Top 5 Post E3 Game Trailers

Have you seen all these?

by David Hilton

© 2012 David Hilton

The greatest seasons for new exciting video game trailers may be during the E3 week and the lead into the Christmas big release period,  but this year there have been an unusual number of very exciting quality trailers released just after E3.

Some have even been big budget live action trailers, which is interesting in itself, as these don’t actually show much, if any, gameplay and serve only to get us excited about the potential ‘vision’ of the game.

Here are my top post E3 trailers I’ve come across lately, with a poll at the bottom for you to vote for your favourite.  I will send the publisher the results, so get your friends voting!

These are in no particular order:

1. Assassin’s Creed 3

The controversy over the fact that only British red-shirts are being killed off by assassin Connor in all the gameplay and trailers we see may continue to be raging, but there’s no denying the effective violent beauty of this ‘young and innocent’ version of Amazing Grace sung to scenes of brutal slayings during the American War of Independence.

The juxtaposition of the melancholic strings and pure sweet voice with the visceral slow-motion action in the trailer is effective in grabbing attention and conveying a ‘war is a tragic last solution’ feel.

There is also no small irony in using a song written by a former slave-trader for a game about the War of Independence where colonists fight for freedom from what they saw as tyrannical rulers, and released on the 4th of July.

Assassin’s Creed 3: Amazing Grace July 4 Trailer

2.  The Secret World

This MMORPG has captured a lot of attention because of the images we’ve seen: it’s not just another medieval fantasy or sci-fi version of the genre.

It takes place during modern times, when supernatural and conspiracy meet to create an alternate reality that I’d personally hate to be stuck in with zombies, werewolves and worse.

You join one of 3 secret society factions, the Templars, the Illuminati, and the Dragons, and the game takes you to a variety of places around the globe.  It reminds me a bit like our world taken over by an Indiana Jones-esque reality.

The trailer also uses melancholic string-filled music with powerful vocals to excellent effect while showing images of this world gone bad.  I found it enthralling.

Make sure you enter our The Secret World contest, by the way.  You’ll find it here.

The Secret World Launch Trailer

3.  Total War: Rome II

Wow.  A strategy game, which as a genre are not known for the strongest visuals in video games, comes up with this trailer to announce itself.

This is a live-action trailer featuring excellent editing, framing, and visuals that would have me rushing to the movie if there was one!

Of course there isn’t and this is a rather more cinematic version of what the game will be.

So it’s basically letting you know the vision for the game.

In the end, though,  it will probably be more about armies fighting each other on battlefields, like the previous Rome Total War.

Again slow motion images and strings are used to hit that sad tragic emotion.

I’m not sure about getting attention without actually showing the game, but great trailer!

Total War: Rome II Launch Trailer

4. Assassin’s Creed 3 (again)

Yes, another July 4 trailer about the War of Independence, but this one, called Rise, and made for the UK/world audience seeks to explain (remind us of) the reasons for the revolution.

It uses piano and….yes, strings, as well as live-action cinema rather than cut scenes or in-game footage.  The music increases in intensity, emoting a feeling of determination rather than melancholy, though.

Again the production values, as with the Total War one, are very high.  We see scenes of oppression in slow motion, cut with narration from a variety of characters representing the oppressed, explaining the reason for rebellion.

The question is, does it reflect the vision of the game?  I would argue it does, and does very well.

The reasons for the revolution are central to the game’s theme and though having live-action may not show off the game, it does go some way to making crystal clear why this period was chosen.

Interestingly, fewer British red-coats are murdered in this trailer, but still the tone is that Connor is fighting for the colonists.

Assassin’s Creed 3: Rise Trailer (UK)

5.  Borderlands 2

With all this melancholy there has to be room for some fun right?

And what’s more fun that taking the piss out of an infamous ‘jungle’ song?

The Borderlands franchise has never been afraid of being outrageous, and this trailer, featuring cruelty to ummm ‘animals’ might be too loose a term here, and lots of shooting action, evokes the idea that here is a shooting game that doesn’t take itself too seriously (like most other shooters lately).

It begins with the scenes of an alien natural landscape with little alien animals emerging for the morning, before exploding into fast-action (not slow-mo) ridiculous action and destruction.

It definitely is different to the others, and a welcome smile-inducing few moments, demonstrating the in-game fun that is promised.

Borderlands 2:  ‘Wimoweh’ Trailer

So which did you like the most?  Did I miss any really good ones? Are live-action trailers valid or useful to sell games?

Comment and enter the poll below.

© 2012 David Hilton

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