VGX Awards - Best in Show

A glimpse of what's to come

After getting the opportunity to look over all of the trailers that made their "World Premier" at the VGX Awards, there were three games that seemed to stand above the rest. No matter what you thought of the show itself, you can't hate on having a feast of new trailers to see what the future of gaming looks like.

Best Celebrity Appearance: Broken Age

I love seeing actors taking the leap into the video game world, and Elijah Wood may be my favorite voice for a game yet. Broken Age feels a little creepy; you're stuck inside this smart house that is hellbent on keeping you safe, but safe is boring. Elijah expresses that quiet desire to go out and help others in the universe, growing from a slight frustration to gaining a rebellious passion of his own. He even talks about how cool it is to be in a video game. This is the beginning of a movement, people. 

Broken Age

PC, Mac, iOS, Android, Ouya

Release: Jan 2014 (part I)

Developer: Double Fine Productions

Most Consistent: Titanfall (Ogre and Styder Trailers)

Titanfall simply refuses to look boring. All of these mechs are vastly unique with their own obvious strengths and weaknesses, but they all do have one thing in common: they look incredibly fun to control. Ever since its reveal for the Xbox One, Titanfall has poised itself as the first great hit for the new system, we can only hope that the gameplay will translate as well as it looks in its previews! 

Titanfall

Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC

Release: March 11, 2014

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Developer: Respawn Entertainment

Best in Show: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

RPG junkies rejoice, our favorite mutant is back and looking better than ever on the next generation graphic engines. The Wild Hunt is going to be a huge, sprawling open world with plenty of opportunity to explore, and (more importantly) fight. These new bad guys look like the tough to kill type, which means we might see some pretty ridiculous new powers for Geralt in his last chapter. We can only hope that little force push ground strike he did must only be the tip of the ice burg.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Xbox One, PS4, PC

Release: TBA 2014

Publisher: CD Projekt Red

Developer: CD Projekt Red

What did you think of the trailers at the VGX? Leave your opinions below! 

"Tales from the Borderlands" and "Game of Thrones" - World Premier Trailers

They're keeping busy, that's for sure

Tales from the Borderlands

Over the weekend Spike TV hosted their annual video game awards, otherwise known as the super cutting-edge VGX Awards. If you followed the twitter discussion while the awards were happening, you were met with the typical acid-spitting sarcasm that most pundits in the industry seem to spew about pretty much everything involving their industry. No surprises there. 

Despite the negative energy surrounding the event itself, the VGX provided us with plenty of great trailers for both next and current-gen consoles (past and current-gen? How are we saying this now?). Out of all of the reveals throughout the night, Telltale Games came out looking strong. They premiered two new projects slated to release next year with Tales from the Borderlands and a Game of Thrones series. 

Game of Thrones

While the Game of Thrones reveal is nothing more than, well.. a reveal, I really enjoy the risk that Telltale is taking with this project. Jumping into a world as large and popular as the GoT universe will be their biggest test yet; do it wrong and people will go at them with everything they have ala Bioware with Mass Effect 3. But do it right, and I can see another game of the year contender here, especially if the large battle sequences are executed well. There's lots of promise, especially from a developer that has shown it knows what it's doing. 

Tales From the Borderlands looks like it could be lots of fun as well, though it will be interesting to see how Telltale takes the open world "shoot first, shoot again, now keep shooting" style of Borderlands and turns it into the point and click story driven style that we are used to. But having Gearbox (and HBO in GoT's situation) should help bring authenticity to what is trying to be done here. Maybe this kind of collaboration is a sign of things to come? We can only wait to see.

Keep an eye out for a VGX Trailer Best in Show post on Sunday! 

Tales From the Borderlands

Game of Thrones

Release: TBA 2014

Publisher: Telltale Games

Developer: Telltale Games

Saints Row IV - Elements of Destruction DLC Trailer

And boom goes the dynamite

Saints Row IV has the distinct pleasure of being a really freaking weird game. There's nothing normal about the President of the United States single handedly saving the nation with the use of his super powers. But that's the charm of SR4, you don't need to be tied to reality to enjoy how much havoc you're wrecking on the bad guys.

Enter Elements of Destruction, a downloadable add on for $2.99 that gives your character all kinds of ridiculous new powers. I would try and describe them all for you, but I definitely think the trailer does them justice. The decision to show the action in the actual game (because why the heck wouldn't you do that) sells the moves for themselves.

Saints Row IV - Elements of Destruction DLC
PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Release: Out Now! 
Publisher: Deep Silver
Developer: Volition, Inc.

Ultra Street Fighter IV - New Character Combo Trailers

More ways to button mash

Rolento Combo Trailer

In early 2014, we'll be treated to the third (yes, third) update to Street Fighter IV. This comes in the form of Ultra Street Fighter IV, bringing new characters, levels, to the same consoles that Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade was released on. If you already own Arcade, Ultra will be slashed down to $14.99 as an add on. If this is your first time picking up the series, it will cost you a cool $39.99.

