It's Been A While...

Hey everybody!  I’m back.  Just thought I’d let you know.  Yes, it’s been a while, and I’m sorry.  I’ll be honest, I thought that I had put this blog in my rearview, but sometimes, you see something that just screams, “Write about me!” and I find myself drawn back.  So here I am, back in the saddle again.

As some of you may know, and others have probably guessed, I am a big video game player.  A while ago, I posted about the ten best video game trailers of all time.  (You can find the finale here.)  Well, with E3 done for the year, I figured it was time to update the list.  For those of you who don’t know what E3 is, it is basically a convention of video game industry leaders to promote their new games and technology for the upcoming year.  If interested, you can find more about it here.

So I decided to add five new games to my list.  I’m not exactly sure where they rank, so I’ll just give them to you in no particular order.  Some games will get two trailers, if I decide that they are sufficiently epic.  One thing thing that I found interesting is that every one of the games in question are sequels.  That’s pretty cool I guess.  So here we go.

The first is the Prototype 2 trailer.  Check it out.




Why this one?  Well, let’s start with the obvious.  The song, Hurt, by Johnny Cash, is a classic, and fits absolutely perfect with the mood of the trailer.  But what makes the trailer tick is the opening shot.  Seeing the main character, Mercer, standing on a ledge, looking out over a ruined city is an image that is sad, scary, and memorable.  As he leans forward and begins his descent, my interest was immediately piqued, and as he falls and we see flashbacks of his life and love, the drama builds.  Even though it is just a minute and half, I could not help but become attached to the man, and as we see his powers at the end of the trailer, it becomes clear that this a game not just about action, but about humanity, and the lack thereof the drives the story.

Next up is Skyrim.  Skyrim has two trailers that make the cut.  Here they are.






The first seems like it could be taken straight from Lord of the Rings, or Game of Thrones, or something along those lines.  As Dovahkiin steps forward, and the dragon reveals itself, it’s hard not to get goosebumps.  Let’s face it, there isn’t much that more badass than a dragon, except maybe the dude standing in front of it, ready to face its fire.
The second trailer is narrated by the wonderful actor Max Von Sydow, who is a perfect selection for that role.  Again the trailer shows of the game’s magnificent dragons, and the spectacular nature of the main character, Dovahkiin.  The first time I saw this trailer, heard the Fus Ro Dah shout, and saw the beauty of the game, I was blown away.  (Side note: Skyrim was released the same day that the final Harry Potter movie came out on DVD/Blu-Ray.  That was a fun day to be on facebook.)

Ok moving on.  Up next: Mass Effect 3.  Check it out.


Wow.  Let’s start with the kid at the beginning.  There isn’t much that can get you into a trailer than a cute child playing with a model of the Normandy and chasing butterflies.  As the peaceful scene transforms into one of utter destruction, and the model Normandy is picked up by a solemn Commander Shepard, who looks like he’s ready to kick all kinds of ass, I found myself thinking, “Damn Shep, you better get this done for the kids.  Seriously.”  As the war scenes begin in earnest, and the music reaches a climactic crescendo, I realized that I was watching what could very well have been an alien invasion movie that would have Spielberg’s jaw on the floor.  And that, my friends, is a sign of success.

The next one is short and sweet.  Also, it just so happens to be for a game that I’ve been waiting years to play.  That game is Diablo 3, and I can say now that I have played it, I was not disappointed.


What we have here is essentially thirty seconds of demons, angels, heroes, explosions and war.  What more could you ask for?  Let’s face facts, there isn’t much that’s cooler than watching the forces of heaven and hell clash for the fate of the world.  Evil may be back, but there is still good to be found.  And you can find it in that trailer.

Finally, Halo 4.  This one gets two trailers.  One from E3 2011, and one from 2012.  They are equally awesome.  If you followed the blog during the last adventure through video game trailers, you know that I love the way that Halo promotes their games.  And let me tell you, they do not disappoint here.



Where to begin with this one?  The first trailer shows John 117 waking from his space slumber to find himself in a half destroyed starship being dragged toward what one can only assume is an enemy that is probably geared toward destruction of humanity, as most of these things usually are.  This trailer raises the question: If Chief had a jetpack all along, why didn’t he use it before?  Probably would have helped.  Oh well.  It also demonstrates that the Spartan soldier is ready for battle pretty much from the second he wakes up.  I wish I could get out of bed in the time it takes him to blast his way through the wreckage of the ship and stare with stoic poise at the enemy whose ass he is about to kick.  Oh well.
The second trailer really ups the ante, as live actors are thrown into the mix.  They may have built the Infinity for peace, but as the ships gets ripped toward an unknown enemy, (assumedly the one who Chief was facing,) we can all guess what’s about to go down.  The end of the trailer, when Cortana goes apeshit, really pushes it over the top.  So much badassery is about to ensue, I don’t think I can deal with it.

That’s all for now folks, I hope you enjoyed it.

The answers you seek lie within.
-Harry