There has been a long-standing desire within the horse racing community to have a game that could cater to the much-loved sport. Other sports have achieved huge success within the gaming sector, with NBA, NFL, and NHL titles always ranking among the top choices within the charts. Meanwhile, few sports games are played as regularly across the world as EA FC 24.
But could horse racing be the latest sport to get its taste of the next-gen success achieved by others in the sector over the coming years? Winning Post 10 could be the answer to the prayers of horse racing fans.
What Is Winning Post 10?
Winning Post 10 is the latest offering from the Winning Post series, as it celebrates its 30th anniversary. The title was released in March 2023 and is available to play on PlayStation 5, as well as the Nintendo Switch, Windows, and PlayStation 4.
However, there will be disappointment among Xbox Players, as it isn’t available on the Next Gen console. The title is developed by Koei Tecmo Games, and has already proven to be a hit within its home country of Japan following its release last year.
Key Features
As part of being a Next Gen titles, fans of horse racing can expect to enjoy powerful race scenes which are completely unlike anything than can experience on mobile titles. There is a revamped 3D model that is being used within the game, meaning that players can clearly see the movement in the muscles of the horses involved, and giving it a life-like feel.
Creativity is one of the biggest factors that draws fans into the Winning Post series, as they will need to create a horse through breeding, before then challenging to win races at the top level of the sport. Therefore, it is an excellent feature that players are able to choose from a range of shapes and sizes of eyes, as well as colours of the runner and the mane colour.
Furthermore, players will be able to compete at some of the most photogenic tracks that have been included in the series to date, with options also available to compete at night or day.
This all adds to the experience of the player when they are watching their runner compete in the races on the track. So you can simulate the 2024 Belmont contenders in Saratoga.
New Features To The Series
One of the most welcome features that have been implemented in the latest Winning Post title is the fact that all horses in the game are different with the use of ‘uma-personality.’ This means that the personality type of the horse that you are training is taken into account, with each runner having different likes and dislikes that will impact how you train them.
These personality types are either something that the horse is born with, or it is something that they pick up over time due to the races that they are competing in. Historical training is another new feature that has been implemented in this title, which offers a realistic experience for players.
Historical training methods are those winning techniques that have been used within Japanese racing, with effective strategies such as ‘Loose Rein Training’ and ‘Shinzan Iron’ both among the options available to players. This type of training not only will help the basic ability of the horses in your care, but it will also impact the fatigue, conditioning, and the weight of the horse within your care.
Players will have the choice to pick between a number of historical training methods, and it’s up to the player to use these to their advantage in order to get victories on track.
Is It The Next-Gen Title Fans Demand?
There have been cravings within the horse racing community for a number of years when it comes to a high-quality title being released in order to get closer to the action. However, Winning Post 10 still falls slightly short in delivering on the fantasies of fans despite showing signs of promise with the improved graphics and excellent range of options when training runners.
There is still no life-like realism within the title, meaning that players will see their horses running at made-up tracks across Asia rather than famous racecourses across the world, such as Aintree, Churchill Downs, and Flemington. Meanwhile, racing fans have demanded a game that is more similar to EA FC in regard to the actual real-life jockeys and trainers being included in the title.
This would enable gamers to pit together a field of renowned horses throughout history in a race over ideal conditions for all to see which legendary horse would come out on top. However, whether we will eventually get to see a title of this description remains to be seen, with thousands of top jockeys and hundreds of tracks from various countries across the world likely needing to be in the game in order for it to be a success.
