The Trailer Jockey

Top Five Tuesday - E3 Press Conference Trailers

2014-06-24T09:51:00.003-07:00

Best of the best in the hype game

You didn't think we were doing all of these recaps just for fun, did you? Of course there have to be winners out of all of these trailers! Though let me tell you, these weren't easy decisions to make. E3 2014 was a treat to the trailer fan, with more visually-striking and heart-pounding previews in the pressers than any year in recent memory. Without further ado: The Trailer Jockey's top five of the E3 Press Conference Trailers!

#5. Valiant Hearts: The Great War

Our second best indie trailer and winner of the "Almost Made Me Cry" award, Valiant Hearts drove us straight into the center of a war that most people in this day and age simply don't that know much about. There's a sense of duty in the narration... the world may never know these people's stories, but they need to be told. Inspired by real letters from soldiers in the first great war, this game has history on it's side. Beautiful music, a bittersweet voiceover, and a setting that can be both bright and bleak at the same time. I swear, if something bad happens to that dog...

Valiant Hearts: The Great War

PC, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, PS3

Release: 25 June 2014

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft Montpelier

#4. Dead Island 2 - E3 Reveal Trailer

There's a certain amount of trust going into selecting Dead Island 2 into the E3 top five. If you recall a certain reveal trailer for Dead Island, there's a chance that we could be misled again. I've been hurt before by this series. But that time was trying to be serious, and this one is far from it. Being an LA resident, it wasn't hard to pick out Venice Beach, but this time it was in a way that I've only been able to dream of. It's not always about what you see in a trailer, but what you learn. Zombies in bikinis: check. A west coast zombified to the max with every possible stereotype touched upon: double check. Swinging hammers from a tricked-out van: we're sold.

Dead Island 2
PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release: TBA 2015
Publisher: Deep Silver
Developer: Yeager Development

#3. Tom Clancy's The Division - E3 Trailer

What works best for The Division is the tale of two stories being told: the past and the present. No matter how horrifying, the past is past and you can't see it again. What matters is the present, and how the people are going to pick up the pieces. In a New York City ravaged by a deadly virus, The Division is the last line of defense against total anarchy, the only force pushing back. Watching the squad set up for attack from the civilian's perspective was really powerful; you see how readily these people were to fight for the little guy until the end. At this point, it's all that's left for them. A very powerful message for a game that hopes to return Tom Clancy to the spotlight.

Tom Clancy's The Division

Xbox One, PS4, PC

Release: TBA 2015

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft Massive

#2. No Man's Sky - E3 Trailer

Sometimes a trailer shocks you in all of the right ways. You go from seeing the same old games and themes being recycles and sold to you as new and different, and you believe them until a game like No Man's Sky comes around. Impressively massive (apparently the galaxy is infinite) and completely different than anything I've ever seen, there's a whole universe out there to explore. We visited multiple planets with vibrant and unique ecosystems, not to mention the dogfighting in space while traveling between them. Absolutely gorgeous and so intriguing, this trailer has me looking forward to seeing much more from Hello Games.

No Man's Sky

PS4

Release: TBA

Publisher: Hello Games

Developer: Hello Games

#1. Sunset Overdrive - E3 Trailer

I just can't get over how good this trailer is. I've probably watched it at least 25 times at this point, and it really never gets old. The cinematography is so tight, the camera moves in a way that makes us feel like our hero is consistently in danger while he remains the coolest cat in the city. It's one of those times when a cinematic trailer actually gives us some gameplay features at the same time: you can ride rails, zip line down wires with your trusty crowbar, and absolutely eviscerate your enemies with your arsenal. It also shows how the environment of Sunset City can work to your favor; it's ripe with opportunity to fry, chop, or vaporize your energy drink-crazed mutant enemy into a gooey pulp.

But to only pay attention to what we saw would totally do a disservice to what we heard. The writing was sharp and on point, from the first line ("Cover mechanic, right?") to the last ("Of course you can, it's a f***ing video game!"). It matched the pace and craziness of the video that it accompanied, setting us up with the story without feeling too dutiful about it. It feels like a game that's not only comfortable in its own skin, but one that will thrive in it. In an E3 full of games, there were 59 trailers featured on this site alone, Sunset Overdrive set itself apart from the pack by going against the grain.

Sunset Overdrive

Xbox One

Release: 28 October 2014

Publisher: Microsoft Studios

Developer: Insomniac Games

I would be remiss if I didn't give honorable mentions to the following: NHL '15, The Legend of Zelda Wii U, Magika 2, and Ori and the Blind Forest. It's going to be a merry holiday season.

E3 2014 - Sony Press Conference Trailers, Part 2

2014-06-17T23:53:00.000-07:00

To see part one of the Sony presser trailers, click here!

Abzu - E3 Trailer

Mysterious, mesmerizing, and wonderfully original. These are all words I'm using to describe my feelings after this E3 trailer for Abzu, the first game from the studio formed by the guy who made Journey. The ocean landscapes are deep and breathtaking, and I got goosebumps on my neck watching the shark swim up to our main guy the first time. We didn't get to see a lot in this trailer, but I sure do want more.

Abzu

PS4

Release: TBA 2016

Publisher: Giant Squid Productions

Developer: 505 Games

No Man's Sky - E3 Gameplay Trailer

The next generation of gaming has always looked nicer than its aging siblings, but I've yet to see something that truly transcended what we're used to seeing in a video game. That is, until I saw this trailer for No Man's Sky. This is what the new generation is all about... exploring an unending universe of searchable planets rife with unique wildlife, with transition screens and loading times kept to a minimum.

A truly immersive experience with the visuals to match, and it doesn't just end on the surface. Oceans and space both look equally as impressive as the terrain. Your ship won't just be a means of transportation, it will be a vessel of exploration and discovery. No Man's Sky feels like it could be a serious game changer.

*Top 5 Tuesday Nominee*

No Man's Sky

PS4

Release: TBA

Publisher: Hello Games

Developer: Hello Games

Playstation - E3 Free to Play Trailer

Another one of those sweet little game montages, this time with all of the titles Sony is parading around as part of their "free to play" library. Because Xbox still makes you pay for that 'ish.

Mortal Kombat X - E3 Gameplay Trailer

So this is when, using a term that some of you nerds might not get, Sony started LeBron'ing over everyone else at E3. No, not that kind of LeBroning. The kind where he loses his headband and eviscerates everyone on the court like the mutant alien that he is. Instead of a triple double, Sony rolled out a barrage of trailer after awesome trailer.

The first snowball of the avalanche was Mortal Kombat X, where we finally got a full fight after being teased with Scorpion vs. Sub-Zero. We also welcomed newcomers D'Vorah and partners Torr & Ferra the best way we know how: by brutally killing one of them. Pardon my bro out, but this is gonna be soooo doooooope.

Mortal Kombat X

PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC

Release: TBA 2015

Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive

Developer: NetherRealm Studios

The Last of Us - E3 Remastered Trailer

The Last of Us was such an obvious, and fantastic, choice to give the PS4 treatment. It was one of the best titles that the PS3 had to offer, and was recent enough to give people a chance to buy it for the first (or even second) time. You get the works with the remastered edition: all DLC up until now, with improved visuals, lighting, and sound. I definitely think there will be a lot of second purchases of this game. But not quite as many as a certain port two down from here...

The Last of Us: Remastered

PS4

Release: 29 July 2014

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer: Naughty Dog

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain - E3 Extended Trailer

It's only fitting that MGS gets the longest trailer of the show. Something dramatic is happening. I never know how to handle these. Sorry for that freeze frame. Right in the middle of the LeBron'ing run too... I guess we can just make a joke about the Decision.

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain

PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360

Release: TBA

Publisher: Konami

Developer: Kojima Productions

Grand Theft Auto V - E3 PS4 Trailer

Full disclosure: this was the moment in the Sony presser when I decided I was going to own a PS4 sooner rather than later. You can transfer your online stats from EITHER system to the PS4 port, and just look at those visuals. Seriously, look at them. Lighting physics have been the bright spot for a lot of the trailers through E3, but I don't think anything has been lit as well as GTA on the PS4.