Hugo Combo Trailer

In anticipation for the release, Capcom has released combo trailers for all of the new characters that have been revealed for Ultra. Above we get a taste of Rolento, first seen as the fourth stage boss from Final Fight. Joining him is Hugo; Final Fight's homage to Andre the Giant, Poison; Hugo's friend and manager from his wrestling days, and Elena; a playable character from Street Fighter III.

Poison Combo Trailer

All of these trailers feature the character's special and ultra combos, essentially showing what their best and most powerful moves are. This is a great way to reveal the character's look and play-style, but on the whole the presentation felt underwhelming. Beating up on a static Ryu on a white backdrop does not make for a thrilling trailer. A simple game map and an actual fight would have made all of this far more compelling, but at least you get to see the new people you can play with. 

Elena Combo Trailer

It's great that Street Fighter continues to try and stay relevant with updates and new characters, but if it wants to stay afloat it has to sell to the market that doesn't already have the game. These had the potential to be great character reveals, showing the people why they NEED this update for even more button mashing fun, but it all felt a little bland. Even so, 43 playable characters is nothing to gawk at, so keep an eye out for how Ultra this title really becomes.

Ultra Street Fighter IV
Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Release: Early 2014
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes - Launch Trailer

Gentlemen, the situation is dire

I am going to play the ever-loving crap out of this game. Lego games have the uncanny ability to suck you in and make you want to find every unlockable there is. And there are a LOT of goodies to reward yourself with in these titles, so imagine the spoils when we dive into the Marvel universe.

As the trailer shows, we're not just looking at the Avengers here. The Fantastic 4, Spiderman, Doc Oc and other familiar Marvel faces will be gracing this LEGO title. That means each and every one of them will be playable (most likely) if you play the game for long enough. I really find their depth in what you can achieve to be the most immersive thing about playing.

But what makes all of the grinding for the treasure worth it is that it never for one moment takes itself too seriously. You use Lego's to create ways past obstacles.  Enemies fly to pieces when you punch them. The characters now even have dialogue, so we're going to get some fresh story as opposed to a retelling of a movie or Batman being silent. It's the kind of game that's really useful when you need to entertain a kid, but want to have fun playing yourself.

And what else you say? The good guys are gonna work with the bad guys! In a fun little twist, we get this picture showing us a slice of the characters you can play as:

Can you name them all?

That's a mark of a good trailer. Give the people what they want!

LEGO: Marvel Super Heroes
PS Vita, PS3, PC, 3DS, WiiU, Xbox 360
Release: Oct 22, 2013
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive
Developer: Traveller's Tales

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 - Debut Trailer

So what am I excited for, really?

I have to start by saying that Spiderman (or Spider-Man in this case, I guess) is my absolute favorite super hero of all time. That's why it's so disappointed that they haven't made a good Spidey game since Spiderman 2 for the PS2. You would think, considering the streak of mediocre to down right atrocious releases, that Activision would want to pull out all of the stops and really get the people buzzing about this next attempt. It falls far short.

This is a short debut trailer, which means you only have so long to reel the player in. But all you want to show us is how this Spider-Man looks with a quick shot of him falling? No combat, no enemies that give any idea to the conflict of the story, and Activision is very adamant about promoting a "new and improved" Manhattan that just frankly doesn't look like a next-gen caliber city.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has big shoes to fill and has already stumbled out of the gate. Granted it only is 60 seconds, but purchases have been decided in far less time. Here are a couple things I didn't learn from the trailer that actually make the game sound kind of cool:

• The ability to play not only as Spidey, but as Peter Parker as well
• A morality system with Hero/Menace points

The Peter Parker thing alone deserved a shot in this debut trailer. It would have been something new that would have piqued some interest from gamers on the fence about another Spider-Man game. A missed opportunity. 

The Amazing Spider-Man 2
PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, WiiU, Nintendo 3DS
Release: Spring 2014
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Beenox

Theif - Gameplay Trailer

Get your steal on

My goodness does this look fun to play. Stealth free running with fluid combat and weapons? That right there is what we call a big stinking heap of potential. The parallels to Mirror's Edge are obvious in the free running sections, but this new dark city and the implementation of using stealth and shadows to your advantages gives the formula something fresh to grow off of.

We get plenty of great looks at the first person action of Thief, basically being walked through a mission that will most likely be included in the game. It was good to hear a little bit of personality out of our main character Garrett, instead of the usual strong and silent types that come with these games. This is a strong showing for Thief, hopefully the finished product will come out even stronger.

Thief
PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Release: Feb 25, 2014
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Eidos Montreal

Humble Bundle - Nordic Games Humble Bundle Trailer

That's a whole lot of game(s)

You've got to hand it to the people at Humble Bundle; they've put together a great way to benefit both video game developers and charity while getting quality games out for rock bottom prices. They have a sense of humor too, showing their goofy side toting the trailer for their Nordic Games Humble Bundle.

But those shrieking angel-men are right, what more could you need? For any price, you'll be getting Supreme Commander (a pretty decent RTS), Red Faction: Armageddon (seriously, everything blows up in that game), The Guild 2, and Neighbours From Hell Compilation. Pay above the meager $6 line, and they throw in Darksiders II (I've heard good things), Painkiller: Hell and Damnation, ArcaniA, and SpellForce II: Faith in Destiny.

