Mass Effect Trilogy - Official Trailer

Our game is better than your game

Ladies and gentlemen, exhibits A thru Z of why you need to stop whatever it is you're doing and play the Mass Effect trilogy. Go ahead, I'll wait; there's plenty I can get done in 200 hours. And yes, that's how long you'll be playing for if you do it right. If you want a crash course on how to build one of the best RPG shooters of all time, the ME trilogy is a perfect fit for your gaming needs.

Call of Duty Black Ops 2 - Live Action Launch Trailer

I laughed, I cried, I COD'ed. That sounds dirty.

Oh hey look, Halo and Call of Duty employed the same marketing tactics. Again. Okay, well not exactly the same, but they did release live action trailers directed by pretty famous people (Guy Ritchie in this case). Here's the difference: while Halo catered to the Halo fan, COD catered to, well, everyone that knows what a video game is. And much to my surprise, it totally works.

Everyone who has ever played COD knows that the online multiplayer is a total sh*t fest. You run around, shoot everything in sight, get killed from an unknown direction, respawn, rinse wash repeat. It's organized chaos, but damn do people have fun playing it. So why not try and market towards as many gamers as possible by making a trailer with big booms, big guns, and Robert Downey Jr.? It didn't take itself too seriously, and that will get people to line up for its release.

Oh, and FPS Russia FOR THE WIN. Good to see this guy getting some camera time outside of the youtubes.

Also, zombies.

Assassin's Creed III - Launch Trailer

Finally, the time is at hand

All of the waiting, all of the anticipating, it is finally coming to an end. Assassin's Creed III drops today and I for one could not be more exciting. Combine this with the best trailer the franchise has ever released, and I'm contemplating a trip to my nearest GameStop at 9 am.

I've never seen such fluidity of action in an Assassin's Creed trailer (let alone the game itself), which means that we're hopefully going to see the best looking and smoothest AC yet. But just to put the tomahawk in the proverbial red coat:

"What is your name?"

"Why do you ask?"

"...So I can find you."

Enough said.

Bioshock Infinite - "Beasts of America" Trailer

From floating building to shining floating building

CGI/Live action trailers are awesome. They are gorgeous representations of what a game would look like if it ever graced the theaters. But in terms of really selling a game to the public, nothing beats a badass trailer made completely out of in-game footage. With a wonderful combination of rocking music, beautiful graphics, and tons of slick action, Bioshock Infinite just blew me away with its Beasts of America. As someone who does not typically reach for the Bioshock franchise when looking for a game to play, these two minutes has me interested. Irrational definitely hit the mark with this one. 

Halo 4 - "Scanned" Launch Trailer

There is WAY too much ancient evil in the universe

I don't think people realize how big of a deal it is that David Fincher and Tim Miller were involved in the production of this trailer. The director of Fight Club and The Social Network doesn't team up with a visual effects lead of X-Men and Where the Wild Things Are for anything. This goes to show that video games are really starting to break into the Hollywood workforce as a medium that is beneficial to work in. It's no surprise; with video games being one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the world, it's surprising that we haven't seen more big names in the credits for trailers or the games themselves.

This CGI/live action short shows us that Halo is a big deal. Big enough that some serious players in the industry are willing to attach their names to it. Or that they'll do anything for the right price. I'm going with the first option.

Far Cry 3 - "The Tribe: Citra and Dennis" Trailer

I'll try not to use "Far Cry" in a sentence

I had the pleasure of trying Far Cry 3 at E3 this year, and man was it a blast. No... literally everything exploded. But it was a fun twist to the four-player co-op model; each person could be their own unique class with special load-outs (I went with the sniper package). There was even a section where my teammates and I stood on a bridge with .50 cal rifles and had a contest closely resembling "how many body parts can you shoot off in three minutes?" It may not have been the most innovative thing in the world, but it sure was fun.

Cut to this gameplay reveal trailer, where we meet our main allies (and maybe a bad guy too?) Citra and Dennis. Their native island has a serious lack of outside human contact vibe, which makes it no wonder these pirates have made short work of taking over most of it. It's hard to fight guns with spears. Anyway, Citra, the leader of the tribe, promises to give you the power of an ancient warrior if you rescue some of her people. Dennis is there to speak with a cool accent. You proceed to kill a bunch of people in ridiculous, action movie ways. We might not have learned a whole lot, but at the very least Far Cry 3 will swing for the fences with action and big booms.

NBA 2K13 - Launch Trailer

Did I mention Jay-Z is the EP?