*Top 5 Tuesday Nominee*

Grand Theft Auto V

PS4

Release: TBA 2014

Publisher: Rockstar Games

Developer: Rockstar North

Batman: Arkham Knight - E3 Gameplay Trailer

So what is this, the fifth heavy hitter in a row? High tech Batsuit: engage. Dive bomb to the pavement, jump into Batmobile careening around the corner: check. And it's not the Penguin we have to really worry about, because Scarecrow is making his presence felt. That jump from the first tower gave you enough speed to cross half of Gotham. They finally gave us a chain action multi takedown. I'm all kinds of ready for this.

*Top 5 Tuesday Nominee*

Batman: Arkham Knight

PS4, Xbox One, PC

Release: TBA 2015

Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive

Developer: Rocksteady Studios

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End - E3 Reveal Trail

If Sony was just on a LeBron rampage, this was certainly the dagger 3 from thirty feet out. It's very convenient that we end at A Thief's End, Nathan Drake's fourth (and final?) great adventure. Now truly the Indiana Jones of the Playstation, Drake (with Harrison Ford as his number two, no less) says one last time... a few times. He does look a touch older; a little rusty but certainly not soft. Nathan Drake is absolutely going to kick ass in the jungle.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

PS4

Release: TBA 2015

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer: Naughty Dog

In Conclusion: A top five wouldn't do justice to all of the trailers in the Sony press conference. Since some focus shifted to the console about midway through, we were given more announcements in leu of gameplay footage. Hype is a good and a bad thing; it can drive sales sky high, but it puts an insurmountable amount of pressure on everyone involved with making the game. Sony definitely created some hype with these trailers... now will the pressure turn them into diamonds, or a flat rock?

E3 2014 - Sony Press Conference Trailers, Part 1

2014-06-17T14:15:00.000-07:00

It's everything you want, it's everything you need

Last but certainly not least: Sony went hard at E3 2014, holding down the stage for nearly two hours as the clean-up hitter of presser day. Interestingly enough, they were also the only company to actually talk about something other than the games, taking the time to catch us up on their hardware and online developments. They also didn't lack for trailers during their 106 minutes, so much so that we have to break their post down into two parts. Onward!

Destiny - E3 New Beginnings Trailer

I constantly bounce back and forth about how excited I am for Destiny. I can't exactly put my finger on why, but I have the strangest feeling that there's potential for it to be another shooter lost in the fray. I have no reason to be skeptical: the settings look immaculate, the action is potent, and the content seems appealing. Yet there is this sneaking suspicion that it won't be quite as good as it's promised to be, and there's something in the trailers that causes that feeling. Almost like the trailer is too confident in how epic the game is. Hopefully my gut is wrong.

Destiny
PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360
Release: 9 Sept 2014
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Bungie

The Order: 1886 - E3 Gameplay Trailer

What an interesting ratio of gameplay vs cutscene, especially for a fight against a singular enemy. The amount of time that the character is being controlled is actually very minimal, only a couple instances of moving and shooting. The scene still had fantastic flow and demanded the gamers attention even though they may not be controlling the action at every moment. I don't know if most fights in the game will be that cinematic; though I can't imagine they will or else they risk less patient people complaining that the game wasn't enough of a "game" for them.

The Order: 1886

PS4

Release: 20 Feb 2015

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer: Ready at Dawn, SCE Santa Monica Studio

Entwined - E3 Trailer

The designer of this game called Entwined a game about lovers that are destined to never be together. In the game's case, this is represented by a crane (air breather) and a fish (water breather). You can see the predicament here. Bummers aside, this does look like a beautiful game worth taking a glance at; you control each animal with their respective analog stick, and bring the two souls together over the span of many lifetimes. Woosah.

Entwined

PS Vita, PS3, PS4

Release: 9 June 2014

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer: Pixelopus

Infamous: First Light - E3 Reveal Trailer

In a stand-alone piece of DLC (meaning you don't actually need to own Infamous: Second Son to play it), First Light follows the story of Fetch from the main timeline. She obviously wields similar powers to the main character, Deslin, using her neon powers to hunt down drug dealers that plague her home. Second Son actually had a fairly strong showing with its PS4 release, and First Light hopes to continue on that success.

Infamous: First Light

PS4

Release: Aug 2014

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer: Sucker Punch Productions

Bloodborne - E3 Trailer

Bloodborne is the next effort from the studio that brought us the warm and bubbly Dark Souls series, so we know this one is going to be all about picking daisies and floating around on clouds. But really, there's a whole lot of zombie/demon nonsense going on here, and I want to swing that gigantic sword around. Will it be as hard to stay alive in Bloodborne as it has been in the last few games from Hidetaka Miyazaki? It was that formula that gave them success before, and I'm more than interested to see the kinds of horrors that this new setting holds.

Bloodborne

PS4

Release: TBA 2015

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer: From Software, SCE Japan Studio

Dead Island 2 - E3 Reveal Trailer

What do you do when the trailer for your first game is way better than your first game itself? In Dead Island 2's case, you sell the sequel as more rambunctious, more over the top, and set in the middle of Venice Beach! I may have liked this reveal trailer even better than the now-infamous reveal trailer for the original Dead Island that people cried false advertising all over. This time things in Venice deteriorate faster than that guy's skin, to a point of hilarity. This one sets the tone right away: this isn't an emotional zombie game. This is a zombie game where you tear down the street in an armored van from the 70's swinging a giant hammer out of the door. The way it should be.

*Top 5 Tuesday Nominee*

Dead Island 2

PS4, Xbox One, PC

Release: TBA 2015

Publisher: Deep Silver

Developer: Yager Development

Battlefield Hardline: E3 Gameplay Trailer

This is actually all footage from this multiplayer gameplay demo as seen at the EA press conference, cut into a nice little montage and set to fast music. After seeing the full demo itself, I gotta say that this trailer just doesn't really do it for me. It feels like completely different vibes between the two videos. The demo was free flowing, like watching a heist movie unfold right in front of my eyes. This trailer focused on the action set pieces, making it look like everything just explodes all around at all times. But that wasn't the case, as there was a fair amount of cat and mouse being done between those doing the heist and the police hunting them down. So I can see how this trailer appeals to the shooting game fan, but I don't think it gives them the full idea of the scope they're going for.

Battlefield Hardline
PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC
Release: 21 Oct 2014
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Visceral Games

Magicka 2 - E3 Reveal Trailer

What a fantastic trailer. It gives service to the fans of the original Magicka while using humor to engage those that may have missed this game until now. It's been a long time since our good friend Mr. Red Wizard was employed, and Magicka 2 promises more of the top-down, spell-flinging fun that we got to know in the first title. I love the premise of the "unemployed video game character", especially with a game like this that has had a substantial amount of time pass between releases. Awesome marketing tactic by Sony.

*Top 5 Tuesday Nominee*

Magicka 2

PS4, PC

Release: TBA

Publisher: Paradox Interactive

Developer: Pieces Interactive

Playstation - E3 Indie Montage

Not to be outdone by Microsoft, Sony presented their own montage for their line-up of indie exclusives coming out across all of their platforms. Again, we'll let the video doing the talking, but favorites include: Broforce, Not a Hero, and Hotline Miami 2

Let it Die - E3 Trailer

We conclude part one of the Sony Press Conference trailers with one of the most downright violent trailers in the entire series of pressers. Described as a "free to play extreme hack n' slash" game, Let it Die wants you to do just that... brutally eliminate your enemies and watch them disappear. There also seems to be a companion mobile app in development, being designed with the goal to let you join the Playstation community from your smart phone. The Unreal Engine is looking marvelous in this trailer, and can definitely be a game changer in the hack and slash genre.

Let it Die

PS4

Release: TBA 2015

Publisher: GungHo Online Entertainment

Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture

Stay tuned for part two of the Sony Conference Trailers coming this evening!

E3 2014 - Nintendo Press Conference Trailers

2014-06-17T10:47:00.001-07:00

It's-a me! Nintendo! Remember me? Anyone?