Just in case you weren't counting, that's 7 games if you can manage at least $6, part of which goes to charity. I believe that is what we call a win-win. This deal expires in just over a day, but there are deals every week along with the current Humble Bundle on their website.

The Nordic Games Humble Bundle
Steam, Windows
https://www.humblebundle.com/weekly

Red Box Reviews - Rayman Legends

Fun, flamboyant, and a bit funky

Rayman Legends - Launch Trailer

Rayman Legends can be aptly described by each of those three f-words in the subtitle. From the first story level to collecting creatures that lay lums (Rayman money) like eggs, Legends was a blast. In the days where first person shooters and gun violence dominate the video game scene, having a light-hearted yet fast paced side scroller was a definite breath of fresh air.

Setting the Scene

Legends isn't exactly a complicated narrative: Rayman and his pals were sleeping for 100 years (what?) leaving the Bubble Dreamer to grow powerful again and capture all of the Teensies and Princesses of the land. So basically, the bad guys took all of the people, and you have to go rescue them. Got it? Great.

In addition to the main story worlds, you unlock throwback missions from Rayman Origins called 'Back to Origins', and online challenges that can also net you some cool prizes if you do them well. If you collect enough lums in a level, you unlock a scratch off ticket that either unlocks a little creature (catch 'em all!), another 'Back to Origins' level, or more lums. At certain Lum milestones, a new character painting will unlock for your use. Pretty simple and straight forward, there's a clear path to 100% if you're someone who enjoys beating a game to true completion.

Speaking of those F-words...

Still remember the subtitle? We've covered fun, but two areas where Legends really shines is in its flamboyantly colorful art and funky fresh music direction. Each world has its own theme, making no one area look the same. This really gives Rayman a certain freshness to it, even though the objectives of each level don't change that much, each world will provide a new and unique way of completing them. I especially loved the Mariachi world, where you were sprinting through pouring fire while leaping over guacamole bridges. Even the darkest worlds are very vibrant, each glimmering with that cartoony Rayman style that we've come to know.

The music is easily my favorite part of Legends. Even just sitting on the main world menu, you are treated to a pleasant ukelele tune with someone whistling lightly in the background. Going along with themes on each world, the music matches to suit. In that Mariachi world, you were exposed to classical guitar strums and light, fast drums.

As a bonus level at the end of each world, you unlock a musical level; your jumps and hits are timed perfectly with the music, which are recognizable tunes in the genre of the level's theme. For context, the first music level is a rock-fueled romp through a castle with every enemy you defeated in the world singing "Black Betty". These bonus levels were easily the best of the game, marrying the stellar music and art direction with gameplay.

But how does she handle?

We may have a beautiful game on our hands, but there is no mold-breaking happening when it comes to the gameplay or execution. Legends is an excellent platformer that handles really smoothly considering how quickly you need to press multiple buttons at once. At busier points of the levels with your magical green frog buddy that can seemingly do anything, you have to be sprinting, jumping, and hitting the frogs action button all within fractions of a second of one another. If you get it right, it's very satisfying. If you don't, you're starting over from the last check point. But there's no fun without challenge, right?

There can be some redundancy to the levels, especially when you get to the cutscenes with the evil Teensies that you are trying to defeat. There's always a sequence at some point where you chase down the bad guy fleeing on his hovercraft. You are essentially doing the same thing on every level: collecting captured Teensies and collecting as many Lums as you can. Luckily this is remedied a bit by very responsive controls and how differently each level is designed, but I started to lose a little steam when I was jumping from level to level right away.

This game is meant to be played fast: you die and have to observe where you went wrong in order to fix it and move past the obstacle. Lots of jumps string into one another, allowing the player to go stretches of the map without even stopping. And of course, there's always a Teensie or string of Lums to miss, so it keeps the player on their toes trying to match that combination of speed and finesse.

Final Thoughts

After the day with the game, I have three of the six main worlds clear, with a hand full of other levels and challenges completed. If I had kids, this would be a no-brainer for a buy that I could also enjoy on my own. But for now, I can see this as another rental so I can just finish out the levels.

Rayman Legends was an extremely enjoyable platforming game that I most definitely want to pick up again. However, I don't want to finish it because I am particularly compelled by the gameplay or the story. I want to see, hear, and experience every level that Ubisoft has crafted.

Play if you like: Fast paced platformers, art direction and music, completionists

Verdict: Rent Again

Super Smash Bros. - Sonic The Hedgehog Trailer

The speed demon in blue is back!

Courtesy of Gametrailers.com

I wasn't worried that my personal favorite from Brawl, Sonic the Hedgehog, wouldn't be included in the new Super Smash Bros. on its way for the WiiU and the 3DS. I was petrified. Sonic focuses on what he does well: speed. He may not deliver the heaviest punches, but that little sucker is elusive and can pile a lot of damage on before you knew what even hit you. I'm excited to see what he can do on the new console!

