Great video game trailers - they're like bite-sized artistic masterpieces you can't get enough of!
Though its primary purpose is to sell the game it’s showcasing, the video game trailer has become an art form in and of itself. No matter how the game turns out, a good trailer is a good trailer, like a well-made short film you keep coming back to for one more view.
Here, we celebrate 10 Amazing Video Game Trailers That You Must Watch – the most recent trailers that have made us laugh, cry, and drop off the edge of our seats in excitement.
10. Titanfall - official gameplay launch trailer
Spaceships. A massive space battle. Soldiers decked out in sexy, futuristic armor and tech.
Badass. Giant. Robots.
This Titanfall trailer splices gameplay and cinematic footage to produce a mini-film certain to draw out the “oohs” and “aahs” from the geek crowd. It’s got everything any fan of action games will love, from the aforementioned titans to soldiers running on walls, not to mention there are lots and lots of beautiful explosions. Definitely one of the most exciting video game trailers around.
9. Batman: Arkham Knight - "Gotham is Mine" trailer
Admit it. You, like everyone else, want to be Batman. But not all of us are billionaires, or possess the IQ of Mensa’s 99th percentile. So the most we can do is play the Batman: Arkham video games.
And, judging from the Batman: Arkham Knight – Gotham is Mine trailer, the third and final entry in the franchise will be the ultimate Batman experience. The best of the Dark Knight’s rogues gallery return, including Riddler and Two-Face – though we have to admit, Poison Ivy seems to have aged at least ten years since the last game. Is this even the same Poison Ivy??
Auntie Ivy notwithstanding, there’s a lot to get excited about the game, from a dark yet colorful open world Gotham to driving the badass Batmobile. What’s not to love?
8. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - "The Sword of Destiny" trailer
Epic. That’s one word to describe The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – The Sword of Destiny Trailer.
It’s got armies. Lush, enormous landscapes. Battles to the death with monsters both dangerous and vile. And the Witcher himself looking as dangerous as ever.
Another trailer making use of cinematics and gameplay footage, The Sword of Destiny just gives us so much to look forward to. Who wouldn’t want to ride on horseback as Geralt of Rivia through lands sundered by war and suffering? Hunting bloodcurdling creatures and stopping evil in its tracks? Plus, we think it’s pretty sweet that we finally get to meet Geralt’s adopted daughter, Ciri. Definitely a must watch!
7. Overwatch - cinematic trailer
Can it be?? Blizzard has a brand new IP?
And what better way to show if off than with a fun Pixar-style short film!
The Overwatch cinematic trailer begins with a low-down of the story, told through crisp 2D visuals. This is followed by a delightful cinematic that introduces to us four fresh and exciting characters, including the plucky speedster, Tracer; the intimidating yet polite gorilla, Winston; the badass, gun-toting Reaper; and the dangerous femme fatale, Widowmaker.
As can be expected from Blizzard, the animation is top-notch, and the design of the characters and the world itself screams quality. We can’t wait to get our hands on the game, all thanks to this trailer!
6. Ori and the Blind Forest - E3 debut trailer
Few video game trailers are as beautiful, and as evocative of sorrow as Ori and the Blind Forest’s.
We start with a stormy night, as a shimmering leaf is ripped from a tree and is cast down into the dark forest below. A gentle creature is drawn to the leaf, in time to witness it change into a strange, luminous being – Ori.
What follows is a tale of loss, of suffering, and an adventure through realms ruled by darkness and peril.
View it, and know once more what it means to have your heart broken.
And oh, the visuals? An artistic, moving masterpiece.
One of the finest video game trailers in existence.
5. Final Fantasy XV
With this trailer, Square Enix finally proved to concerned fans that they weren’t trolling us when Final Fantasy XV was first revealed almost a decade ago.
The most amazing thing about this trailer, aside from showing us that the game is actually being developed? A good percentage of it is gameplay footage. Not super high resolution cinematics tricking us to believe the game looks better than it actually is – but footage showing us what the game is like when we’re actually controlling the characters and moving around in the world.
And boy, does it look gorgeous. The monster designs are impeccable, the combat is exhilarating, and the world itself looks like something from a tourism pamphlet. Sure, it’s a sausage party, and the story doesn’t make sense, but a road trip in a sleek, sexy car across a beautiful fantasy world makes this one of the most jaw-dropping video game trailers ever made.
4. Dead Island 2
We already know how good the Dead Island team is at summoning invisible onion-cutting ninjas, thanks to the original game’s 2011 trailer. But did you know they’re just as good at making us laugh?
Moving from tragedy to comedy, the Dead Island 2 trailer tells the story of a man who likes his morning jogs along the sun-soaked streets of California. But this being a game about the zombie apocalypse, his situation evolves quickly and in hilarious fashion. With heavy helpings of humor and gore, the Dead Island 2 trailer is one of our favorite video game trailers.
3. BioShock: Infinite - "Beast of America" trailer
BioShock: Infinite’s official trailer does everything a good trailer is supposed to do: offer a quick version of the story without giving away all the details; provide gorgeous views of the world the game takes place in; show the obstacles our protagonists must surmount, then gradually escalate the threats surrounding them. And of course, do it all with the bombast of a summer action blockbuster. It’s all gameplay footage, too!
Not to mention Beast of America is just one anthem that’ll make you want to punch the air until you’ve torn a hole through the fabric of reality, and headbang until your head falls off your neck. It’s the perfect soundtrack for a trailer that shows off the game’s most thrilling moments and features.
Equally as gorgeous is the TV spot, a wonderfully rendered cinematic that gives a hint of what the gameplay is like.
2. Call of Duty Advanced Warfare - gameplay launch trailer
Not a fan of Call of Duty? You will be after watching this trailer.
I mean, talk about those graphics. Characters are as photorealistic as they come, with Kevin Spacey’s 3D model so life-like it’s like he jumped straight out of Horrible Bosses.
And then you’ve got all that futuristic warfare stuff: Exo suits, drone hordes, high-flying shenanigans, window-breaking stunts, tons and tons of guns… it’s enough to make any gamer salivate with anticipation.
Whether you’re a fan of the series or not, this is one Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare trailer worth watching.
1. Mass Effect 3 - "Take Earth Back" trailer
Mass Effect 3’s Take Earth Back trailer has it all: Story, violence, impossibly high stakes, special effects, cool futuristic tech, character, and heart. What else is there to say but this is one of the best video game trailers ever made? Which is fitting, given the final product is just as phenomenal.
And extra kudos to Bioware for making a FemShep version of the trailer!
Honorable Mention: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain - Red Band trailer
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain’s Red Band trailer is an amazing 9-minute showcase of the game’s high quality cinematics and equally stellar open-world stealth gameplay. The cinematic portion has ridiculous amounts of torture and cold-blooded murder, but none of it is gratuitous; the game may be fiction, but this kind of violence happens in real life. For its courage to reveal the often-overlooked ugliness that occurs on a regular basis in many corners of the world, the Red Band trailer is one of the best video game trailers of all time.
That’s about it for now! How about you, dear readers? What are you favorite video game trailers?
