Syndicate - Announcement Trailer

My mind is blown in so many different ways after watching this trailer. But let's hit the basics first: In the not too distant future, corporations (what they do is a total mystery) are at war with each other and hire agents to obtain what I can only imagine is information that will get them ahead of the game. So this agent whose identity is nothing more then Agent Kilo, is running around shooting and manipulating people in order to obtain said information.

Now let's get to the good stuff. The gun play looked super smooth, and the fact that the same gun had different sights for different types of shooting is awesome. He walks into a dude getting interrogated by two bad guys, manipulates one into shooting his buddy via some jedi mind trick (I make way too many Star Wars references) then gets him to off himself. He extracts a chip out some guys brain after killing him. HE SHOOTS AROUND A FREAKING WALL. Too much crazy action in two minutes.

Oh, and the song is by Skrillex. This whole thing is a giant win.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - Opening Cinematic Trailer

The Legend of Zelda has had this magical ability to look cartoonishly serious as of late (I'm looking at you, Wind Waker) but this isn't really a point of concern. After all, Wind Waker is revered by many fans as one of the best games of the series, but let's look at the new game that's bound to make Zelda fans everywhere squeal.

Now call me crazy, but this feels like the first time I've ever seen Link and Zelda having anything close to a romantic relationship before the game really starts. After I stopped yelling "KISS HIM ALREADY" at my screen, I payed attention to what was actually going on. It appears as if they live in sort of cloud city, sans Lando, and while the lovebirds are flying around together, a giant light sucks Zelda to goodness knows where. Link then puts on his green tunic, and commences beat downs.

This game looks rife with action that is unique to the Zelda series (balancing a rock on molten lava, keeping a mine car on the tacks thousands of feet in the air) but also adheres to the classic game play that made the series immortal in the first place. The music almost supports the "epic cartoon" atmosphere felt here, with the scenes showing everything from intense battles against four armed skeletons to goofy store vendors. Still, it's Zelda, how could you possibly go wrong?

I Am Alive - Comeback Gameplay Trailer

This is the first trailer in a while that has really wowed me. A unique story, with a combination of platforming, first person shooting, and survival horror? Sign me up.

Very little is revealed here, other than something happened and most everyone is dead except for you, your son, and apparently anyone who's ever wanted to kill you. There's a definite "do what ever you can to survive" feeling, much like that movie with that guy that was Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings. Didn't he have a son too? But I digress. This game looks really awesome, and I'll be sure to keep an eye out for more content in the coming weeks. Color me curious.

The Darkness II - Story Trailer

This was just plain creepy. But then again, it's supposed to be. I never played the original Darkness, but I know that it was very mildly successful (like pico de gallo mild) but apparently garnered enough of a following to warrant making a second one.

Now I have no idea who this guy narrating is, but he's obviously really messed up, and knows way too much about the Darkness and the protagonist's story. Honestly I'm not even sure if we can call him a protagonist considering he controls eel-like demons that rip people's bodies apart. Anyhow, the story looks somewhat compelling, guy loses the one connection he has to the light (the innocent girlfriend), gets really pissed off, and kills everybody. And they show a decent amount of game play, making your character look borderline invincible ripping through enemies like nobody's business. That looks really fun.

Fans of dark, kinda scary shooters, check this one out. People who like Dance Central and prance around singing ditties to yourself, steer clear.

Assassin's Creed: Revelations - Extended E3 Trailer

Oh. My. Goodness. This is such an example of how good cinematic trailers can be. Sure, the game is never going to look this good when it's actually being played, but that's not the point. The point is the story that is being set up here, the combining of Ezio's and Altair's paths and the huge ending that this series is setting itself up for.

Ezio may look much older in this trailer, but he sure hasn't lost a step with age. Right from when he takes an arrow to the shoulder and pulls it out like a twig do you know he's about to do some serious butt kicking. He proceeds to commence said butt kicking until he is captured and all seems lost. The high point of the trailer is seeing the Eagle right before Ezio is to be hanged, and AC fan knows that he's about to escape and perform some death-defying leap.

The addition of the letter to Claudia adds so much more to this trailer (which was originally released at E3) and definitely sets the tone for the game itself. Color me excited.