Super Smash Bros.
WiiU, 3DS
Release: TBA 2014
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Sora Ltd., Namco Bondai Games

Dark Souls II - TGS 2013 Aching Bones Trailer

If you cut me down I will become more powerful than you can ever imagine... until the next thing kills me.

You die a lot in Dark Souls. That is, ironically, the game's appeal. Since Dark Souls is tuned to become a bit harder every time you bite the dust, players see it as a challenge to conquer it as best as they can. I see it as a game that I get killed a lot trying to play. To each their own.

The Tokyo Game Show may be spitting out trailer after trailer from our anime favorites, but Dark Souls II is always worth a closer look. Aching Bones treated us to some "beauty shot" gameplay, showing our hero slicing and dicing through demons until he is cut down himself. Seemingly evolving into a more powerful self after resurrecting, he finally goes Gandalf the White and slays the mighty demon wizard.

This transformation through death series gave us a chance to see weapon play, magical spells and weapon enchantments in action. I enjoyed how he was only able to defeat the final enemy by turning to Jesus and using some holy power. It was a good chuckle.

The "charm" to Dark Souls II is that, well, there is no charm. It's a brutal, "cut them up before they send you all the way back to that checkpoint from two hours ago" type of game. And some people freaking love that stuff. My blood pressure is high enough as it is.

Dark Souls II
PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Release: March 11, 2014
Publisher: Namco Bandai Games America, Inc.
Developer: FromSoftware, Inc.

Grand Theft Auto V - The Official Trailer and First Thoughts

"I need to go meditate... or masterbate... or both"

Months of patiently waiting have finally paid off, and Grand Theft Auto V is mine. After nearly 8 hours in the new San Andreas, I have seen and done more in this one game than most of the titles I've played this year in total.

One of the newest and biggest features of GTA V is the three-protagonist system, giving you control over Michael (a retired-now-not-retired heist artist), Franklin (a South Central Los Santos gang banger looking for a bigger pay day than what the hood has to offer), and Trevor (an absolute psychopath). I haven't quite gotten them all together for a mission yet, but there will be an update at the end of the week explaining how well this system is executed in-game, along with more impressions.

While Trevor has delivered the best lines and action of the game so far, but each character has his own story that makes his stake in the developing narrative a little bit different. So while Trevor may be the most entertaining at this point, I am invested in all of them, which is very important if you're going to say that all three guys are equally important.

Hey! I live there! Wait...

This is the best looking and best playing GTA to date. Cars handle differently depending on the make and model you drive, gun selection is smooth and simple, and switching between characters mid-mission adds an extra layer of strategy to how you approach each situation. The people are more varied and are crazier than ever as well. You never know who will hit you back, or step on the gas to run you down as you try to take their car.

My favorite part of the game so far is the ability to customize and save the weapons and vehicles that you buy, or... come across during your time. Done are the days when you would dump cash into a new car to trick it out, only to have it destroyed and gone forever. Now, you can either leave your rides in a big car lock-up (each character gets their own), or you can pick it up at an impound lot if it's towed or abandoned. The same goes for your guns, which all have parts you can buy and keep on, no matter if you die or get arrested. It's the little things, really.

The GTA V Map

Although GTA V is already looking like a monumental achievement, it is not without its issues. My biggest gripe so far is how difficult it is to shake the police, even with one star. The wanted system works very similarly to GTA IV, where you would have to stay out of range of the cops for a certain amount of time until your wanted level goes away. In V, police will continue to search for you with little "field of vision" cones that will reset the whole process if you get seen. The amount of time it takes to lose said wanted level feels way longer than it used to, but I'll consider it part of the challenge.

There's only been one glitch to deal with so far, where I had to walk into an ally until he became unstuck from the wall and would follow me again. I've had a couple small bugs and clips, which is to be expected with a game this size, but for the most part it's run like a charm.

GTA V is a staggeringly large place to create havoc, and I know I've only scratched the surface of what I can do and see. The views are breathtaking and the world is brimming with life. It's time to continue destroying it!

Be sure to keep a look out for part two of my GTA V impressions on Sunday! Have an opinion of the game so far? Leave it in the comments.

Grand Theft Auto V
Xbox 360, PS3
Release: OUT NOW!
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: Rockstar North

Grand Theft Auto V - Multiplayer Reveal

It's just like the Sims Online... with guns. 

Okay, maybe the multiplayer for Grand Theft Auto 5 isn't just like an online Sims port with guns. You can, however, do so damn much in the multiplayer, I wouldn't have been to surprised to see hunger and bladder stats in the bottom corner.

But seriously, I was blown away by how deep the multiplayer looks. It seems like there's a combination of cut scenes and open world online play, which is something I think will do nothing but draw people into the experience. My one gripe with the Red Dead Redemption online multiplayer was you were just dumped into the world and were told GO! In GTA V, it seems like those that enjoy floaties before diving into the deep end will hopefully be taken care of.