It's a silly question, really, because yes you should absolutely one hundred percent remember Nintendo. In a surprisingly strong online press conference a day after the "real" day of pressers, our long-time friends from Japan tossed twelve trailers our way in just 45 short minutes. While poor sales may be plaguing the Wii U, Nintendo has always held true in one fact: their first party titles are consistently excellent. E3 is the time to show us what is next, and this is what we got:

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U - E3 Live Action Trailer

The kick-off to the fashionably late Nintendo press conference started with a new feature for a game that's been hyped a million ways to Sunday. Super Smash went Skylanders in this move, introducing a figurine that will place its character right into the thick of battle with you. Do I particularly like this move as someone who views Smash as one of the pure fighting franchises out there? Absolutely not. Will they make Nintendo some desperately needed profit off of those kids that "just have to have it"? You betcha.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Wii U

Release: Holiday 2014

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Sora Ltd., Bandai Namco Games

Yoshi's Wooly World - E3 Trailer

This particular trailer wasn't shown in the press conference, but they spent such a significant amount of time talking about Yoshi's Woolly World that it only felt right to include something. Yoshi + yarn will be a great equation for parents looking for games that can be played with the kids and by themselves. It's a classic platforming system with a twist that makes it feel new enough to warrant those on the fence to give it a try.

Yoshi's Woolly World

Wii U

Release: TBA 2015

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Good-Feel

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker - E3 Trailer

Building upon the Captain Toad levels in Super Mario 3D World, Treasure Tracker is bringing its hybrid platform/puzzler format to the Wii U. Captain Toad must avoid bad guys, solve puzzles, and defeat bosses in order to find, well, whatever it is that he's looking for. I'd bet a sizable amount of money that it's treasure.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Wii U

Release: TBA 2014

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Nintendo EAD Tokyo

The Legend of Zelda Wii U - E3 Trailer

If you want to skip the history lesson, jump to about 2:45. If you want to see some of the motivation behind the paramount features behind the newest Zelda, then you enjoy every second of this. Special note: I can't even come close to believing that this game will be called The Legend of Zelda Wii U. It has to be a working title while this bad boy is in development.

That said, this looks good. Like, really good for a system that has yet to impress us with its visual prowess. And the biggest message to absorb here is that this Zelda will be taking place in an open world. Let that sink in for a moment. Whatever the title, I'll be looking very forward to seeing more on this game.

*Top 5 Tuesday Nominee*

The Legend of Zelda Wii U

Wii U

Release: TBA 2015

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Nintendo EAD Group #3

Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire - E3 Trailer

Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire are getting the 3DS treatment: new graphics and the visual style of the most recent pocket monster games. Aside from that and the 3D capability, there isn't much else new going on here. Never play this round of Pokemon or feel the need to see it again with a new body frame and coat of paint? You're in the right place.

Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire

3DS

Release: 21 Nov 2014

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Game Freak

Bayonetta 2 - E3 Trailer

I'm just going to be 100% open here and say that Bayonetta was never a game I ever really gave a second glance to. I've had my share of hack and slash titles, but this was one that really never appealed to any part of me. But if you like the series... this happened.

Bayonetta 2

Wii U

Release: Oct 2014

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Platinum Games

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse - E3 Announcement Trailer

We see again a cool little tweak on a character and formula that we already know, this time involving the functionality of the Wii U remote as a main component of the gameplay. You can build rainbow bridges using your stylus on the Wii U remote touch screen, though they do seem to fade and disappear fairly quickly. Is this a power that comes from said Rainbow Curse?

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse

Wii U

Release: TBA 2015

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: HAL Laboratory

Xenoblade Chronicles X - E3 Trailer

See: Bayonetta Trailer. Over the top, dubbed, and just not high on my list on things I'm interested in playing. It is worth saying that the trailers cater very specifically to fans of this type of game, since they're into that kind of whiney kind of drama. More shrieks = more emotion.

Xenoblade Chronicles X

Wii U

Release: TBA 2015

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Monolith Soft

Mario Maker - E3 Announcement Trailer

This is the kind of trailer you have one of two reactions upon seeing. The first: "How the hell are they just getting around to something like this now?". The Second: "How have I not CONSIDERED this before??" Sadly, I fell in the second group of people. Poor foresight aside, Mario Maker is a level designer's dream; they get to play with the game that set the first bar in impeccable level design. The feature that switches between the old and current graphics is a great one as well. Definitely looking forward to seeing people's creativity flourish creating new levels for Mario to traverse.

Mario Maker

Wii U

Release: TBA 2015

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Nintendo

Splatoon - E3 Announcement Trailer

What a wonderfully colorful and unique take on a shooter. In a market that is beyond over-saturated, Splatoon plans to make its mark by fighting over territory with paint, something that hasn't really been done before. My only concern would be replay value; will they be able to come up with enough game modes to keep the players involved? Or are they banking that the one game of "Paint the Most Area" will be the bread winner? Either way, I love the idea.

*Top 5 Tuesday Nominee*

Splatoon

Wii U

Release: TBA 2015

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Nintendo EAD

Super Smash Bros. - E3 Lady Palutena Trailer

Nintendo goes full circle in their finale, closing the show with the same game that it opened on. This time we have a character announcement (or two if you consider that little flash of Dark Pit) in the form of Lady Palutena from the Kid Icarus series. LP has appeared in previous smash titles, but never as a playable character until now. This feels like a serious service move, where fans of her series will be overjoyed while the rest of us scratch our heads and look up her wikipedia page. Sonic is already confirmed though, so I'm good.

Super Smash Bros.
Wii U, 3DS
Release: Holiday 2014
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Sora Ltd., Bandai Namco Games

In Conclusion: Nintendo came out firing on all cylinders, and looked like they had some promising stuff on the horizon. Zelda specifically looks like a highlight, but that's nothing to be surprised at. Splatoon easily shows the most promise, but it will depend on execution and variety of content. Looking past that though, we only see platforming puzzlers, over-dubbed hack n' slashers, and a Smash Bros. game that might alienate some gamers with its roster choices. Nintendo needs some big ideas, and fast.

E3 2014 - EA Games Press Conference Trailers

2014-06-16T13:22:00.003-07:00

For the millionth time... It's in the game!

Electronic Arts, the big boys. With deep pockets and a whole lot of opportunity to show it, EA was very invested in showing us just how good their games were going to look. Yes, we'll be looking at some sports games here, but I have to say that the next generation is going to be good to our professional athletes. They have enough to worry about, after all.

Dragon Age: Inquisition - E3 Strings Trailer

Do you think they pulled a Super Bowl for that cellist? Where she just has to look like she's playing while really selling the looks, and it's just a tape the whole time? What if we had another Ashlee Simpson SNL moment? All things I thought about watching this trailer. We get it, Bioware, it's gonna be big.

Dragon Age: Inquisition - E3 Story Trailer

As an almost-immediate follow up to the strings trailer, we get a little story tossed our way. Our merry band of companions aren't so merry after all. In fact, they all have their own reasons to be pushed into battle with you, and none of them involve blindly following your cause. I find that as a refreshing story tactic, one that Bioware has proven themselves to be very good at in the past. Get your players invested in everyone around them, and it makes for a better game as a whole.

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, PS3, PC

Release: 7 Oct 2014

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Developer: Bioware

The Sims 4 - E3 Trailer

I once got into an argument with a friend about the "proper" way to play The Sims. I always played for financial success, while he would only try and create weird (and admittedly hilarious) situations for his people. The Sims 4 is looking to blur the lines between those two sides, interjecting as much weird into the normal day as possible. A lot of focus is being spent on the improved ways that the sims will interact with one another; this time, their attributes will play a large roll that aspect of the game. Each new addition of The Sims has pushed the brand further, and here's to hoping one of my favorite franchises can follow suit yet again.

The Sims 4

PC, OSX

Release: 2 Sept 2014

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Developer: Maxis

NHL 15 - E3 Trailer

Actual in-game footage. I just want to make that super clear. Actual. In. Game. Footage. When I said that the next generation is going to be good to the athletes, I wasn't kidding. If EA can find an accessible way to set up their "Be a Player" and franchise modes, they're going to have a sleeper hit in NHL '15. The Kings did just win, so there have to be at least a ton of LA bandwagoners pretending they love hockey for a year. But still, this is a fantastic trailer that captures the essence of the sport very well; every hockey fan should be salivating over it.
*Top 5 Tuesday Nominee*

NHL 15

Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, PS3

Release: 9 Sept 2014

Publisher: EA Sports

Developer: EA Canada

PGA Tour - E3 Battleships Trailer

If a golf course of exploding battleships is what it's going to take to sell more golf games, then I am on board times one million. Best way to combat boredom on the links? Make s**t explode around you while you play! Very Caddyshack of them. I like the move to cater to those who want to golf, but hate every ounce of etiquette and procedure that comes with it. Just give me a boat to hit it over, man. Wa-na-na-na-naaaaaa.

