John Carpenter is a rarity in Hollywood when it comes to video games. The acclaimed director known for Halloween, The Thing remake, and much more is a passionate gamer. Even though the medium has expanded and has seen incredible TV adaptations like The Last of Us, there are still those who stick up their noses at gaming and refuse to see it as art.
That’s why it’s so refreshing to see John Carpenter being vocal about the games he plays. That said, while gaming is clearly a big part of his life, the director hasn’t actually finished every game that he’s picked up. There’s at least one game that he thought was way too hard, and he eventually had to put it down and move onto something else.
John Carpenter Couldn’t Get Through Red Dead Redemption
John Marston holding up his Cattleman Revolver while on a horse in Red Dead RedemptionImage via Rockstar Games
Carpenter started playing games back in the ’90s, when his son introduced him to Sonic the Hedgehog. Ever since then, Carpenter has regularly turned to games as a way to relax. At this point, the director is an experienced gamer, but there are some titles he hasn’t managed to get through, including Red Dead Redemption.
While the Escape from New York director tried to play the classic Rockstar title, he ultimately gave up on it and found it to be too hard. According to Carpenter, “the controls weren’t intuitive,” and he even said that he “couldn’t get on the damn horse.”
What’s interesting is that this criticism aligns more closely with the game’s sequel, Red Dead Redemption 2, than it does with the original game. The RDR1 controls are fairly similar to GTA, while RDR2 has more complex controls and feels like a cowboy simulator. Still, Carpenter acknowledged that the original RDR was a game many loved, and it just wasn’t for him.
Not only is it nice to see figures like John Carpenter openly speaking about their love of games, but it’s great to see him talking about putting down a game he didn’t vibe with. So many gamers will endure hours of games they don’t like to see if their opinion will change. It seems like Carpenter understands that there are so many games out there and not enough time to play them, which is why he’s spending his time on the games he loves.
John Carpenter’s Favorite Games Are Surprisingly Varied
Aloy on her ownImage via Guerrilla Games
While John Carpenter found Red Dead Redemption frustrating, there are plenty of games that he loves. In the same interview, Carpenter talked about loving Fallout 76. Even though he acknowledged the game “had a rough launch, with problems and bugs,” he still admitted that “I really like it.”
Another one of Carpenter’s favorite titles is Horizon Forbidden West is a game that he called “astonishing.” That’s an opinion that’s hard to argue with, as many have labeled it as one of the best open-world games of all time. The director has also expressed his love for the Assassin’s Creed franchise and was especially fond of Black Flag, which he called a “fabulous game.”
Even though Carpenter has expressed his love for many big-name franchises, he’s also spoken up about smaller titles. One of those is Remember Me, a French action-adventure game that he called one of the best games of 2013. Carpenter praised the game for its “unique female leading character,” and appreciated its futuristic world.
Currently, Carpenter is collaborating on two games of his own: John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando and Halloween: The Game, which are both slated to come out next year. He has a legendary resume in the world of film, and it’ll be interesting to see the master of horror bring his talents and creative mind to one of his favorite hobbies.