A vast number of the activities available to the player in the single player mode of GTA V made an appearance in this multiplayer reveal. Golf, bank heists, and full character customization are just some of the features that cross from solo to online. However, players will also be treated to team-style death matches, designable races, squad robberies, and much more!

I honestly wasn't expecting to be so impressed by the multiplayer in GTA V. Rockstar and multiplayer have not always gone hand in hand, as most of their games are so huge that the online often became an after thought. But it looks like all of the big guns are being take out for this title, and this open world experience keeps growing before our eyes.

Grand Theft Auto V
Xbox 360, PS3
Release: Sept. 17, 2013
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: Rockstar North

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons - Debut Trailer

O, Brother Where Art Thou? 

I have extremely high hopes for Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. This indie adventure has tastes of Journey sprinkled throughout it, with the focus on co-op in order to reach your goal. Only this time, you will be controlling both brothers at the same time, using each analog stick to control them.

The story is simple: your father is dying and the only thing that can save him is "the water of life", which you must retrieve by controlling the brothers. Simple, to the point, and with the power of the Unreal Engine, Brothers has the components to be the next great indie title.

But let's take a look at this trailer for a moment. First off, what is up with that horrible screeching wail being played over everything else? It was a very poor choice for music, while I understand they wanted to go for an "epic" feel I'm sure something less intrusive could have been found. We finally got a decent sized chunk of co-op gameplay for the last few seconds but it always leaves you wanting more.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
PC, XBLA, PSN, Steam
Release: Out Now! 
Publisher: 505 Games
Developer: Starbreeze Studios

Batman: Arkham Origins - Copperhead Reveal Trailer @ SDCC 2013

She's a snake bite in the ass

Look at the treat from this year's San Diego Comic Con! While I'm sure that this will not be the only sweet bit of news we will learn about this weekend, it's good to see the Bat back in action. Well, he kind of gets his tail whipped, but beggars can't be choosers.

Enter Copperhead: The "New 52" of the original Copperhead villain: female, partially snake, and super pissed off at Batman. She's crazy fast and apparently had her fingerclaws doused in some kind of poison. I'd bet it is a copperhead snake poison, but it's a wild guess really.

Seeing WB really get creative and bring in lesser-known villains to appeal the hardcore Batman fan. Trust me, they're out there.

Batman: Arkham Origins
PC, Wii U, Xbox 360, PS3
Release: Oct 25, 2013
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Developer: Warner Bros. Games Montreal

Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix - Gameplay Trailer

Play this. You're welcome.

The gameplay reveal trailer for the HD remake of both Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories gives me the opportunity to learn you about a couple of things. The first thing is: if you have a PS3, play this game. You won't be sorry. Kingdom Hearts was one of the first games I ever really connected with, there is such a strong message about fighting darkness that really sucks you into Sora's story. And there's Disney characters. You actually can't go wrong. Take the opportunity to give this a play with the HD treatment.

The second (and more relevant to trailer making) is this is a great opportunity to highlight the work of game capture artists. For trailers like this that focus on gameplay, it is very important that they are capturing action that will both flow and feel exciting to the viewer. With good variety of both Disney Worlds/Characters and Sora ass-kicking action, these artists made sure there was plenty for us to see for this remake.

I hope September comes quickly for all of you.

Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix
PS3
Release: Sep 10, 2013
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Square Enix

Grand Theft Auto V - Gameplay Reveal

So much to do, so little time

I think the internet is going to be overcome with a wave of 'excited like hell' once this gameplay reveal trailer makes the rounds. Rockstar potentially showed us 15% of all of the different things you can do in GTA V, and that's a generous number. What's even better is we got a mix of work and play, all of which look like activities that I'll be spending a preposterous amount of time doing.

These are the kinds of trailers where the content really just shines above anything else, and Rockstar knows this. Where they really made this piece work was in their flow and presentation. They start with the overal game world, and then slowly focus in on characters, activities, and missions. It made me wonder how far "modern Southern California" will spread, something you can apparently explore from minute one in the game.

The shooting looked a whole lot like the way Max Payne 3 worked; you have a quick weapon select menu, the reticle shows an "X" when you hit an enemy, and it's generally pretty simple to use. Short of bullet time, we should have the best shooting mechanics in a GTA yet. The driving looks faster and more polished than ever, which is promising considering I never had a sports car last very long in past games because they're so damn touchy.

And of course you have to mention the decision to go with three protagonists in GTA V. Personally, I love it. I'll be curious to see if I tend to play with one character over others, but from this trailer it looks as though switching between characters will be necessary to complete missions. Look at you Rockstar, adding features and giving them real purpose.

Is it September yet?

Grand Theft Auto V
PS3, Xbox 360
Release: Sep 17, 2013
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Developer: Rockstar North

The Walking Dead: 400 Days - Launch Trailer

Coming to a television near you...

That second title was only half a joke. What's amazing about Telltales's The Walking Dead series is how each episode truly feels like a gamified version of the television show. Only in the game you get to make difficult choices that truly makes the story compelling. But who's keeping track?

