Ah, the Western. An great genre when done well, but unfortunately it has been done badly and with more repetition than anyone would care to remember. When it comes to westerns and gaming I never thought the two mixed all that well. But that was before the release of Aces & Eights. That game truly blew me away, and if you haven't checked it out you really should.
With my favorite western RPG in mind, here is the list of the top 10 Gamer Westerns of all time.
10. Firefly (Series) - This one might take people by surprise, but if you haven't seen it believe me, Firefly really embraces the western genre. Yes they are in space some of the time, and yes this might appear on another list, but come on! This show did less with a full seasons than most shows do with several seasons.
9. High Noon - I originally saw this film in my Film Study Class. Classic film, with a basic but powerful premise, a showdown at High Noon.
8. Once Upon a Time in the West - Can you believe this movie was a financial flop in the US? Me neither. Many people consider this to be one of the greatest westerns of all time, and for good reason. The cast of this film is amazing.
7. The Searchers - John Wayne... nuff said.
6. Fist Full of Dollars - One of Eastwood's "Man with No Name" films. There is a reason there is more than one. The formula works and Eastwood is awesome.
5. 3:10 to
4. The Magnificent Seven - Was a movie ever so set up to be a gamer movie? Seven men are brought together to protect a small village from a band of outlaws. Sounds like a great game to me.
3. The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly - This was my father's favorite western and we used to watch it a lot when I was a kid. In many ways this movie exemplifies everything that a western is. This movie is an enduring classic, and is heaped with praise even by modern filmmakers. Quentin Tarantino has said that he believes the film is the best directed film of all time.
2. Deadwood (Series) - This show was like a long running Aces and Eights game. This was a great series and is available on DVD. If you are planning on running or playing in a A&8 game, go pick it up.
1. Unforgiven - In my opinion the ultimate western. Eastwood is nothing short of amazing in this movie. It is gritty and realistic, and cuts through a lot of the glamorizing of how things were in the old west. This movie shows that one doesn't call his enemies out to the center of town, he waits until he is drunk and shoots him in the back. A Must See.
Skip It
Once Upon a Time in
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
American Outlaws
El Dorado -- John Wayne, Robert Mitchum and a young James Caan as James Bedelion Traherne. Ed Asner as the bad guy. Christopher George as the rival gunslinger.
ReplyDeleteSilverado, uses Western tropes for their best effects and a great cast. The heroes have a really good "player character" vibe to them as well.
ReplyDeleteThose are two good picks as well! It's hard to make a list of only 10 movies. Those could definitely be on there though.
ReplyDeleteInteresting picks, but no For Few Full Dollars More? Lee van Cleef, the sinister score and plot twist make it one of Leone's best works in my book.
ReplyDeleteNot sure I can agree with Deadwood being above TGTBTU, but then it is, without a doubt, my favourite film ;)