First off, let's get something straight. Much like the film industry, when the box says that NBA 2K13 is "executive produced by Jay-Z" it actually means "Jay-Z gave us a lot of money so we had to put his name on the title". I'm sure that he had a hand in the production (see: the soundtrack) but for all intensive purposes, that's pretty much his entire role.

Anyhow, to the game. the 2K franchise has struck gold with their NBA effort ever since '11 hit the shelves, and the gameplay looks smoother and more realistic as the years go on. I was loving the signature moves being shown, Larry Bird and The Truth specifically if I'm going to have any kind of bias. And who doesn't love to see a Houston-clad Jeremy Lin getting crossed up? I'm curious to when 2K will go after a physics overhaul ala Madden, but as of right now if it ain't broke then let Jay-Z pay for it.

Okay, that was the last jab. If you like sports games and the NBA, 2K13 is going to be tops.

Assassin's Creed 3 - "Boston Tea Party" Trailer

Goin' up to Bahston

When a trailer gives you goosebumps and makes you forget how to breathe for almost two minutes, it's a damn fine trailer. While slow at first, this short actually sets the story quite well for people who maybe have never seen anything about the new AC game. But for those of us who haven't been living under a rock, we already knew most of the components to the story.

What excites me most about Assassin's Creed III is that we will be doing things in a "behind the scenes" sort of level for the American Revolution. Almost like the original special ops in an organized war. If that doesn't get you giddy to take up Desmond's Animus chair again, I'm not sure what will.

Mass Effect 3 - "Leviathan" DLC Trailer

Or: Shepard fights a sea monster this time

Don't take the sub head the wrong way: this DLC looks pretty awesome. I just find it funny that Bioware continues to create these ridiculously powerful beasts for Shepard to take down. But at least the story behind it seems compelling this time around. Much like the Shadow Broker DLC from Mass Effect 2, I'll be very interested to download and play through this extra bit of story from ME3. Oh screw it, just take my wallet already!

I think the whole "going to the bottom of an ocean in a mech" is the most appealing part of the DLC because it's the most different from anything we've seen in the Mass Effect series. It makes Shepard feel the most venerable because there's only a few inches of metal separating him from certain doom. Never give me the odds. 

Star Wars 1313 - "Descent to the Underworld" Trailer

A whole new world

Pardon the Alladin reference, but we are indeed experience a whole new world the likes of Star Wars fans have never seen before. And that couldn't be more exciting. It seems as if Lucasarts has been able to construct a "dante's inferno" of the SW universe, where the deeper you descend into 1313, the more like hell it feels like.

This is a welcome change to the direction of Star Wars games in my opinion. As much as I like running around with a lightsaber being nearly indestructible, there's something appealing about being a skilled bounty hunter in one of the most dangerous places in the galaxy. Take a look at how 1313 is being built, and leave what you think about it below!

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time - Gamescom Trailer 2012

Lots of sweet with only a little sour

First reaction to Sly Cooper making an appearance at Gamescom 2012: THANK THE GOOD LORD. Sly Cooper (and all of the classic PS platformers) was the reason I fell in love with not only the genre, but video games in general. And I'm very certain I'm not the only one who would say that. Sly is back in all of his cell shaded goodness, and he's trying to save his family's history from disappearing forever.

Before all of the good, one area of concern: why do games feel it's necessary to include multiple playable characters now? Back in the good ole days of Jak and Daxter, Ratchet and Clank, OG Sly Cooper, we played as our one protagonist and that was good enough because the game itself kept us interested. Are people's attention span that short now? I hope that the other characters are done well, and it seems like they will have their own strengths at the very least.

Now onto the wins: it is about time we got another good PS3 platformer (I'm just assuming this game is going to be good. It's more of a hope than anything) and one that shows off how good cell shading looks on the Playstation system. Along with that, the PS Vita cross platform integration looks like it actually will add to the experience, which is always a positive. While I've always liked that you can just pick up your Vita and pick up from where you left off on your PS3, now you can use the Vita to find hidden treasures around Sly's world. And me likey hidden treasures.

PS All Stars: Battle Royale - Sweet Tooth Strategy Video

All of the comparisons

Not too long ago, on a recent episode of my video podcast, The Byte, we discussed the leaked (not yet confirmed) cast list for Play Station All Stars: Battle Royale. Since Sweet Tooth is one of the few confirmed characters that was available to try out at E3, it only seemed fitting to feature his strategy video. Since PSAS:BR is essentially Sony's attempt at a Super Smash kind of game, let the comparisons begin!