In 400 Days, we get a trailer that feels more like a trailer for the next episode of a TV series, which goes along very well with the overall feel of the game. It's always refreshing to see a focus on the story above everything. If you haven't played through this series yet, it's high time to do so.

The Walking Dead: 400 Days
PSN, XBLA, PC/Mac, iOS
Release: July 2 - 11, 2013
Publisher: Telltale Games
Developer: Telltale Games

Back to Black

I was thrust into the fire, and this is what I did

Deadpool - Launch Trailer

Hello again! After an extended hiatus, the Trailer Jockey is back and ready to get back on that horse of trailer reviews. I bet you were all wondering where I had gone for so long, so allow me to fill you in:

I had the honor to be taken on by the production team at a high level trailer house for video games (because the confidentiality is/was so elaborate, I'm going to err on the side of caution and not name anything or really go into a ton of detail) for their work on E3 2013. Long story short, I was assisting the producers that were making all of the trailers throughout this post, along with the trailers especially made for our client at E3, happen. 

Mad Max - E3 Reveal Trailer

I learned more about the video game industry in these last two months then I had in all of my experiences leading up to this one. Seeing games in development, PLAYING games in development, and observing how certain publishers operate all were openings into this world that I could not get enough of. Pile all that on top of being involved in the production of something that will represent an upcoming game to the consumer was one of the more fulfilling moments out of my time here on Earth.

Destiny - E3 Gameplay Trailer

But of course with the cool work came very long nights (that sometimes turned back into days) and a constant stream of nonstop deadlines and stress. And while I absolutely loved every second of it, I am happy to return to TTJ and really start looking at video game trailers with a refreshed look: a look that has seen a trailer being built from conception to release. So welcome back to the new world of the Trailer Jockey, glad to have you along for the ride.

Call of Duty: Ghosts- Reveal Trailer

Enjoy these trailers! They were a pleasure to work on and I feel like they all came out ridiculously well.  And the best part? Getting to be "in" a multiplayer trailer because they needed extra people for capture, like below:

Call of Duty: Black Ops II - Vengeance DLC "Replacers" Trailer

Defiance - Launch Trailer

Welcome to the new age

Man, that song just gets in your head and doesn't let go. Let's be honest here for a second: Defiance isn't getting stellar reviews. I wasn't blown away by the gameplay (or much of the game at all) when playing it at E3, but it's amazing how a well cut trailer can make something look playable. What this shows is the promise that Defiance carries; warring factions, huge aliens, special weapons and abilities, a giant MMO world, and the first game to coincide its story with a television show. Something must have gone wrong in the execution, but I'd still be curious to see how this story translates from the silver screen to your home consoles.

Defiance
PC/Xbox 360/PS3
Release: Out now!
Publisher: Trion Worlds Visceral Productions
Developer: Logicware Inc. Trion Worlds

Watch Dogs - ctOS: Threat Monitoring Report Trailer

Hacker's delight

 

If this is where gaming is headed, then get me on board. Watch Dogs is a alternate universe Chicago where the Northeast blackout of 2003 is blamed on a hacker, prompting the development of ctOS, or Central Operating System. The system is a giant supercomputer that controls almost every piece of technology in the city where it operates. The game's anti-hero, Aiden Pearce, is followed by ctOS in this trailer while he takes down a mugger using a combination hacking skills, free running, and bullets. 

One thing about Watch Dogs, and other next-gen trailers for that matter, is how normally everything seems to function. You feel like you're truly in a city with this surveillance system, watching Pearce smoothly navigate through it without one hiccup. It's these technological advances that will take storytelling to the next level on the new generation of consoles. Hopefully Watch Dogs will be the first in a long line of new classics to come. 

Watch Dogs

PS3/PS4/PC/Wii U/Xbox 360

Release: Winter 2013

Publisher: Guillemont International

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft Reflections

  

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag - Gameplay Reveal Trailer

Argh matey

I was actually waiting for a Captain Jack Sparrow cameo in this trailer. I'm apprehensive to get really excited about Black Flag because we all did the same thing with AC3 and most of us were really disappointed by the end result. So yes, the pirate ship warfare, different gorgeous cities and the opportunity to explore ancient jungle ruins looks awesome. Hopefully it will come without the gameplay frustrations and poorly crafted missions that have plagued Assassin's Creed throughout its existence. Here's to hoping!

By the way, I didn't think Ubisoft could create kill animations that were more brutal than AC3, but damn I was wrong. There are going to be some cringe-worthy kills in this game, and I mean that in the best way possible.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
PC/PS3/PS4/Wii U/Xbox 360
Release: October 28, 2013
Publisher: Guillemont International Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal

PAX East 2013: Diablo III - Console Trailers

Fight evil from your home entertainment system

Lore of Diablo III Trailer

You read correctly; Diablo III is officially coming to PS3 (and PS4 once it is released). There have been three trailers released to promote Diablo's move to the big time, starting with the Lore trailer above. If you're new to the series or want a refresher on the story so far because it's more than just hacking away at demons, look no further.