PGA Tour

Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, PS3

Release: Spring 2015

Publisher: EA Sports

Madden NFL 15 - E3 Trailer

NOT EVEN THAT VIRTUAL SAD-APPLE CRABTREE CAN CATCH A PASS WHEN I'M ON HIM. How perfect is it that the Madden featuring Richard Sherman is all about the improved defense? And the first shot they use with him is defending poor Michael Crabtree. Hasn't that guy been handed enough abuse? Aside from the extra focus on defense, Madden is having its camera work be done by the same people at NFL films in order to give cut scenes and other moments real "NFL authenticity". Am I crazy, or does everyone look like a gigantic gladiator?

Madden NFL 15
Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, PS3
Release: 26 Aug 2014
Publisher: EA Sports
Developer: EA Tiburon

FIFA 15 - E3 Trailer

This. Is. Football. With the world cup in full swing, my cup has runneth over with love for the beautiful game. FIFA 15 looks to bring all of the drama from the pitch into the living room, with a serious focus on how the players react to the game unfolding in front of them. Will you miss the frame by inches and collapse to the ground in defeat? Or will you lift your team (and fans) to glory? FIFA has always tried to sell their games as a true soccer experience, it's all about being a part of the game for them. It's high time they delivered on that.

FIFA 15
Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, PS3, PS Vita, 3DS, Wii, PC
Release: 23 Sept 2014
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: EA Canada

Star Wars: Battlefront - E3 Teaser Trailer

This is early, early footage from the new Battlefront. That said, this video made me all kinds of tingly in the right ways. EA's Frostbite engine will make the new battlefront will look glorious (that early in-game footage is some of the best CG I've ever seen), and I can only imagine that the environments will react to the action in a similar way to the Battlefield series. Blasters and plasma grenades with destructible environment physics. THINK ABOUT THAT.

And then remember that we won't be seeing more until early 2015, and get slammed back to reality. This game needs to come out. But I can rest easy on the fact that this team is (supposedly) pouring everything they have into the project; they want to make sure that everything done is as authentically "Star Wars" as it can be. That's a very good sign.

*Top 5 Tuesday Nominee*

Star Wars: Battlefront

Xbox One, PS4, PC

Release: TBA 2015

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Developer: EA Digital Illusions CE

In Conclusion: The sports games are going to look really good. The adventure games are going to look really good. And, you guessed it, everything that EA is doing with the new generation is going to be really pretty. The question is, how will these games play? Will they have the personality to go along with the looks? I'm looking especially at the sports games for this one, as they have tended to be a little light on new and innovative content over the last few years. Not the strongest presser for trailers, but there's still some stuff to love here.

E3 2014 - Ubisoft Press Conference Trailers

2014-06-16T08:47:00.002-07:00

"It's hella f***ing smokey, apparently it's 4-20 in this bitch."

Aisha Tyler, ladies and gentlemen. My favorite video game nerd (minus this lovely lady) took to the stage once more to deliver Ubisoft's E3 Press Brief. Sporting a no-bullshit attitude, Tyler expertly navigated through a presser with some good and some very awkward moments. There were plenty of fantastic trailers to choose from, though... let's get started!

Far Cry 4 - E3 Reveal Trailer

Stop... shoot... stop... shoot. Far Cry gave us the all-to-coherent insane ramblings of Vaas in their third installment, but our new antagonist Pagan Min is taking crazy to a new level. He's not just any bad guy with an iron grip on a third-world island, he's a bad guy that stabs his own henchmen in the throat with a ball point pen when they mess up. But why is Kayat locked in a civil war? And why is Pagan pulling you off of this bus? And how in the world does he expect to ever use that pen again? Lots of questions to be answered here, and I'm itching to start figuring them out.

Far Cry 4

Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, PS3, PC

Release: 18 Nov 2014

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal

Just Dance 2015 - E3 Trailer

Ubisoft spent a lot of time with Just Dance 2015. Almost ten minutes a lot. When you think about it, Ubi struck gold with this franchise, successfully locking up the market for wiimote-friendly movement games before anyone else even had a chance. Taking things even further in 2015, JD adds four player co-op and the opportunity to make any setting a dance party. Great for the families, better for Ubisoft's wallet.

Just Dance 2015
Wii, Wii-U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS4, PS3
Release: 23 Oct 2014
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft

Tom Clancy's The Division - E3 Trailer

All kinds of hyped for this one. Not only did the multiplayer demo look like it played great, I find this story to be quite promising. New York as we know it is gone to a very deadly virus, and The Division has been deployed to attempt to quell the madness that has followed. The flow of the trailer is fantastic; taking us from a family's tragic battle with the virus, to the way things are down on the street in present day. Tragedy is invisible, but someone's gotta be there to pick it up. Take back NY, baby.

*Top 5 Tuesday Nominee*

Tom Clancy's The Division

Xbox One, PS4, PC

Release: TBA 2015

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft Massive

The Crew - E3 Coast to Coast Trailer

I'm so curious as to just how big the map for The Crew will be. I mean, we're talking about something that's promised to be the entirety of the United States, complete with a good amount of the major cities. And if this trailer can tell us anything, it's that anywhere you go between Miami and LA will look breathtaking. We're talking sea to shining sea here, from the snow-covered hills to the desert plains. Plus LA and Miami looked gigantic and freakishly accurate. Now show me some online team racing action, then we'll really be talking.

The Crew

Xbox One, PS4, PC

Release: 11 Nov 2014

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ivory Tower

Assassin's Creed: Unity - E3 Cinematic Trailer

I would love to know how much using a Lorde song cost Ubisoft, because I can't imagine it was cheap. This epic cinematic spared no expense, and hopefully that will be the case with Unity as well. It would be nice to see the same large-scale, sweeping graphical display as I personally guided the French through their revolution.Two questions at this point: Is Ubisoft insinuating that almost every battle fought in the world was actually part of a secret war between the Assassins and the Templars? And was Viva la Vida taken already or something?

Assassin's Creed: Unity

Xbox One, PS4, PC

Release: 28 Oct 2014

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal

Valiant Hearts: The Great War - E3 Trailer

This is the stuff right here. A game that makes its roots in real history, then creates its universe from that strong foundation. Valiant Hearts is going to make you cry. It's going to make you feel the pain and loss that is war, none of that medal of honor let's go in guns blazing nonsense. Sometimes it's good to remember. This game is going to help us do that.

*Top 5 Tuesday Nominee*

Valiant Hearts: The Great War

Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, PS3, PC

Release: 25 June 2014

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft Montpelier

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: The Siege - E3 Reveal Trailer

Okay, not technically a trailer by the books, but it's definitely worth taking a look at. Sometimes the best "trailer" is the one that shows exactly what you'll be doing by playing the game. The set-up is simple: 5v5, one team has a hostage, the other is trying to rescue that hostage. The bad guys set up barricades around their area to protect themselves, and the good guys have to breach, clear, and extract. The hostage can even get hurt by errant gunfire, so a spray and pray is not recommended here. It'll definitely draw attention from the Counter Strike types, and perhaps pull a few over to the consoles.

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: The Siege

Xbox One, PS4, PC

Release: TBA 2015

Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal

In Conclusion: Aisha Tyler said shit a lot. Oh, and Ubisoft is making more games. Some of the same stuff in new packages, with some new and exciting ideas sprinkled on top. We've gotten a lot of quality games from Ubi, but I don't feel like they can hold onto the coattails of Assassin's Creed for much longer. I think the revival of Rainbow Six proves that, and I am very hopeful for The Division to be a success on a large scale.

E3 2014 - Xbox: Game On Press Conference Trailers

2014-06-11T14:02:00.000-07:00

"Of course you can... it's a f***ing video game!"

E3, what a magical time. Press conference day is always my favorite, mostly because it's a guaranteed trailer fest. Microsoft brought the heat as the starting pitcher, tossing thirteen trailers our way over the course of an hour and a half. We better get going, this will be a bit of a ride.

Forza Horizon 2 - E3 Trailer

For the love of goodness, this is pretty. Forza has always looked good on the 360, but this is pushing it to a new level. Crazy rain physics, bro. How funny would it be if the weather changed that fast in game? Driving down the street and BOOM the sky turns over to night and it's pouring.

