John Carpenter may be a seasoned gamer, but he admits that he hasn’t been able to finish Rockstar Games’ seminal Red Dead Redemption - which is quite ironic given his affection for the Western genre. While the legendary filmmaker has made a name for himself with classic movies like Escape From New York, They Live, and the original Halloween, he has spent the majority of the last decade composing music and playing video games - an affection that is clearly mutual given how titles like Carrion have referenced horror mainstays like The Thing and other hit John Carpenter films over the years.

Likewise, John Carpenter has taken to social media to share some of his thoughts on video games, praising Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla as a return to form for the long-running Assassin’s Creed franchise and even calling last year’s Halo Infinite the best in the series. He was also excited to play Horizon Forbidden West and had especially kind words for voice actress Ashley Burch, who portrays the series' main protagonist, Aloy.

Related: Red Dead Redemption & GTA IV Remasters Canceled, Leak Claims

John Carpenter recently opened up further about his love of video games in an interview with The New Yorker, where he explained that the first game he ever played was the original Sonic The Hedgehog back in 1992. Carpenter even put in a good word for Fallout 76, and while he admitted that Fallout 76 has had trouble with bugs and glitches, it has since evolved into an enjoyable experience for him due to its post-apocalyptic world. However, one game Carpenter hasn’t been able to play through is Red Dead Redemption. The Master of Horror confessed that he gave up on Rockstar’s critically acclaimed open-world Western early on due to how difficult it was. “I couldn’t get on the damn horse,” Carpenter explained. “The controls weren’t intuitive, at least for me. But I guess everybody else had a good time. It was a popular game.

John Carpenter Loves Westerns, But Couldn't Finish Red Dead Redemption

John Carpenter’s struggles with playing Red Dead Redemption are especially ironic given his noted love of Westerns. While he has never gotten the chance to direct a true Western (something he expressed regret at during his interview), plenty of his works have taken influence from cowboy movies, such as John Carpenter’s Vampires. Likewise, Red Dead Redemption borrows from Anti-Westerns with its setting and story, which sees a former gang member named John Marston thrust back into the violent life he left behind at the behest of the U.S. government. Red Dead Redemption was met with near-universal acclaim when it launched in 2010, and its 2018 prequel Red Dead Redemption 2 was likewise considered another seminal release from Rockstar.

John Carpenter might not be starting Red Dead Redemption 2 anytime soon, considering his difficulty mounting John Marston’s trusted horse in the first Red Dead Redemption. Either way, it's fun to see what the renowned filmmaker and composer has been playing recently, and to wonder what else might be on his gaming wish list going forward.

Source: The New Yorker