Console Gameplay Trailer

Next up for you Diablo newbies is the console gameplay trailer, which features the five different classes you can kick evil's ass with. It only scratches the surface of the different abilities each class possesses, but it is a great look into what gameplay looks like.

Console Sizzle Reel

The sizzle reel is essentially the gameplay trailer cut down to one minute and shows all of the badassery  you'll be unleashing in Diablo 3. I like this move to consoles by Blizzard, and wouldn't be surprised if they found a lot of success on the PS3. These three trailers don't quite do justice to how big the game is, but it definitely makes it look like a lot of fun. That's half the battle, right?

Diablo III
PS3/PS4/Mac/PC
Console Release: TBA
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment

PAX East 2013: DuckTales Remastered - Debut Trailer

Ah woo-oo!

 

If you didn't sing along with this trailer I seriously question whether or not you have a soul. Or a happy childhood. Jokes aside, the classic platformer is back in a big way with DuckTales Remastered. The best part? The entirety of the animated series cast came back to record the voices for the game. Including the voice for Uncle Scrooge, who is now 94 years old. That's dedication if I've ever seen it. 

DuckTales Remastered

XBLA/PSN/Wii U eShop

Release: Summer 2013

Publisher: Capcom

Developer: WayForward Technologies

PAX East 2013: Magic 2014 Duels of the Planeswalkers - Debut Trailer

Magic The Sexy and Edgy (Rock On)

I just saw an attempt at making Magic The Gathering sexy, hip, and edgy (ok maybe not full blown, but at least to a whole lot of nerds). Are they trying to make people in their 20's that still play Magic not feel bad about themselves? I say good try.

Still, I did have flash backs to fourth grade in my basement playing Magic during the two months I forgot Pokemon was a thing. Good times.

Magic 2014: Duels of the Planeswalkers
Android/iOS/PC/XBLA/PSN
Release: Coming Soon!
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast, Inc
Developer: Stainless Games, Ltd

PAX East 2013: MechWarrior Online - Go Ballistic Trailer

Starting off with a bang

While this may not be more than a "Hey look! We have new stuff! Play our game! It's free! Please!?" from MechWarrior Online, it is a great representation of all of the cool stuff you can blow up in this free to play online shooter. I've featured MWO before (not too long ago actually) and it is a series worth checking out if shooting big ass guns is your jam. And who doesn't love new camo skins?

MechWarrior Online
PC
Release: Out now!
Publisher: Infinite Game Publishing
Developer: Piranha Games

Assassin's Creed 3: The Tyranny of King Washington - "The Betrayal" Debut Trailer

Man, that is a mouthful

So here's the thing that confuses me about what Assassin's Creed is doing. You have this amazing opportunity with the time period and a pretty intriguing alternate reality where George Washington takes over America as his own little monarchy. Why in the world would you suddenly be turning your main character into someone with mystical powers that turn him into an invisible eagle? Assassin's Creed is about being a human assassin... not a half eagle ghost. Call me narrow minded, but I feel like they could have done way better with this.

Anyhow, it will be interesting to see how this series continues to play out, and I am glad to see Ben Franklin getting a bit more play within the game. If you're a fan of the series, there's no reason to not extend the experience.

Assassin's Creed: The Tyranny of King Washing - The Betrayal 
PS3/Xbox 360/PC/Wii U
Release: Out now!
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal

Sleeping Dogs - Year of the Snake DLC Trailer

Don't taze me, bro

Did Sleeping Dogs leave you pining for more underground police action? Fret no more, the Year of the Snake is here. Taking place after the events of Sleeping Dogs, a new threat has risen as the Chinese New Year approaches and Wei Shen quickly makes the transition from his newly assigned traffic cop role to stone cold mob killer once again. Look past the fact that a ridiculous amount of people were filled with bullets or blown up in this short trailer, and we should have a fun extension on the surprisingly impressive Sleeping Dogs universe. Crime never sleeps.

Sleeping Dogs - Year of the Snake DLC
PC/PS3/Xbox 360
Release: Out now!
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: United Front Games

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons - Interaction Walkthough

See you in another life, brother

 

I'm actually amazed that no one has tried to pull something like 'Brothers' off before. The left analog stick and trigger control the big brother, while the right side controls the little brother. Each character has their own special personality which changes the way they interact with the environment and other people. Teamwork is the name of the game here as the brothers adventure to find the water of life for their ailing father. 

Innovation is the key word here: I don't think I've ever seen a successful game where you control two people at the same time with one controller, and I'm excited to see how this one turns out. Do we have another Journey on our hands? 

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

PC/PSN/XBLA

Release: Spring 2013

Publisher: 505 Games
Developer: Starbreeze Studios

MechWarrior Online - Cicada 5 Trailer

Blow it up, blow it up real nice. 

Remember MechWarrior? If you don't, allow me to catch you up. MechWarrior puts the player in the cockpit of your own personalized war machine, and then you blow everyone up. The first MW released to DOS, Macintosh, and SNES back in 1989 and has spawned 14 sequels/expansions/spinoffs since then. MechWarrior Online is poised to be the 15th title and is currently in public beta for PC, so if you have the hardware go play this!