Other than beating Smash in the "longest title possible" category, there are a lot of similarities (and differences) that we can pull from this trailer. My favorite moment of "oh man I totally used that in Smash" was when they discussed Sweet's annoyance moves, or the moves that were only meant to do small amounts of damage quickly, therefore frustrating your opponent. If Mario's fireballs or Diddy's peanut cannon didn't do the same thing, I don't know what did. The other part that I liked is when the person mentioned Sweet Tooth is one of the easier characters to pick up, making him an attractive choice for beginners (see: Marth).

Some points where PSAS:BR has gone off the beaten smashing path: There are now three tiers of special attacks instead of just one super power per character, making each person you play as feel even more unique than the next. Each one drastically varies in severity; the first tier special may not throw your opponent off the stage for good, while the third tier special will have adversaries running for their lives. 

Needless to say, PSAS:BR looks largely like a carbon copy of the original Smash series, it's hard to say that the same ideas are not in place. However, with some tweaks to the formula and a more varied and interesting cast of characters (in my humble opinion) we could be in for a real treat here.

Darksiders 2 - Story Trailer

Goblins and Ghouls, oh my!

So, this looked pretty cool. What can you possibly hate about running around as Death himself cutting demons to pieces with a gigantic scythe? For a "story" trailer, the story here was a little sparse. All I could ascertain was that the humans are extinct (presumably because God finally killed all of us for something all the Republicans are yelling about) and only Death can bring us back to life. But hey, you get to fight the devil, so story surely isn't the forefront of the game.

Needless to say, Darksiders 2 is going to be big and fun.

Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance - Launch Trailer

Four More Years! Four More Years!

I fell in love with the original Kingdom Hearts just over ten years ago. It was the perfect combination of Final Fantasy and Disney, and I was enthralled from start to finish. Looking past the awkward Square Enix signature dialogue and wonky camera, I had found my favorite game until the sequel was slated for release. Enter Kingdom Hearts 2: Where the camera stuff was (mostly) fixed, action commands became just as prominent in combat as button mashing, and Aerith still had a really strange voice. Needless to say, the prospect of a third (and I assume final) entry to the trilogy interested me just a little bit.

But then we started getting different KH games. Chain of Memories was the start of it, a full length card turn based handheld title, where not playing the game technically didn't make you miss anything with the main story line. Instead of just doing one or two filler games for extra content, Square Enix kept pumping them out. Not only are we continuing to get handheld titles that convolute and confuse the gamers to what exactly is happening in the KH saga, but we don't even have a clue on when KH3 is going to grace our consoles.

That brings us to Dream Drop Distance, the newest title coming to the Nintendo 3DS. I got a chance to play the demo at E3, and I can solidly say that I no longer have any clue what is going on in this series. Donald and Goofy don't know who you are, you bounce around with a giant elephant and mouse, and the Hunchback of Notre Dame looks really strange in 3D. Whether you decide to confuse yourself farther with Dream Drop Distance is up to you, but if you're anything like me, you're quickly becoming very skeptical about how good KH3 could possibly be at this point. And that breaks my twelve year old heart.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 - "Villain Trailer"

But then I found out I could get Nuketown...

Yes, I know we as "real" gamers are supposed to hate on COD for its same game different package formula, but hell it's just too much fun. And the story seems so out of this world that I almost feel obligated to experience it. People are actually working their tails off making this seemingly mediocre rehashing of every first person shooter we've played since 2007, and we have to respect that.

Now that the sarcastic rant is over with, we take a glimpse at the guy who is going to try and blow up everybody... this time. Our bad guy seems to have control over the United States defense system, meaning that any kind of retaliation would lead to a very unpleasant visit from Nuketown. Speaking of Nuketown, if you preorder the game, you get a remodeling of Nuketown! I think that alone makes the game worth it. Nuketown!

Sleeping Dogs: GSP Master Fighter Trailer

And boom goes the dynamite

I had the extreme fortune of playing Sleeping Dogs both at PAX East and E3 this year, and I can tell you that it's definitely a blast. Borrowing from the Arkham Asylum/Arkham City melee combat system, Sleeping Dogs focuses on chaining combos together between enemies and timing counter attacks to take down a ton of dudes without suffering a scratch. Georges St. Pierre (GSP) shows off his MMA skills simultaneously with our main character to show just how authentic the combat will be in the game itself. Square Enix is making a point to bring a realistic fighting style to the less-than-realistic combat system (let's be real, as cool as it looks, taking on more than three guys at once is not something that has a high success rate). 