Lots of sweet cars, even more crazy views, and an open world to speed them through. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

Forza Horizon

Xbox One, Xbox 360

Release: 30 Sept 2014

Producer: Microsoft Studios

Developer: Playground Games, Sumo Digital, Turn 10 Studios

Evolve - E3 New Monster Trailer

The worst versus mode in Mario Party plus one. I think the word I'm using for Evolve is curious. It wasn't my favorite trailer of the conference, but it certainly doesn't seem bad in any way. I'd be more confident in my feelings if I knew how the monster played versus being one of the characters. That's really the unknown variable here. Left 4 Dead sure was a playground for co-op, so you have to place a fair amount of trust there.

Evolve

Xbox One, PS4, PC

Release: 21 Oct 2014

Publisher: 2K Studios

Developer: Turtle Rock Studios

Dragon Age: Inquisition - E3 Trailer

Fluidity is the name of the game in Dragon Age: Inquisition, and boy did everyone have some serious flow to them. Switches to shots of gameplay (which were just barely out-performed visually by the cinematics) were smooth and fun to watch. No matter what path you choose, you will have some serious ass kicking ability in this game.

I'm also starting to think the next generation is going to be defined by the little things that they improve on visually. Some improvements here and there that make a face look more natural, or the way you move with a shield more realistic. Inquisition is a great example of a lot of the little movements looking really great.

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, PS3, PC

Release: 7 Oct 2014

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Developer: Bioware

Dead Rising 3 - Super Ultra Dead Rising 3 DLC Trailer

Tofu?? Nice! I love the direction that Capcom has gone in here. As Jalen Rose says: give the people what they want! You have a game that did generally okay on the scale that was the Xbox One launch, but it still is a gorgeous game with a lot of zombies to kill. Bring back old characters, give them Capcom nostalgia-inducing costumes to wear, and make it an arcade add on. I could see people picking up Dead Rising 3 just to get a shot at this. Plus there was a slam-a-lama ding-dong... so... it wins.

Super Ultra Dead Rising 3 DLC

Xbox One

Release: Out Now

Publisher: Capcom, Microsoft Studios

Developer: Capcom Vancouver

Project Spark - E3 Trailer

This game has a fantastic attitude. It's all about creation, giving gamers a true sandbox to manipulate and call their own. You can jump into games that your friends have made, and even edit and tweak those, making all of the possibilities pretty endless. Not to mention... CONKER! We haven't seen that little squirrel in a long time and I gotta say, it's good to see him back. Wielding a giant chainsaw. I love video games.

Project Spark

Xbox One, PC

Release: TBA

Publisher: Microsoft Studios

Developer: Team Dakota

Ori and the Blind Forest - E3 Trailer

This one punched me right in the feels. Proof that 2D side scrollers are going to look every big as good as anything else on this system. Emotional storytelling without ever saying a word. A gimmicky light show at the press conference but damn if it didn't make me FEEL things. You don't need guns to make a great game, and I have a feeling this will be a great game.

*Top 5 Tuesday Nominee*

Ori and the Blind Forest

Xbox One

Release: TBA

Publisher: Microsoft Studios

Developer: Moon Studios

Halo: The Master Chief Collection - E3 Announcement Trailer

Speaking of great games WITH guns... Haloooooooo! 14-year-old me is drooling at the prospect of playing snipers and shotguns on Lockout. Plus, THAT is what the Halo 2 graphics will look like on the Xbox One. This will be a perfect catch up for those who missed the series (if you're out there... do yourself a favor), along with beta access to Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection

Xbox One

Release: 11 Nov 2014

Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Developer: 343 Industries

Inside - E3 Reveal Trailer

Remember Limbo? And how eerie it was? Well, these are the same people who made that game, and they've turned the eerie up to a million. You control a boy again, but instead of a forest, you're in a town. A broken one to say the least; you never quite get an idea of what is going on, but it surely can't be good. It makes me really want to know more, the greatest success a trailer can have.

*Top 5 Tuesday Nominee*

Inside

Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, PS3, PC

Release: TBA

Publisher: Playdead

Developer: Playdead

Xbox One Indie Game Montage

I'll be quick with this one, since it's more of something you need to watch. Favorites include: Aztez, White Night, Cuphead, and Lifeless Planet.

Rise of the Tomb Raider - E3 2014 Trailer

Snaps for Lara! Screw the man! Like, the establishment man, not the man man. First thought: I need to play the reboot Tomb Raider. Second thought: I also need to play this one. I kind of like that they're having Croft embrace her newfound life as both a raider and a killer, as the traumatic experiences from the first game have brought this beast out from inside her... and she loves it. Fantastic opportunity for Square Enix to really dive deep into the character. This is how she was made.

Rise of the Tomb Raider

Xbox One, PS4

Release: Holiday 2015

Publisher: Square Enix

Developer: Crystal Dynamics

Phantom Dust - E3 Trailer

Not gonna lie, I've never even heard of Phantom Dust before. Never having the original xbox (and pretty much only playing Halo 2 with my friends) I missed out on a lot of those exclusives. The original is described as a "pseudo-card-based action/strategy game" where you make decks of skills based on the cards that you collect. The trailer shows action and destruction on an epic scale, I'll be interested to see if the gameplay can match the intensity and gravitas that the trailer provides.

Phantom Dust

Xbox One

Release: TBA

Publisher: Microsoft Studios

Scalebound - E3 Trailer

Did... did he just gain that monster's skin as armor when he cut off its limb/tail? If that's a feature of Scalebound... then count me in. Anyways, big monster fighting bigger monster, then an even BIGGER monster appears so you can fight it while riding a dragon. People are so creative these days.

Scalebound

Xbox One

Release: TBA

Publisher: Microsoft Studios

Developer: Platinum Games

Crackdown - E3 Trailer

Technically the "surprise" announcement of the Xbox presser, Crackdown is getting the next-gen treatment, exclusively for the Xbone. Is this another case of a trailer being bigger than the game? If co-op missions involve the coordination of delivering a truck bomb to the top of a tower via blowing up another building to use as a ramp, I'd have to say that I would want to do that. Very badly.

Crackdown

Xbox One

Release: 2015

Publisher: Microsoft Studios

Developer: Cloudgine

Sunset Overdrive - E3 Trailer

Best trailer of the Microsoft press conference, by a landslide. It laughs in the face of conventional video gaming (while taking shots at cover systems and war games) while introducing the unique and surprisingly colorful setting. That's the best part of Sunset City; it's the most vibrant zombie-infested area I've ever seen. With zombies becoming a bit of a cliche in the gaming industry, Sunset Overdrive looks to breathe some life (no pun) into the genre. Shabam!
*Top 5 Tuesday Nominee*

Sunset Overdrive
Xbox One
Release: 28 Oct 2014
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Developer: Insomniac Games

In Conclusion: Microsoft and Xbox were all about the games this year, and rightfully so. Between Xbox One AAA exclusives, fan-favorite reboots, and a wealth of indie games poised for release, the holiday season should be a busy (and successful) one for the box. E3 is the best.

E3 2014 Preview - The Trailers, Part 3

2014-06-09T06:15:00.001-07:00

Last, but certainly not least

We've finally made it, the final section of The Trailer Jockey's E3 2014 Trailer Preview. If you happened to miss episodes one or two, simply click on those links! There's a lot to see already, and the damn expo hasn't even started yet. It really is the most wonderful time of the year.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - E3 Sword of Destiny Trailer

Holy detail Batman! Wild Hunt is going to be an unbelievably gorgeous game. It's truly a shame that more people haven't picked up The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings, it's quite a unique experience. Combat is fast, yet tactical, and your success is heavily reliant on how well you utilize all of Geralt's skills. The Witcher 3 will bring back this style and turn the epicness up to 11, but the story is going to be denser than dense. Start catching up now, kids.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

PC, OSX, Xbox One, PS4

Release: Feb 24, 2015

Publisher: WB Games

Developer: CD Projeckt RED

Magic 2015: Duels of the Planeswalkers - E3 Gameplay Trailer

When doing research for this particular trailer, I came across a pretty cool Polygon article profiling this game. It was especially refreshing to see their brand manager praise the success of rival Hearthstone, in a market that she calls big enough for as many as possible. We'll see that market get put to the test with Magic 2015 jumping into the fray, offering the most depth and strategy out of any other card game out there. I was actually given a few free decks of Magic cards recently at a Seattle museum on a road trip. They're still unopened on my shelf...

