Santa Ragione's latest project, Horses, a psychological horror game, has been pulled from sale on Steam and the Epic Games Store amidst controversy over its graphic content. But was it as contentious as expected?
Horses' story follows Anselmo, an 20-year-old Italian man sent to spend his summer working on a farm. The plot is straightforward, but darkens fast, revealing that the "horses" are actually nude humans with horse heads. Players must tend to these subjects in monotonous tasks interspersed with gruesome ones. However, despite its unsettling nature, Horses' visuals are simplistic and crude graphics dull its edge.
The game's content was reviewed by Valve back in 2023 and led to the ban on Steam due to adherence to their guidelines and rules. Meanwhile, Epic Games Store cited violations of their Content Guidelines for Inappropriate Content and Hateful or Abusive Content policies. Santa Ragione disputes this claim that no specifics were given.
Gameplay revolves around Anselmo's daily routine in a hellish environment with little sound aside from the whirring film camera and close-up shots of characters speaking or eating. Players experience an unnerving atmosphere, but there is limited violence; instead, horrors of humanity are laid bare, leaving players feeling uncomfortable yet frustrated.
The controversy surrounding Horses touches on deeper conversations about video games as art and censorship of creative works, with questions lingering over the content's actual impact compared to its implications in society.
Horses' story follows Anselmo, an 20-year-old Italian man sent to spend his summer working on a farm. The plot is straightforward, but darkens fast, revealing that the "horses" are actually nude humans with horse heads. Players must tend to these subjects in monotonous tasks interspersed with gruesome ones. However, despite its unsettling nature, Horses' visuals are simplistic and crude graphics dull its edge.
The game's content was reviewed by Valve back in 2023 and led to the ban on Steam due to adherence to their guidelines and rules. Meanwhile, Epic Games Store cited violations of their Content Guidelines for Inappropriate Content and Hateful or Abusive Content policies. Santa Ragione disputes this claim that no specifics were given.
Gameplay revolves around Anselmo's daily routine in a hellish environment with little sound aside from the whirring film camera and close-up shots of characters speaking or eating. Players experience an unnerving atmosphere, but there is limited violence; instead, horrors of humanity are laid bare, leaving players feeling uncomfortable yet frustrated.
The controversy surrounding Horses touches on deeper conversations about video games as art and censorship of creative works, with questions lingering over the content's actual impact compared to its implications in society.
Can you imagine having a summer job that's literally a nightmare 
? Sounds like Anselmo got stuck with the worst farm internship ever! And honestly, if I'm paying $10 for this game, I expect some decent graphics 
. Simplistic and crude is not my idea of "art". But hey, at least it's getting people talking about video games as art... or should I say, "game" as art? 
. plus, i got a bad vibe from the gameplay sounds and visuals - it felt like i was stuck in some kind of sadistic documentary 
. now that it's been pulled from sale, maybe santa ragione can take this as an opportunity to revamp his game with more attention to detail and polish?
. I mean, it sounds super weird but also kinda intriguing? The whole thing about the 'horses' being human is pretty mind-blowing. And yeah, I can see why Steam and Epic Games Store would get triggered by it... but I think it's a great example of how video games can push boundaries and spark conversations 
.
But at the same time, I'm all about artists being able to express themselves freely. Censorship is always a tricky issue, but maybe this whole thing will lead to some interesting discussions about what makes art 'acceptable' in different mediums 
. I love when games can create that feeling of unease and discomfort without relying on gore or violence alone 
. It's like they're making you think about the horror more than just the visuals 
.
those simplistic graphics kinda make it feel more like a disturbing fever dream than a hardcore horror experience. still, idk if you can really make a game that's gonna leave people feeling uncomfortable and not talk about the bigger issues around censorship... 
. And the gameplay is super slow and monotonous, it's like you're just going through the motions...which is kinda the point 
. I feel for Santa Ragione, they shouldn't be penalized for pushing boundaries 
. Can we just talk about how some games are just too mainstream nowadays? 