As the upcoming Borderlands 3 gets closer to launch in September, Gearbox Software has begun hitting promotion harder and harder. Now, the game has even received a complimentary thumbs up from horror film director and composer John Carpenter on Twitter.
In the tweet, Carpenter says the game looks "absolutely awesome!!!" The comment triggered a response from Gearbox’s official Twitter account which Tweeted a dancing Michael Meyers gif at the director. Carpenter is known for his work on the Halloween films.
The tweet references a new Borderlands 3 gameplay video posted to YouTube today by gaming news site IGN. In the clip, which features the game’s first 14 minutes, popular Borderlands robot companion Claptrap makes an appearance to guide the player through the opening section of the game. The video introduces the first mission in Borderlands’ setting Pandora and shows off the game’s current-generation take on its classic cel-shaded art style. It also provides a hint at the run-and-slide first-person gameplay, as well as a look at some of the weapon upgrades in the game.
Carpenter has a well-documented love of video games. The director has spoken in the past about his dedication to Destiny 2. He even has a history with the Borderlands franchise. He tweeted about the series back in 2012, professing his love for the then newly-released Borderlands 2.
The appeal of a game like Boderlands to the director makes sense. The Borderlands games blend sadistic and somewhat deranged characters with a campy and comedic tone that seems to borrow a lot from the sci-fi horror genre. Films like Carpenter’s 1981 hit Escape from New York share a lot of visual and tonal similarities with Borderlands. Fans will get to see that influence made even clearer in the upcoming Borderlands film, in which Gearbox wants The Rock to provide the voice of Claptrap.
This kind of interaction between a director like Carpenter and a well-loved franchise like Borderlands should excite fans of video games and horror films. Carpenter has even expressed an interest in composing a video game. The more developers that notice his love of the craft, the higher the chance one hires the director to provide his unique insight on a gaming project.
It certainly wouldn’t mark the first time a director known for horror has made the transition into working on game projects. Guillermo Del Toro also has a recent history of putting his stamp in the games industry. Perhaps in due time, Carpenter will follow suit.
Borderlands 3 launches on September 13 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with a Stadia version also in development.