Magic 2015: Duels of the Planeswalkers

Xbox One (really?), Xbox 360, iOS, Android, PC

TBA 2014

Publisher: Wizards of the Coast

Developer: Wizards of the Coast

Marvel: Avengers Alliance Tactics

Our one and only Facebook game, (it actually hurts a little to say that) Marvel: Avengers Alliance Tactics is designed in the same vein as XCOM and Final Fantasy Tactics; this time you'll be kicking ass with the Avengers on a turn by turn basis. The roster seems deep, and it's free to play on Facebook (still doesn't feel right), making it one the most readily accessible games out there. Maybe I'll get really bored one day and resort to giving this a try. I'll probably just read a book instead.

Marvel: Avengers Alliance Tactics

Facebook (seriously... that's wrong. Make real games, Marvel. Not one's that will just make you money.)

Release: Out Now

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter - Welcome to Red River Creek E3 Trailer

Well that was... weird. Lots of beautiful sweeping shots of what we can only assume is Red River Creek, followed up by an old guy going Happy Gilmore on someone's head with a tire iron. If it's curiosity they wanted, I'm sure this trailer will create it. I wouldn't be surprised to be seeing another trailer for this game during the press conferences on Monday.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

Release: Quarter 3, 2014

Developer: The Astronauts

Loadout - Good Clean Fun E3 Trailer

Spoiler alert - the title of this trailer is ironic. All of the comparisons shown in the text are spot on, especially it being Team Fortress 2's drunken older brother. Shoot 'em up, watch them explode into a bloody mess, then bounce your booty all over their face. And who says video games make people violent? (Hint: they don't, but I've heard it's fun to pretend)

Loadout

PS4

Release: TBA

Publisher: Edge of Reality

Developer: Edge of Reality

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments - E3 Trailer

Sneakily one of my favorite trailers of the E3 preview, I'm welcoming Sherlock Holmes with open arms into the next generation of consoles. It looks gorgeous, almost like a dark reimagining of this timeless character. There also seems go be an interrogation element involved (one of my favorite features of LA Noire) along with good old fashioned Sherlock sleuth snooping. Plus, why in the world did that woman shoot that guy? What did he do to her? I have to know.

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments

PC, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, PS3

Release: Sept 2014

Publisher: Focus Home Interactive

Developer: Frogwares

Kingdom Hearts II.5 HD ReMIX

The final trailer of the E3 Preview is a bit of a two-for: the first section shows you Kingdom Hearts 2, Birth by Sleep, and re:coded in all of their re-mastered HD-ness. This is three full games released across different platforms (PS2, PSP, and Nintendo DS respectively) all on one disk, so if you're looking to catch up on the series, this is your chance. Part two, however, is a little teaser for the ever-so-anticipated Kingdom Hearts 3, though it really only confirms that the game is now in development. I think that's all we're going to get for now, so let's just rest easy in the fact that it's happening... eventually.

Kingdom Hearts II.5 HD ReMIX

PS3

Release: Dec 2, 2014

Publisher: Square Enix

Developer: Square Enix

That is a wrap on the E3 2014 Trailer Preview! Fun fact: there were exactly zero titles in any of the three posts shown for the WiiU. Goose egg, nil, nada. No shows in the pre-fight aside, Monday is a very exciting day in the games industry. The best and the brightest from all the major players in the industry will be shown off to the scrutiny of the entire media, and I'll be there to talk about the trailers. Everyone has their job, even if it's a self-appointed one. Happy E3!

E3 2014 Preview - The Trailers, Part 2

2014-06-08T14:00:00.001-07:00

Let's Keep this party rolling!

Good afternoon and welcome to part two of The Trailer Jockey's E3 2014 Trailer Preview! Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. If you missed part one, you can see it here!

Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor - E3 Gravewalker Trailer

Honestly, not entirely sure what just happened here. But this is LotR, and that dark ranger looked mighty badass. Cinematic trailers are great for establishing tone and characters, but they usually look way better than the actual game. Be on the lookout for some more gameplay during the expo itself.

Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor

PC, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3, PS4

Release: Oct 7, 2014

Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Developer: Monolith Productions

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite - E3 iOS Debut Trailer

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite sold more than 4 million units for the PSP since releasing in 2009, making it one of the most popular games you've probably never heard of. Now the game takes its talents to iOS, boasting surprisingly good visuals and a touch screen control system that seems pretty simple to use. I can see the smaller screens of the iPhone causing problems for the touch controls, but if you have an iPad and an itch to hack and slash monsters, this could be the port for you.

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite

iOS

Release: TBA 2014

Publisher: Capcom

Developer: Capcom

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate - E3 Debut Trailer

The Monster Hunter train keeps chugging along with the debut of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. There really isn't much different happening from Freedom Unite above, apart from being on 3DS... and one of the characters having a friggin' .50 cal sniper rifle! Seems a bit out of place with the rest of the weaponry, no?

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate

3DS

Release: Early 2015

Publisher: Capcom

Developer: Capcom

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy - E3 Debut Trailer

I've heard really good things about the Phoenix Wright series (albeit it's rather over the top and hokey) but have never actually taken the time to play it. It looks like I, and plenty of other gamers in the same boat, will have a chance to take on the Ace's cases with the original three games being re-released for the 3DS. I've always wanted to be a real life pretend lawyer in a video game.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy

3DS

Release: Late 2014

Publisher: Capcom

Developer: Capcom

Dead Rising 3 - E3 PC Debut Trailer

The only kind-of-decent exclusive for the Xbox One that isn't named Titanfall is coming to PC this summer! This means zombie killing goodness on beefed up PC graphics... I get tingly just thinking about it. And don't forget about the mods! I'm mostly intrigued to see what kind of crazy stuff people are going to add to this game. Because creating a megaphone gun that sends zombies clear across the street is not nearly strange enough.

Dead Rising 3

Release: Summer 2014

Publisher: Capcom

Developer: Capcom Vancouver

Hitman: Sniper - E3 Debut Teaser

This one is short, but boy is it sweet. Having just downloaded Hitman: GO for my HTC One, a fantastically vibrant puzzler from Square Enix Montreal, I have very high hopes for their next foray into the touch screen gaming space. This new title looks much darker, and it's all about assassinating your targets from afar as a highly competent sniper. That Agent 47, man, he can do anything.

Hitman: Sniper

iOS, Android

Release: Fall 2014

Publisher: Square Enix

Developer: Square Enix Montreal

And that is all she wrote on part two of the E3 Trailer Preview! Part three of three will be will be up for your viewing pleasure tonight. You won't want to miss it.

E3 2014 Preview - The Trailers, Part 1

2014-06-08T09:12:00.002-07:00

The time is at hand!

It's that magical time of year... E3 is almost upon us! With E3 comes a gambit of new trailers, and the Jockey is here for you. This preview will last over three installments, (a trilogy, if you will?) and be sure to keep your eyes out for more as the expo rolls on. So without further ado: part one of the E3 2014 Trailer Preview!

World of Warplanes - E3 Cinematic Trailer

I had the chance to try out World of Warplanes at E3 in 2012, and man was it fun. There's very few things quite like a good dogfighting sim. There's a ton of unique (and historically accurate!) planes to choose from, coupled with a pretty active community taking to the skies to duke it out.

That said... what a dumb trailer. I get wanting your game to feel realistic, but now I just feel bad for the virtual widow in the picture floating down to the ocean. If your game is all about blowing people out of the sky, don't make me feel weird about it.

World of Warplanes

Release: Out Now

Developer: Persha Studia/Wargaming

World of Warships - E3 Trailer

Now THAT is what I'm talking about! Give us action, give us destruction, give the people what they want! Yes, there is another quick shot of a picture buried in all of the wreckage, but at least it's not the center of attention this time. If Warships follows suit with Warplanes and Tanks, we'll have another goodie of an MMO on our hands.

World of Warplanes
PC
Release: TBA
Developer: Lesta Studio/Wargaming

Hunt: Horrors of the Gilded Age - Announcement Trailer

Hunt is a third-person, four player co-op zombie slaying game made by the same people who brought you the visually stunning Crysis series. Add in a unique content generation system that guarantees that you never play a level the same way twice (ala Left 4 Dead) and you can bet I've already signed up for beta access.

