There's no argument that many games rival big-budget movies now in terms of production, and just like the movies, they know that you've got to use a little sizzle to sell the steak. The art of the game trailer has progressed in ways we never could have imagined, and today we celebrate the best of the best.
10. BioShock 2: The debate is over whether BioShock Infinite is better or worse than BioShock, but pretty much everyone agrees that the entry between them is inferior to both. That may be true, but there's one area where it's clearly the winner, and that's in its trailer. Less modern and "edgy" than Infinite, and better graphically and atmospherically than BioShock, it's a real stunner. Shame about the game itself.
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9. Star Wars: The Old Republic: Though it's never been said for sure, the cost of developing The Old Republic is rumored to be as high as $200 million...the most expensive game ever made. It certainly shows in the trio of cinematic videos that were used to tease it. I can name at least two theatrical releases of actual Star Wars movies I would put below them in terms of watchability and awesomeness.
8. Gears of War: When I saw the Gears of War trailer in the AMC 30 on Dunvale, I thought it was for an upcoming movie. It's not just the incredible graphics, but the sheer art of combining such a dark shooter and alien mayhem with something as soft and haunting as Gary Jules's cover of "Mad World." It's the sort of move David Lynch would pull.
7: Halo Reach: I have actually never played a single game of Halo, but the trailer for Halo Reach makes me want to. The hopelessness and the bravery of the whole thing is like a Robert A. Heinlein short story come to life.
6. Leviathan: Warships: Sometimes you've got to think outside the box, and having a smooth jazz narration over a soft, sexy beat definitely counts as that. Leviathan can't compete in big-budget production, so they didn't even try. You've got to love the way they remind you that this was not only a brilliant way to sell a tactical, turn-based naval war game, but that they spent the money on the gameplay instead of flashy voice-overs. There's a lesson in that somewhere.