Thursday, June 2, 2011

My Ten favorite video game trailers... so far.

Little disclaimer…These reviews are my opinion on sound as a player and what engages me into a game and doesn't annoy me while playing a game. I will not be one who says "Come on, that doesn't sound like a real M16!!" I will be rating my sound review on close-to-real as possible. I will not rate anything on gameplay. I am just rating sound.

So, I figured I would do my ten favorite game trailers to date. I worked in Hollywood for 5 years on movie trailers as a freelancer so hopefully, you will all agree or KILL me based on these. Bottom line, I picked these for not just the gameplay aspect, but doing what trailers/previews are supposed to do.. SELL THE GAME!!! So I will give some input on why I picked these. Enjoy!

CALL OF JUAREZ: THE CARTEL:
To start it off, let’s talk about “Call of Juarez: The Cartel” – This latest version of CoJ looks to be a hit. Takes place today and is based on some rogue cops out to stop the Cartel. Check out the video and then my review on the technical aspects of the trailer.



So when “Beat the Devil’s Tattoo” by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club starts up in its instrumental form, I am instantly feeling a mellow type trailer. But the intro of voice-over sets the tone well and the trailer starts with what appears to be the lead character walking into frame. He has on a bullet proof vest on and I knew we moved to the new west and no longer in the old west. The trailer did its job in setting the scene character wise. Placement of key sound effects was great. Not overpowering and hit on the best moments for the best parts of the trailer. The trailer was fun to watch and got me interested in the game. Hope to see more videos on gameplay. This trailer certainly makes me want to play the game.


BATTLEFIELD BAD COMPANY:
On to a funny one. Battlefield Bad Company took a new spin on the FPS genre that I really enjoyed and I find I play to this day. The characters comedy kept me engaged throughout the entire game and made it very enjoyable to play. Shame though that didn’t follow over to the sequel. Here is the trailer:



Now, the use of gameplay footage for the entire trailer was perfect. The cinematic start with the voice-over got you peaked and even more so when the comedy came out. The action mixing in with a great music choice: “Runnin’ Wild” by Airbourne was a perfect fit for this trailer and game! Great way to sell a video game. I can tell you it was because of this trailer I bought the game hands down.


GHOST RECON FUTURE SOLDIER:
This trailer was done in full cinematic fashion as a live action. I have nothing with live action of course, but for video games, it is a tough sell sometimes. But, this trailer was done extremely well and it made me want more.



The mix of sound with visual effects was key in selling the aspect of the game. It obviously showed you what gameplay may have in terms of weaponry and special abilities via live action but not gameplay. This trailer reminded me a lot of the movie of “Behind Enemy Lines” which I loved. I certainly will be in line to get this game. Links to the behind the scenes and gameplay footage here:


CRYSIS 2:
I was a huge Crysis fan on the PC. When I heard that they were moving to the console, I was excited and couldn’t wait to see the trailer.



I love strong voice-overs for trailers. Especially with gameplay footage. It is one of my favorite ways to watch trailers about games. Crysis 2’s “Be the Weapon” trailer sure didn’t fail. The trailer starts off with mellow and dark tones, seeing New York in shambles certainly sets the tone. Then it starts to climax with louder music as the voice-over explains each part of the suit and ends up in an exciting and exhilarating ride to what the game is about. Good job Crytek!


CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2:
I completely geeked out when this trailer hit the waves.



The build up style with the mix of music, gameplay, sound and Game reviews was awesome. Then to hit it off by dissolving between gameplay footage as Eminem’s song starts to play really kicked butt. Is it me or does Military comms in game trailers just give you goosebumps? Anyway, InfinityWard did an awesome job making a trailer that everyone will and did get excited about. Great piece of work!


DUKE NUKEM FOREVER:
The Duke is back and he is pissed off!! Check it out:



Duke Nukem is a welcome sight to the FPS world. Mix of comedy, sex, action and sound, you just want this game right now! Again, I love the cinematic opening with dramatic dissolves and voice-overs. Makes for a great build up…Then, when you hear good ole Duke say “Damnit, why do they always take the hot ones” I busted up laughing and couldn’t wait for more. The trailer transitions into a rock themed and comedic spin on this game and this will be another I will wait in line for. Hail to the King baby!!


CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS – “There’s a soldier in all of us”
Well, I got to hand it to the marketing geniuses that Treyarch employs because this video alone, sold me on the game. It shows absolutely no gameplay, it is all live action. But it sold it for me. Nuff said:



Good job Treyarch, you always do a good job on trailers! Go Jimmy Kimmel you freekin noober!!!


BATTLEFIELD 3 “MY LIFE”:
DICE always sticks to gameplay footage when creating their trailers and that is a good thing. I am a fan of live action but if you want to see what you are going to play, then make a trailer with the gameplay in it.



This trailer of many (good thing) starts off slow, showing you reviews and game play, then transitions into a gritty world of what the soldiers endure. This fast action paced ending is nothing but cool. This trailer evokes that emotion of being pissed off and you wanting to join the fight. In other words, Join it by getting this game!


MEDAL OF HONOR:
Medal of Honor came out with really great trailers for this game. They were very specific on how they wanted to seel this game. They wanted you to walk in the boots of the soliders fighting the fight on Terrorism. Watch:



Danger Close and DICE took a leap of faith on reviving the MOH franchise. This first go around did very well. I was a MOH fan and couldn’t wait to play the game after watching these trailers. Again, sticking to gameplay footage for their trailers was a smart move. Great job as always guys. Made me buy the game.

And last but certainly not least.. this is the one trailer that I have as an audio version and is part of my playlist… unfortunately, it is usually playing when I am driving. Wonder if that is when I am getting the speeding tickets??

Enjoy…

NEED FOR SPEED HOT PURSUIT (2010):
NFS raised the bar when they also revived the franchise. Criterion games did a phenomenal job making this trailer. I was extremely excited and couldn’t wait to play it. I still love playing this when I am not killing virtual bad guys. Music choice and cinematic impact using gameplay was freekin awesome!!!



And with that, I am done… If you want me to review a specific game trailer, let me know. I will give a full second by second review and give my rating on how the trailer was created. Thanks again for my followers on Twitter and for all who read my blogs.

Some music from the trailers above:

Call Of Juarez: The Cartel:
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - “Beat the Devil’s Tattoo”

Battlefield Bad Company:
Airbourne - “Runnin’ Wild”

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2:
Eminem & Nate Dogg – “Till I Collapse”

Need For Speed hot Pursuit:
Marilyn Manson – “Tainted Love”
30 Seconds To Mars - "Edge Of The Earth"

That is all for now, Raptor Claw 141 out.

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