Hunt: Horrors of the Gilded Age
PC, Xbox One, PS4
Release: TBA
Developer: Crytek

Gauntlet - E3 Relics Trailer

Harness the ancient power of relics and release hell upon the forces of darkness. This trailer actually shows a pretty staggering amount of enemies on screen at once, but this is another four player co-op adventure, and those moves did look pretty damn powerful. Then again, when I was capturing gameplay for the Diablo 3 trailer at last year's E3, we were on God Mode with unlimited mana. Hopefully this one plays like it looks!

Gauntlet
Steam
Release: Summer 2014
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Developer: Arrowhead Game Studios

Dying Light - E3 Gameplay Trailer

Free running and zombie killing. Zombie killing and free running. Did I mention the free running? And the zombie killing? Excuse me, I have to watch this a million more times. Especially for when he pulls the heart out of a zombie. Or for the giant mutant zombie swinging a hammer like a helicopter rotor. Or killing a zombie with the people's elbow. Or for pretty much EVERY SECOND of the trailer. Dying Light needs to be on your radar. Good night, and good luck.

Dying Light

PC, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, PS3

Release: Feb 1, 2015

Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Studios

Developer: Techland

Theatrythm: Final Fantasy: Curtain Call - E3 Trailer

This is basically a big 'ol love letter to the Final Fantasy series in the form of a timing-based combat system. Hit the correct buttons as they come across the screen in time with the music, and you do damage to your opponents. With more than 60 playable characters from the FF universe, this can appeal to both hardcore fans of the franchise and parents who want their kids to space out while they have "more important" things to do. I'd call that a win-win.

Theatrythm: Final Fantasy: Curtain Call

3DS

Release: Sept 16, 2014

Publisher: Square Enix

Developer: indieszero

That's all she wrote for part one of the E3 2014 Trailer Preview! Luckily, there's plenty more where that came from, so be on the lookout for part two this afternoon.

Weekly Trailer Wrap-Up: May 26 - June 1st

2014-06-02T20:05:00.003-07:00

Let's try something new here...

Between Red Box Reviews and the revival of Sunday Ramblings, The Trailer Jockey has been a busy boy. In an effort to become more efficient and produce more for your reading/viewing pleasure, I'm happy to present the all new weekly trailer wrap-up. This will be posted every Sunday/Monday, and will be a look back at the best trailers you may have missed from the week before. And don't forget to keep an eye on TTJ's Facebook and Twitter, as I'll be posting trailers on there as they release. Without further ado, let's see what last week had to offer!

Monochroma - Gameplay Trailer

There's something about a noir-style puzzle and platformer with hints of a dystopian future and single color theme that makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Self described as a "cinematic puzzle platformer" you received a feast of gameplay from this dystopian future. It gives a certain Limbo vibe in the sense that the story might not say much, but will still be incredibly deep. This one's available now on Steam, so fund out for yourself if this teaser tickled your fancy.

Monochroma
Steam
Release: Out Now
Developer: NoWhere Studios

The Evil Within - Terrified Trailer

I always wonder if trailers like this are successful because as a gigantic sissy, there's a solid chance that I'll never pick this game up. I had a hard enough time watching someone else play through Dead Space. I suppose people do experience the horror genre to get the pants scared off of them, so a preview like this for The Evil Within makes total sense. We see the same kind of trailers for some horror films, after all. As a gamer, I'm wholly invested in this game for the good of the survival horror genre, and I can see this being one of the most hyped games of E3 2014. People do love a good scare... I don't get it. More safe Adam Sandler, please!

The Evil Within
PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC
Release: Oct 21, 2014
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Developer: Tango Gameworks

World of Speed - McLaren in Moscow Trailer

Gosh darn, this sure looks pretty. It's always a good thing when you actually have to stop and check again after the "real life" footage turns into the gameplay footage. World of Speed enters the ring of racing sims that consider graphics and visuals king, and will be duking it out with the likes of Forza and other racing franchises that have been around for a while. Will the new kid be here to stay? If the visuals alone tell you anything, it's going to put up a hell of a fight. Add that on top of it being a racing RPG (two words I never thought I'd use together) and we have ourselves a dark horse.

World of Speed
PC
Release: 2014
Developer: Slightly Mad Studios

So there you have it! An easier way to take in more trailers that the world has to offer in less time. This was a pleasure, same time next week? See you then!

Red Box Review - South Park: The Stick of Truth

2014-06-01T15:54:00.001-07:00

Goddammit, Kyle!

Launch Trailer

South Park: The Stick of Truth was almost the game that never was. Trey Parker and Matt Stone's adventure into video games came close to being derailed by both a year delay and a change of publishers; issues that could take down a game by themselves, let alone together. But alas, the game survived when it was picked up by Ubisoft, and released in March of this year. Though it hasn't been out for long enough to get a solid number, Ubisoft has said that they did experience "better than expected" sales of the game, along with very successful digital download numbers. When I came across TSOT available on my local Red Box kiosk, it was a no-brainer for a rental.

As the "new kid" in town, you go out to make friends only to be thrust into the gang's game of LARPing: Cartman's human faction is in an epic struggle with the elves for the "Stick of Truth", the owner of which controls the entire universe. It becomes clear very quickly that you are no ordinary new kid... you make facebook friends unbelievably fast and have incredibly good control over the forces of "magic" (farting). Without revealing any more, the story quickly becomes much bigger than just a pretend war of two factions, as a mysterious alien race (along with other enemies) descend upon South Park.

"The Maiden from Stonebury is also your mom"

The first thing you will notice about TSOT is just how authentically South Park it is. This makes a lot of sense considering that Matt and Trey were involved from the beginning, but for all intensive purposes, you are in the interactive South Park that we've always dreamed of. Nearly every local location and character is used, and they all contribute to the hilarity that is this game. I got equally as invested in helping Al Gore find ManBearPig (again) as I was in completing the main story. If you're a fan of the show, you'll be a fan of the game's content and comedy.

Destiny Trailer

Because this is a video game and not a TV show regulated by the FCC, the vulgarity is turned up to 20. Fuck-words are quite abundant, as well as themes that would not even come close to being allowed on television... and all of it was glorious. I can't recall any time in my gaming history while I was hysterically cry/laughing while desperately trying to concentrate on the buttons I was supposed to hit in order to complete the task in front of me. That's a special kind of mix of comedy and game that Parker and Stone completely crushed.

True to South Park style, The Stick of Truth is also astutely aware that it is a video game. As someone who appreciates RPGs that reward the player for exploration, that notion was thrown back in my face within the first ten minutes of gameplay. Upon meeting Cartman and the "human faction" for the first time, I wandered around interacting with everything I could. After finally talking to Cartman to progress the story, he mentions "Wow, you searched everything in this area... hardcore gamer over here".

There is also a moment where you are asked by the rival "elf faction" to go and meet their leader; they tell you that fighting is pointless as you have no chance of winning and will be going with them no matter what, so you might as well not waste the time. Well, my stubborn ass fought them, and I was defeated and brought to the elven leader. This is a situation (un-winnable fights that actually progress the story) I've seen in games before, but the fact that it acknowledges the plot device is both hilarious and wickedly South Park.

"I see you have excellent control over your farts"

Giggling Donkey Gameplay Trailer

At the onset of the game, you get to choose what class to play as: Warrior, Mage, Thief, and Jew. That was an easy choice... I went Jew and was immediately decked out with a Yamaka and Moses Staff. All of my starter Jew equipment gave me extra holy damage on my attacks and defense from some elemental attacks. I started with one special attack: the Sling of David, where I would rotate the analog stick to swing my sock, and then press A to release the rock at my enemy.

However, that's where the uniqueness in the classes ended. Every single weapon and piece of armor is usable no matter what class you are, meaning you can basically change your mind and outfit yourself with whatever you want. All of the armor sets curate towards a certain style of play: the "wood elf" outfit focuses on ranged attacks, the "druid" set was a healer, and so on. This basically meant that outside of the special attacks, it really didn't matter what kind of class you chose. This made collecting different kinds of armor far less appealing since none of the pieces of armor were necessarily better than my Jew equipment (which leveled up and became more powerful as the game progressed), they were simply vehicles to a different combat style.

As an RPG with a turn-based combat system, TSOT plays great. It's very fast paced (the characters on screen will actually taunt you if you take a long time to decide on a move) and has a heavy emphasis on timing for success... attacks and blocks are more effective when the correct buttons are pressed at the right time. You can make two moves per turn: a consumable/special ability, then an attack. Your character quickly becomes a jack of all trades, boasting melee, ranged, special, and magic (farting) attacks. Other special attacks unlock as you gain levels, and before I knew it I was unleashing a farty-Jewish hell upon my enemies. I love how crass this is.

