There are countless games out there that attempt to capture the feeling of being set loose on a vast, unknowable landscape. Games likeRed Dead Redemption 2andthe surprisingly popularAmerican Truck Simulatorprove that, beyond memorable and engrossing visuals, thoughtful mechanics that may seem tedious on the surface can go a long way toward immersion in these sorts of virtual spaces, cementing the feeling of being in a real world with key limitations to consider.Windstorm: The Legend of Khiimoriseems to be taking notes from this style of game design.
Windstorm: The Legend of Khiimoriis being developed by Aesir Interactive, and is the third game in theWindstormseries. This newWindstormentry is decidedly more ambitious than its predecessors, though, with far more detailed graphics and art design, coupled with a deeper narrative and additional gameplay systems that set it apart from the quaint nature of the prior games. It’s shaping up to be something of a leap for Aesir Interactive as a whole, as the studio has been known for charming, but somewhat janky, titles likePolice Simulator: Patrol Officers, possibly marking a new chapter for the company.
Windstorm Takes RDR2’s Horse Systems to the Next Level
Plenty has been said aboutRed Dead Redemption 2’s many horses, which provide nuanced animal companionship in the dark, decaying world of Rockstar’s Wild West. Grooming, feeding, and bonding with horses can play a significant role inRDR2, especially for those who want to milk these mechanics for all they have, maximizing their riding performance and adding another layer to the game’s at-times overwhelming degree of realism. Having said that, there are no doubt many players who would have liked to see these horse-related systems go even further, and this is whereWindstormcomes in.
Windstormplaces horseback riding front-and-center, making it a more crucial, central aspect of the game thanRDR2does.Horses are treated much like cars inRDR2, with players able to purchase and collect horses with different stats over the course of the game, improving their abilities through consistent riding. But inWindstorm, caring for horses and strategically breeding them directly impacts the moment-to-moment gameplay, which seemingly borrows open-world mechanics from the survival genre, and even shares some aspects with the methodical locomotion ofDeath Stranding.
Another common trait betweenWindstormandRed Dead Redemption 2is a focus on camps.Windstormplayers are tasked with upgrading and moving nomadic campsites between different locations, aiding their central exploration and traversal tasks. Once again, this is a mechanic that ostensibly plays a much more important role inWindstormthan inRed Dead Redemption 2, firmly nestled into its central gameplay loop and offering players far more control.
What Windstorm Is Actually About
Horse-and camp-centric mechanics are obvious parallels toRed Dead Redemption 2, butWindstorm’s immersive open-world gameplayis a far cry from Rockstar’s narrative-driven adventure. InWindstorm, players take control of a nomadic courier in ancient Mongolia, tasked with crossing vast, diverse landscapes and delivering various goods. It’s this important gameplay conceit that may remind players ofAmerican Truck Simulatorand other delivery-focused games.
Windstorm’s sprawling open-world, ties to real-world Mongolian history and culture, and its emphasis on things like horseback riding and camp building, which many games include as afterthoughts or tertiary features, promise to make it a unique and captivating experience. Of course, players familiar with Aesir Interactive’s previous projects may want to hold off on the game until they see more raw gameplay, but assuming the developer can nail its exploration, riding, and survival mechanics,Windstormcould hold a special place in the hearts of many players, especially those enthralled by the more minute, slice-of-life aspects of games likeRed Dead Redemption 2andAmerican Truck Simulator.
Red Dead Redemption 2
WHERE TO PLAY
America, 1899. The end of the wild west era has begun as lawmen hunt down the last remaining outlaw gangs. Those who will not surrender or succumb are killed. After a robbery goes badly wrong in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang are forced to flee. With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America to survive. As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him. From the creators of Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption, Red Dead Redemption 2 is an epic tale of life in America at the dawn of the modern age.
