The filmmaker behind The Thing and Halloween, John Carpenter, is known to unwind with video games in his spare time. In a recent interview with The AV Club, the veteran director, now in his mid-70s, spoke candidly about how gaming fits into his life and what titles have captured his attention lately.
- Carpenter’s earliest gaming memory is Sonic the Hedgehog, a nostalgic doorway into the world of fast-paced platforming. He later encountered other iconic franchises such as Jak and Daxter, appreciating the evolution of character-driven adventures across generations of consoles.
- Today, gaming occupies a sizable portion of his leisure hours. Among the projects he highlighted are elements from Borderlands, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Horizon Forbidden West, and Fallout 76. In Fallout 76, he admits spending considerable time exploring its expansive wasteland and soaking in its sandbox freedoms.
- Open-world systems appeal to the director, though he also enjoys the precise, action-packed rhythms of classic series like Crash Bandicoot and Ratchet & Clank, which offer a different kind of challenge and pacing.
- Carpenter has not yet played Elden Ring, but he indicated a curiosity about trying it in the near future, drawn by its reputation for rewarding exploration and skillful combat, even if it sits outside his current library.
- The director recognizes Hideo Kojima and notes the connection between the game world and cinema. He recalls that the character Snake Plissken from his own Escape became an inspiration for Solid Snake in Metal Gear Solid, even though he hasn’t played Kojima’s titles extensively—he’s witnessed his son work through them and appreciates the craft involved.
- In Assassin’s Creed, Carpenter finds the tower-synching mechanics intriguing, especially in the early installments. He also observed recurring motifs in Assassin’s Creed Origins, where the landscapes and history invite deep immersion rather than quick, heroic leaps alone.
- When asked about The Last of Us Part II, Carpenter confessed a moment of frustration with the game’s design decisions not to continue a particular sequence, expressing a humorous, old-school wish to press a button and keep playing without restraints.
- On potential film adaptations, he hinted at a fascination with empty space as a concept. He believes a game with a strong sense of atmosphere could be transformed into a compelling movie, and he feels confident about bringing that vision to the screen.
- As for beloved game franchises, Carpenter voices a fondness for all parts of Dead Space, including its controversial third entry, appreciating how the series balances horror, atmosphere, and storytelling through its scares and discovery.
Earlier conversations highlighted Halo Infinite as a title he praised, while he also reflected on less favorable experiences with Red Dead Redemption. More recently, the release of Overwatch 2 has sparked renewed interest in the broader multiplayer landscape, signaling how competitive titles continue to shape contemporary gaming culture in the United States and Canada.
In sum, Carpenter’s gaming interests reveal a lifelong engagement with interactive worlds, a willingness to explore new genres, and a knack for recognizing how digital storytelling complements his cinematic legacy.