This trailer is extremely effective at doing what it intends: show how real the fighting is in Sleeping Dogs. A side by side comparison with one of the best MMA strikers in the world is as real as it gets, and only gets me more excited to try out the finished version of the game. One thing that a friend pointed out to me: the trailer could be misinterpreted as showing Kinect functionality if you have never seen anything about Sleeping Dogs or GSP. I didn't see it, but apparently some people might. Still, solid trailer, solid game. 

Assassin's Creed 3: Fourth of July Trailer

'MERICA

So here's the thing about this trailer. It's really awesome in showing us what the gameplay around Connor is going to look like (gorgeous, by the way). This trailer had in game graphics of our favorite assassin-to-be interacting with the world around him, and it's a violent one. AC3 is not going to be short on action, and the spirit of Independence Day meant this trailer was meant to be chock full of explosions.

But here's the thing that comes up short for me. Maybe the E3 trailer was SO good that it spoiled me, but this Fourth of July effort simply falls flat in creating as much excitement as the E3 installment. We learned things about story then, about who the redcoats are, and a little bit of who Connor may be. But then again... maybe it's supposed to be like that.

Company of Heroes 2: Teaser Trailer

Well now I'm just depressed

I think Company of Heroes 2 has pulled a first (or at least the first time I've seen this kind of marketing approach) in their first teaser for the upcoming war strategy giant. They seem to think that by playing their game, you are properly honoring and remembering the sacrifice of the Russian people. I have a difficult time coming to grips with this. There's a distinct difference between playing a video game that generally depicts history and participating in some memoriam for the unfortunately deceased. Call of Duty has been throwing us into "real" WW2 battles for years without claiming it was some way to honor those who lost their lives in the great war. Call me close minded, but its tough to set a video game to look epic and fun while making it respectful to the people it depicts.

Conflict aside, CoH2 absolutely killed at E3 and should be even better than the original. Keep an eye out for gameplay releases over the coming months to see what the game will really be like!

Spec Ops: The Line Launch Trailer

We've been set up... 

Talk about an adrenaline rush. Tomorrow store shelves will be graced with Spec Ops: The Line from 2K Studios. Considering Boderlands is up there on my "Favorite shooters ever" list, the hopes are high for this latest effort. Tossing the camera back into third person and sending a near-futuristic marine into the jowls of hell (or in this case, Dubai) may yield some interesting results.

As for the trailer itself, it felt more like a trailer for an action movie than a video game, which is the point I guess. I was reminded a lot of the GTA4 trailer that made such waves with one shot of Niko walking toward the camera while the scenes changed around him. The story is very hazy though: which side is our guy on? Who set up who? He seems American, but this doesn't necessarily seem like formal military.

Needless to say, I'm rooting for you 2K.

New Super Mario Bros. 2 Official Info Video

It ain't about the money, honey

Just as the first line states: New Super Mario Bros. 2 for 3DS is finally here. A sequel to the revered (yes, it was actually really good) New Super Mario Bros., one of the first times Mario has had success on the current generation of Nintendo handhelds.

This NSMB has changed the formula this time around; it's all about the pocket change. Gold takes a leading role in the next installment of Mario's never ending quest in a big way. Close to everything you do in the game leads to you getting coins. Blocks turn to coins, enemies poop coins by the thousands, I bet the Hammer Bros just wail pennies at you. There's even a challenge issued at the end to see who can collect 1 million coins first. Yes, you read that correctly. I don't think I've collected more than 10,000 coins in my entire Mario career... ever.

My question for the developers: what on Earth are you doing? I do get that the old formula is old, but a change this drastic (not to mention materialistic) takes so much of the energy for the game. Mario is meant to be speeding through complex levels at high velocities thwarting Bowser from taking Peach and the Kingdom all over again. This seems like a arcade side scroller gold rush. You pick what works better, but I'll take the classic plumber.

The Sims 3: Supernatural Announcement Trailer

I'm not mad... just disappointed

The Sims is known for its wealth of ridiculous expansion packs, and Supernatural seems to be taking that to an entirely new level. However, none of what I saw in the announcement trailer looked original whatsoever. First I was watching Twilight, followed by Harry Potter, sprinkle a little Peter Pan, shuffle on over to a bad zombie flick (which actually looked kinda cool), and then cap it all off with more freaking Twilight. Man, I hate vampires.

