunch of horse breeds in there, each with its own flair. You got your beefy draft horses and wiry racehorses — like those majestic Arabians. Stats? Oh yeah, they got ’em tailored like a custom saddle, each horse fit for some niche role, whether it’s trotting into battle or just, you know, plodding along with a cart of who-knows-what. Honest to goodness, tackling all the colors was like a collector’s dream — or a headache. Depends on your take.

Switch scenes. The Witcher 4 comes stomping in. Picture this: Unreal Fest 2025 and CDPR is strutting its stuff, showing off Ciri’s trusty steed, Kelpie. Now, this isn’t just any horse—Hit the pause button here. In the books, Kelpie’s not your average Joe. She’s got this whole supernatural kick going on. So, with Unreal Engine 5, we’re seeing mane hairs and muscles ripple. Those planners must’ve spent hours just perfecting each elegant step. Like, you can just imagine feeling the ground thrum under her hooves. Now, that’s something, right? Feels like a real connection, not just a game asset clunking around.

Speaking of connections, Roach from the first three Witcher games, remember that guy? Yeah, Geralt’s buddy. Cute bit, in The Witcher 3, Roach even speaks. But Kelpie? Different beast entirely. You can’t help but wonder if she’s more than what’s on the screen. It’s like magic or trickery, hell, it could just be good gaming tech, making her and Ciri move like they’re thinking the same thing.

So, is Kelpie Ciri’s only ride in this new installment? Might be. But who knows, maybe they’ll surprise us — a unicorn cameo again? Here’s hoping. Anyway, The Witcher 4’s aiming to outshine the rest, though there’s some tough competition in upcoming titles like Ghost of Yotei. They’ve got herds of wild ponies — can’t wait to see how that unfolds.

Seriously, this isn’t some passing fad — this might just be the start of video games getting their horse business gritty and real. Or maybe I’ve just spent too much time thinking about pixel ponies. Who can say?