Last year was certainly a good year for video games. Beginning the year with titles like Dead Space 2, L.A. Noire, and Portal 2 and ending on a high note with the likes of Dark Souls, Batman: Arkham City, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It was also a good year for video game trailers.
Compiled here are the trailers that caught my attention the most. While not every one had me watching it daily (there were a few that I watched more than once a day for a few weeks...), they are all worthy of your time if you have or haven't played the title they advertise. They aren't in any particular order save the final two... which I believe to be the best two trailers of the year. Without further delay, here is the list:
Dead Island
First on the list is the haunting trailer for Dead Island. This cinematic trailer provided its audience with an emotional glimpse into a zombie outbreak. It is really too bad that, apart from zombies and a tropical setting, the trailer and the final product have very little in common.
Assassin's Creed: Revelations
This trailer for Assassin's Creed: Revelations portrays an aging and far more bearded Ezio Auditore da Firenze. However, with its amazing choreography and epic scope, it shows the audience that an aging Ezio can still kick your ass.
Although Prey 2 isn't scheduled to release until the later half of this year, it still had one action packed trailer full of aliens and badassery. It was unexpected and it really makes me hope that developer Human Head Studios can do something awesome with it. I can't speak for everyone, but I might be able to get into an
open-world, first-person, bounty-hunter game....
Portal 2
In the spirit of the day, I decided that the Valentine's Day trailer for Portal 2 was one of the more humorous to advertise the sequel to Valve's hit Portal game. Instead of dialogue, the trailer opts for witty (and eyebrow-raising) facts and a comedic cartoon to present itself to the viewer in a way that is sure to leave you grinning.
Tomb Raider
I am not a fan of the Tomb Raider series. By the time that I got around to sampling a few of Laura Croft's adventures the gameplay felt old and outdated. Then Uncharted came along and I no longer really cared to try and force myself to like Tomb Raider. With the release of this trailer hinting at a new beginning for the aged franchise, I just might not pass-up the opportunity to be an early adopter.
The Last of Us
Sneaking it's way onto the scene just before the close of 2011 was a trailer for a game entitled The Last of Us from a little studio named Naughty Dog. Oh, you know them? That's because their Uncharted series is one of the best known (and for great reason) Playstation exclusive series of this generation. If Naughty Dog's track record can be used to measure how great this game is going to be when it launches (hopefully in the later part of 2012), then prepare yourself to be $60 poorer about that time.
Dead Space 2
I loved the first Dead Space game. For some reason, Dead Space 2 was not on my radar. That is, until I saw this trailer. After watching this trailer I immediately placed my pre-order. It showed that Isaac Clarke was back in rare form and this time, he wouldn't go through hell quietly. Despite many people's disliking of Isaac's latest action-horror piece, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Alright, well, here we are: the final two. I imagine that many of you can guess as to what will follow (if you can't already read it below from scrolling down). I still occasionally go back and watch these trailers, even as both games sit in their respective cases on my shelf. I believe these trailers to be just that good.
Dark Souls
I was a day-one purchaser of Demon's Souls back when it released and I loved it. It was brutal, challenging, and simply unforgiving. The combat was good and the battles were epic. Enter Dark Souls. Spiritual successor to the aforementioned title, Dark Souls saw improved combat and even more epic battles but, this time, it would all take place in an open world. This trailer had me watching it twice to three times a day while I was waiting for my copy of the game to reach me. Enjoy.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
This is, hands down, the most addicted to watching a trailer that I have ever been. Virtually everything about this Skyrim trailer is a masterpiece, from the narration to the cinematography, to the music ("Song of the Dragonborn"). I'm not ashamed in the least to admit that I know the majority of the lyrics to a song written in a language created to service a video game series' lore. Fortunately for you, I'm going to stop gushing about this trailer so that I can insert it below and watch it three or four times before actually posting this article.
So there you have it, folks: my favorite game trailers of 2011. Did I hit all of your favorites? If not, go ahead and let me know what your favorites were in the comments section below. Also, keep your eyes peeled as we enter into an exciting 2012 with a new handheld and many more awesome titles to look forward to!
(Dead Space 2 photo from IGN.)
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