Whatever happened to the days of Sims expansion packs that progressed the game instead of rendering it even more useless? Sure, Ambitions and Generations had some useful aspects to them, but not to the degree that University did for the Sims 2. Until Maxis wants to start making expansions that aren't just in the market to make some money, I won't be buying.

Marvel Heroes: Official First Look Trailer

Captain America looks... cute

Ah Marvel, The Avengers came out and it was so good; that just meant there had to be another game. It's cool, I love money too. I probably love the Avengers even more, but this trailer did not foster that love. For a PC only title, the gameplay looks and sounds like an arcade. Corny punchlines, comic worthy sound effects (BLAM!), and disjointed attacking make Marvel Heroes a game that looks like 2012 but plays like 2004. Thank goodness I still have my copy of Roller Coaster Tycoon.

Halo 4 "Red vs. Blue" Trailer

Talkin' bout November 6th

Rooster Teeth has really found a gold mine with their flagship web series "Red vs. Blue", and 343 is making an excellent choice using them in their advertising. I will now never forget November 6th, 2012 as the release date for Halo (how could I anyways?).

Most of the RvB goodness is in full effect here: Griff sarcastically questioning everything, Simmons kissing ass, Sarge being generally clueless and brutish, with the bonus of a Blue spy session. My only question: Where the hell was Caboose!? He's easily the most entertaining member of the Blue team (although Tucker making uncomfortable sexual jokes never gets old) and having him in the video would have been awesome.

Nevertheless, using RvB to promote the new Halo is a brilliant choice, and lots of their fans will be very happy about their inclusion.

Sim City "Water" Trailer

Don't drink the water...

Video Courtesy g4tv.com

So calling this video a "trailer" is a bit of a stretch, but what we see here is really cool. Sim City is synonymous with nostalgia for many gamers (including myself) so getting to see some features is never a bad thing. Proving that Sim City will be pushing for both realism and terrifying difficulty, we have the water system. 

Coloring the ground to show where the water is makes for an easy way to determine where you're town should go; any good simmer should know that you go where the water is. However, this quick trailer showed us that placement of other buildings, especially the ones that create pollution, can have a detrimental effect on your populations. As we saw here, keeping the power plant too close to the water tower caused pollution in the homes, and therefore some very sick sims. 

So it looks like water is going to be one of the many challenges facing you in the new Sim City... just behind the giant alien that comes from space to destroy everyone. 

Batman: Arkham City Lockdown - Poison Ivy Trailer

Girl, I must *warn youuuuuuu*

What could possibly make an Arkham City port on iOS better? Obviously throwing in Poison Ivey as extra bad guy and getting to kick the tar out of a possessed Robin. Not much else to see here in this quick 52 seconds, lots of the same Batman ass kicking with a little bit of Robin punching that I know tons of caped crusader fans will be dying to get their hands on. Someone get me an iPad!

...But seriously, can someone buy me an iPad?

Assassin's Creed 3 Reveal Trailer

Can't... stop... watching...

I don't even know where to start. Ever since screen shots have been getting leaked for AC3 with a very patriotic protagonist, I've been no less than giddy for a Revolutionary War title. Maybe it was my selfish wish to see a colonial Boston or just being generally bored with foreign history ('Murrica) I felt that a move to the states, or thirteen colonies in this example, would be a brilliant one for Ubisoft's giant franchise. I spent all of my time between then and now praying that it was real.

Then we finally got a reveal trailer, and it blew me away. I can finally be a flying squirrel with tree running, and the hatchet/musket pistol is a lock to be my favorite weapon combo yet. Now just add more awesome combat combos and a compelling story with recognizable locations and characters (what's good, George Washington?), and we will have ourselves a game! Still, hopes are extremely high and I can't wait to see more footage released.

My only question, what's up with the outfit? I know the hood is a staple of AC, but we're not in the Renaissance anymore. I find it very hard to believe that you're going to blend in with a bunch of patriots and colonial women wearing all white with a hood over your face. Very interested to see how that's going to work.

The Amazing Spider-Man Teaser Trailer

Buzzwords!

Looks like the Spider-Man reboot isn't limited to theaters this time around, as we have a teaser trailer for a video game featuring Spidey as well. Lots of reactions to the trailer involve the words "open-world" and I frankly can't agree with them enough. Spider-Man 2 was brilliant for having a (sort of) open world feature, and this next-gen attempt and the blue and red has all kinds of potential for an amazing New York City to web sling around. Just by looking at the few seconds of transit shows that Peter Parker will have an amazing amount of fluidity and animation; now let's just pray that it will translate into the rest of the game.