Oh, and there's also this mech (which I assume you have to unlock/buy through playing the game) called the Cicada that's basically the perfect horrifying hybrid of speed and firepower. Go get your XP grind on and start blowing up some machines!

MechWarrior Online
PC
Release: In Public Beta
Developer: Piranha Games

Remember Me - Story Trailer

Memory jackin'

I'm not really sure how to feel about this one. On the one hand, we have a third person action adventure (which are usually fun) with smooth and interesting combat in the battered streets of a dystopian future Neo-Paris. On the other, the entire premise is based around a 'memory bounty hunter' who can't remember who she is or why everyone wants to kill her. If you ask me, that story could go sour or be really cool; but I guess you'll have to wait and see for yourself!

Remember Me
Xbox 360/PS3/PC
Release: June 4, 2013
Publisher: Capcom

Tomb Raider - Lara Croft Reborn Trailer

She is not. messing. around.

Talk about a trailer making a game look REALLY good. Appealing to multiple audiences with the narrative done by lots of "normal" people, we see how Lara Croft turns from helpless survivor to stone cold killer. Flaunting skills that Ezio would be jealous of, Tomb Raider seems to be a bit more violent than I had originally thought. This was a great spot, and fans of a badass lady kicking the crap out of people should give Lara a spin. No pun.

Tomb Raider
PS3/Xbox 360/PC
Release: March 5, 2013
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Crystal Dynamics

Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel - Exclusive Action Blockbuster Trailer

Damn you, Michael Bay

Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel

I'm seriously blaming Michael Bay for this. Army of Two: Devil's Cartel feels like The Expendables in video game form. Two macho dudes shooting an insane amount of bullets at another macho dude while a hot woman shoots rockets into the sky. Explosions at every possible moment, and don't forget the sassy quips they say to one another while under fire. I absolutely want to try it, but don't take this shooter's premise seriously. Thanks to gametrailers.com for the new look at AoT.

Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel
Xbox 360/PS3
Release: March 26, 2013
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Visceral Games, EA Montreal

Mass Effect 3 - Reckoning Trailer

Primes and Banshees and hammers, oh my!

It's been a while since Mass Effect 3 has been in any kind of spotlight, but this quick trailer is worth looking at if you're a fan of the finale. Reckoning is a multiplayer extension with some really worthwhile additions to races and weapons; almost all of which are shown here in less than a minute. The Geth Prime and EDI will easily get me back to defending the galaxy from the Reapers, but I forgot how much I hate those damn Banshees.

Mass Effect 3: Reckoning Multiplayer DLC
Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Out now!
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Bioware

Playstation 4 Trailer Mania!

Damn, you pretty

With the announcement of the Playstation 4 during yesterday's press conference from Sony, we're going to start to see game announcements for the new system. Thankfully, many titles were shown off during the PS4's debut. Here are some of my favorite trailers from the presser:

Killzone: Shadow Fall - PS4 Gameplay Demo

The first thing you should notice during this gameplay demo is how smooth everything feels. The world is moving at a normal, functional rate around you... until it all goes to hell. The switch from calm to shooting at everything is surprisingly seamless, and the gameplay ran like a dream. We have a powerful machine on our hands in the PS4.

Killzone: Shadow Fall
PS4
Release: PS4 Launch
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Guerilla Games

InFAMOUS: Second Son - PS4 Debut Trailer

Sony going all in with their big guns, and who can blame them? InFAMOUS, along with Killzone, and Playstation faithful favorites, and they're looking really good right out of the gate. I'll be interested to see some gameplay and see what kind of chaos the PS4 can create, of course.

InFAMOUS: Second Son
PS4
Release: TBA
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Sucker Punch

Knack - PS4 Debut Trailer

Knack was easily my favorite trailer, favorite game, and most impressive showing for the PS4 all in one trailer. This basically looks like a major animation studio, ready for the big screen video game. If Knack can look just as good while you're playing it, then the PS4 has the potential to do some very special things in gaming.

Knack
PS4
Release: PS4 Launch
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Japan Studios

Destiny - Pathways of Darness Reveal

It's simply Destiny

Bungie is on to something here. The entire studio is dedicated to making Destiny happen, and that means a seriously awesome package will be put together. If you want an idea of the general premise, here's a description from the game's official site:

Everything changed with the arrival of the Traveler. It sparked a Golden Age when our civilization spanned the solar system, but it didn't last. Something hit us, knocked us down. The survivors built a city beneath the Traveler, and have begun to explore our old worlds, only to find them filled with deadly foes.

You are a Guardian of the last safe city on Earth, able to wield incredible power. Defend the City. Defeat our enemies. Reclaim all that we have lost.

Be brave.

This "Traveler" has given you incredible powers that it seemed to have possessed at one time or another. Character customization will be playing a big role as you go out and destroy humanities enemies to take back the Earth. Borderlands meets Halo? Whatever it is, Destiny already is looking like a title not to be missed. 

Destiny

Xbox 360, PS3

Release: TBA 2014

Publisher: Activision

Developer: Bungie