While the core aspect of any video game is the gameplay, any video game worth its salt has to have an engaging, visually stunning, and memorable trailer to sell the interest of the game to gamers. The level of video game trailers has only gotten better in recent years, but there are a few that stand out above the others.
With the graphics and acting behind these games bringing a truly cinematic feel to the gaming franchise, there are several gaming franchises that have benefited greatly from a stellar game trailer. Here are the best cinematic trailers for video games.
10 Batman: Arkham Knight
After the shocking conclusion to Arkham City, the Batman franchise had to find a way to bring the main story to an epic conclusion, and to do that they needed a threat that would put Batman to the test as the chaos the Joker brought to the city no longer impeded the villains.
The trailer for the third game showcased the organized movement that followed in the Joker’s wake, showing the villains uniting together as one under the direction of Scarecrow’s nightmarish vision and the militarized forces of the mysterious Arkham Knight. Visually this display of apocalyptic displays was amazing.
9 DC Universe Online
One of the best trailers and opening cinematic in recent years has to go to DC Universe: Online. The cinematic showcased a future in which the heroes and villains had one last cataclysmic battle amongst one another, nearly destroying an entire city as the forces of good fought their most powerful foes.
Led by the efforts of Lex Luthor, the maniacal genius orchestrated the passing of several iconic heroes, even his nemesis Superman. Yet in his victory came the return of the unstoppable Brainiac, and with no heroes left Luthor fled to the past to stop this future from happening.
8 Dying Light
Truly memorable and great video games in the zombie apocalypse genre have to find ways of separating themselves from all of the other zombie games that came before them. The trailer for one of the best zombie games in the last decade did just that, as Dying Light showed off their dynamic new gaming systems in the cinematic trailer.
Focusing on survival and the parkour element of the gameplay, fans were shown survivors running through abandoned buildings and zombie infested streets as untold hordes of the infected chased them around, building on the heart pounding action of the game itself.
7 Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
One of the most successful franchises in the gaming industry to date has to be that of Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed. The franchise has had plenty of stellar releases and cinematic moments, but one of the most artistic and breathtaking visually has to be that of Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood.
The game trailer showed off the stunning visual of Ezio, the Master Assassin of the second game, making his way through the crowds in Rome as the Borgias sit in power. Soon it’s shown Ezio isn’t alone, instead fighting with a small army of Assassin’s set to take on Cesare Borgia’s forces.
6 Dead Island
Much like Dying Light, this next zombie apocalypse game really set itself apart thanks to its macabre yet entertaining trailer. Showing off the graphic, action-packed yet emotional story elements of the game, fans were given a glimpse of the dangerous world of Dead Island in a stunning game trailer.
In the trailer, fans witnessed a plethora of scenes of island life for tourists enjoying parties, beachside resort vacations and vices galore. Yet soon it becomes apparent that a virus has spread on the island, and soon the trailer showcases the attacks of the undead on the island tourist population.
5 Watch Dogs 2
One of the breakout series in recent years for Ubisoft has to be Watch Dogs. A series built on a near future run by technology, the franchise began as a one man war against the criminals exploiting technology and seeking revenge in Chicago, but it was Watch Dogs 2 that really brought out the fun elements of this world and the social aspect of it.
The trailer showed off the new setting of San Francisco, as well as the new story focusing not on one individual, but instead the combined efforts of the hacktivist group DedSec, changing the series forever.
4 Fallout 4
In the world of Fallout, imagery reigns supreme as fans have come to know and love established aspects of the franchise. From the post apocalyptic setting to the pop culture and style of a 50’s era United States, there are certain staples of the series that cannot be ignored.
That is why the trailer for Fallout 4 excelled so much. The game trailer showed life before the apocalypse, a highly advanced technological society in a 50’s era lifestyle, until the brightness of the past faded into the despair and horrors of the post apocalyptic life fans now know.
3 Kingdom Hearts 3
For any fan of the Kingdom Hearts franchise, the cinematic visuals of the game have kind of become the norm. Showing off the combined worlds of Disney and Final Fantasy, the franchise has become known for emotional cinematic scenes between established characters and quick shots of the characters interacting with one another.
The final trailer before the release of Kingdom Hearts 3 was no different, showing the opening cinematic scene of the game with the highly anticipated new music of series favorite Utada Hikaru and Skrillex playing across a quick succession of shots of the characters returning to the franchise.
2 Halo 3
One of the more iconic trailers in the last decade has to be that of Halo 3. The franchise brought a stunning minute long trailer for it’s final game in the initial trilogy, showing off the isolated and relentless struggle of series star Master Chief fighting not only for himself, but for the fate of all humanity and innocent life in the galaxy.
The war torn landscape the Master Chief finds himself on is paired brilliantly with the visually stunning action scenes and music that has become a staple of the franchise until then. This game trailer truly stands out.
1 Mass Effect 3
Of all the game trailers in recent years to be released, none was more visually stunning or more artistic than the trailer for the final game in the first trilogy of the series Mass Effect. The trailer for Mass Effect 3 started off serene, showing a child playing with a model of the classic ship the Normandy on Earth, when chaos soon erupts.
Showing the invasion of the Reaper forces, the game soon turns to horror as the victims of the Reapers are turned into monsters, but soon Shepard arrives, with the forces of the galaxy following his final orders.