Battlefield 3 - 99 Problems Full Length Trailer

This was epic. I won't lie, I hit the replay button a few times before fully gripping what I had just witnessed. This trailer promises two things, that there will be a lot of action and even more action after that. But in a sense we all knew that would be the case. This was a hard hitting, quick moving trailer with loud music and even louder explosions. There's a definite tone that is starting to be set, this game is going to be in your face at all times.

But here's the down point: the obvious shot that they take at Call of Duty by putting the slogan "Above and Beyond the Call". I felt it was completely unnecessary. To start, they're taking a page right out of COD's book by using a popular rap song in a game play trailer, and then pounding their chests like they've already defeated Goliath. Yes, the trailer was awesome and showed some really good action, and is way more intense compared to that Modern Warfare 2 trailer that I will put in the bottom of this post. I just wish they let the game do the talking, because in the end it's about the quality of the game that they put out.

What do you think? Was the ending slogan and unnecessary shot? Which trailer did you like better, MW2's "Till I Collapse" or Battlefield's "99 Problems"?

I give the better trailer award to Battlefield solely because of how much faster paced and intense it is (MW2 also gave away a LOT of story if you pay attention to it) but who puts out the better game is yet to be seen.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - Launch Trailer

Burnout Crash! - David Hasselhoff Kinect Trailer

Oh boy...where to even start with this one. I can't decide what's more embarrassing for the 'Hoff, this video or the one of him too drunk to stand. Also, in what universe would the main part of a party be playing Burnout Crash? Although that seems like a venue that David would show up to nowadays.

Anyways, at least they showed some Kinect functionality in this trailer. The movements look fun, but this game looks playable for about ten minutes. Too classic arcade for my taste, if I wanted to do that I'd grab some quarters and go to the local retro pizza joint.

Batman: Arkham City - The Joker Trailer

Batman: Arkham City comes out in mid October, so this has got to be the last big one before the game comes out considering it features the game's main villain. From what I can gather from the trailer, Joker is beaten but not down from the events of Arkham Asylum, and he's crazier than ever.

I really like that Arkham City is essentially a continuation of Arkham Asylum, which is hailed by many to be the best superhero game of all time. Watching the Joker in action shows a completely transformed Gotham that suits his madness, and endless waves of henchmen causing as much chaos as they want. And of course, Batman trying to save the day. It really feels like Joker is in control in this trailer, and Batman is scrambling to make things right again. Good feelings for the impending release.

Battlefield 3 - 99 Problems Teaser

I love it when games use real songs in their trailers ('Till I Collapse", anyone?). Base pounding music with mind blowing action is a ridiculous combination. This Battlefield 3 trailer is the best of both worlds, and it's not even the full length version! It's far too short to actually ascertain anything from the game play, but it does not fall short in badassery.

I'll be sure to do a more in-depth reaction when the full length trailer comes out on Monday. But that was the best 25 seconds I'm going to have all day.

Max Payne 3 - First Trailer

Okay, before I start on this one, it just needs to be noted that this trailer is ENTIRELY in-game footage. That alone should get anyone super excited about this game. Rockstar always has a reputation for putting out games that are cutting edge graphically, and this one is no exception.

This trailer is classic Max Payne. Sad music playing as Max has inner struggles, drinks a lot, and shoots even more. I like the setting change, Brazil always seems to offer a unique and realistic environment whenever a protagonist ends up on the mean streets of Rio de Janeiro. You also get a basic overview of the plot: Max is hired to protect this family, apparently fails and the daughter gets kidnapped, then you shoot a ton of people.

What I didn't exactly enjoy was the fact that I saw Max punch a guy in slow motion then point his gun at the guys head twice. In two minutes. Please tell me there will be more to melee combat than that.

Overall, it's a solid trailer and Rockstar isn't in the business of putting out bad games, so it looks like we have another solid shooter on our hands here.

FIFA 12 Pro Player Intelligence Trailer

FIFA has always been a favorite of mine, and the amount of realism in the game is almost scary. If you can actually understand the guy talking, you can see a heightened level of AI that will make your teammates (and opponents) more like, well, professional footballers. This is the kind of simple trailer that will get me just as pumped for a game simply based on highlighting the new and exciting content.