"Now let's see how you like sitting through an entire presentation on global warming!"

E3 Trailer

I can't wait to finish The Stick of Truth. The story so far is hilarious and easy to follow, and there's still a few more characters I'm itching to see (crossing my fingers for Towlie!). Though when I finish the game and clean up whatever side quests remain, I do have to question whether I would play it again. I am fairly interested in the special abilities that the other classes offer, but is that difference alone worth another entire play through? I suppose there is a lot of equipment to experiment with, but I want to see how the game ends before deciding if it's worth playing through again. If you don't want to spend the money to rent it more than one night (me), then definitely look to borrow this game from a friend who has finished it.

Verdict: Borrow

Play if you like: South Park, gratuitous cursing/violence/blood and guts/pretty much everything, Turn-based RPGs, collecting collectables, farts

Sunday Ramblings

2014-05-25T20:53:00.000-07:00

Is it okay to not like games you suck at?

The Sunday Ramblings are back! Currently, The Trailer Jockey is going on a little adventure through his Xbox 360 Bucket List. With a limited amount of titles worth purchasing at full retail for the Xbox One, it only makes sense to play through what I haven't experienced yet. This list consists of both classics that I should have played by now, and promising titles that didn't seem to live up to the hype it created. Deus Ex: Human Revolution generated generally positive reviews, but it flew under the radar in the US, only shipping 800,000 copies.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Cinematic Trailer

Big scores with small sales usually means you're in for a treat! A few hours controlling Adam Jensen, however, made something abundantly clear: I was really bad at this game. DE:HR focuses very heavily on stealth... you can shoot your way through the game, but the amount of extra experience gained from being silent and non-lethal was far more fruitful than going Rambo on everyone. That said, there was a lot of surveillance and timing needed to be successful at the stealth part, the AI was surprisingly competent in becoming alerted if you made the wrong move into their vision cone.

Stealth is a patience game, and that is a game that I truly need to learn how to play. I would pop out of cover too early, not take the time to monitor guard movements, and blatantly sprint around corners into security cameras. Not exactly the pinnacle of a master of silence. The moment a guard would catch a whiff of you, there were two choices: backtrack through the level and hide until he gave up, or wait behind a corner and hope you can activate the quicktime melee knockout before he raises the alarm. Of course, I wouldn't want to go back and wait, which turned into having to clear out a lot of rooms with gunfire.

This made enjoying the story of the game extremely difficult, but that's completely on me. Could I have talked myself into focusing and digging into the deep story to create interest? Absolutely. Would I have pulled more and more hair out every single time I had to backtrack? You bet your behind. I gave up after about ten hours, there's only so much the body can withstand.

Dues Ex: Human Revolution - Stealth Trailer

Gamers are a tough crowd, and admitting weakness to a mass amount of super nerds is a message board's equivalent of a shark smelling blood in the water. A cruise through reddit will quickly show just how seriously they take their games. Say the wrong thing, and you're offering yourself as tribute to a ruthless slew of insults and curses. But the reality is we're all human, and there might be a game every now and again that really just stumps you.

Phew, that felt good to get off my chest. We'll be hopping back onto the bucket list train this week, along with the introduction of weekly trailer wrap-ups! Oh, and this whole site may look different soon. Big things happening over here!

Have something you want to ramble about? Have a game you wanted to love but couldn't because you were god awful at it? Leave it in the comments below!

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare - Reveal Trailer

2014-05-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

"That a journalist ought to be able to disagree with the President!"

Call of Duty, we've done this dance before. You reveal your game with big explosions, epic action, and a powerful speech. We get all excited for... finally... another great CoD, until we're ultimately disappointed. I've seen it before, and damn if you're going to do it to me again.

Enter ~~Frank Underwood~~ Kevin Spacey, and suddenly I'm thinking about giving it a chance again. Is a big name celebrity what the franchise needs to feel new and exciting again? Will his impassioned monologue (who was he talking to, anyhow? So House of Cards) about how "it's so wrong that America pushes democracy on other countries" while super soldiers simultaneously kick ass and take names make people actually care about the story? I haven't had that feeling since the first Modern Warfare came out.

Here's the thing: it's kind of ridiculous to speculate at this point. We only have this trailer. No other gameplay, features, anything like that. People have their feelings about the Call of Duty franchise fully formed and cemented in their brains by now, god knows they've had enough opportunity to do so. So until you see more from this game, just enjoy this short moment of badassery that CoD still seems to have a solid grip on. They make a fun trailer, you have to give them that.

Oh, and if you can't tell... Kevin's gonna be the bad guy. That journalist line was priceless. I'm still afraid of subway trains because of that man.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC
Release: Nov 4, 2014
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Sledgehammer Games

Destiny - Strike Gameplay: The Devil's Lair

2014-04-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

The Devil's in the Details

Bungie's Destiny is in a very interesting spot. Being a studio that's known for a single franchise, the Halo franchise no less, the pressure for this game to be successful is enormous. Thankfully we're starting to get trailers like this one, so we can start forming our own opinions. Let's look at the burning question from this gameplay feature:

Is this just going to be a Halo with a new look?

I want to say no to this question so badly. But after watching all seven minutes of the gameplay, some similarities are unmistakable. The player movement and shooting mechanics look extremely similar. The third person zoom-outs gave me flashbacks of dropping bubble shields in Halo 3 multiplayer. Some enemies even dodge bullets like they just finished the Covenant's "How to Side Step Everything Guide for Elites" training manual. Even this strike mission had that all-too-familiar feeling of going into Firefight Mode, readying yourself for wave after wave of enemies.

Even though the games might look similar, that could simply be the style of the developer. Destiny will separate itself (or fall into obscurity with all of the other shooters) through content and execution. If Bungie can stir up something compelling and original, the gameplay will be an enjoyable compliment. Plus you have to admit those 3rd person special attacks looked freaking awesome.

Enjoy these seven minutes. This is only a small sliver of what the Destiny experience is supposed to be. There will be more to see, but will that silence the doubters... or give them a megaphone?

Destiny

PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360

Release: Sept 5, 2014

Publisher: Activision

Developer: Bungie

Call of Duty: Ghosts - Devastation DLC Trailer

2014-04-01T12:55:00.001-07:00

"Alright everyone, back to A"

We all get what this trailer is: more COD for us to throw our money at. New maps, guns, and the next chapter of its freshest (and arguably strongest) game mode grace the Devastation DLC Pack from the latest Infinity Ward giant. But while this may seem like a new coat of paint over an old clunker of a car, look deeper and you'll find one of the coolest jobs that I have ever come across.

I was lucky enough to work for the studio that created this trailer for a brief stint. At the time, we had a build for some Black Ops 2 DLC that was set to release around early July of last year. This meant that our gameplay capture artists had to learn the maps, find places to set up shots (with recommendations from the client), and execute them with the help of the assistants (my job) on the controllers.

The capture guys would then take the footage and fly around with a free-flowing camera to catch every possible angle of it. Throw in some slick editing, and viola! You have a non-stop trailer that throws as much action as possible at you, and hopefully convinces you to purchase the content.

That's right, every single shot you see in this trailer is carefully planned out, timed, and practiced until perfection. That includes all of the stuff with the Extinction mode, they most likely had a build that would allow them to control every aspect of the game. I can't imagine how many times they had to do that airstrike shot, I'm willing to wager it was a lot of times.

Of course, sometimes the direction was just to run around and kill everyone you saw, but they were artists: it was all part of their process. These guys played the games until their eyes bled, but damn did the trailers look good.

"Alright everyone, enable GOD mode. Time to shoot some zombies."

Best words I'd hear all day.

Call of Duty: Ghosts
PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, WiiU
Out Now
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Infinity Ward

Thief - Launch Trailer

2014-02-22T19:30:00.000-08:00

"I've been a ghost all my life"

After a magnificent launch trailer, I do believe Thief is poised to be one of the first great achievements in the next-generation of gaming. Though AC4: Black Flag has already introduced us to some stealth gameplay on the XbOne and PS4, Square Enix's latest is a full fledged first person stealth fest. As a big fan of staying quiet and pulling off clean heists, the smooth stealth of Thief looks like a whole lot of fun.

Don't think you'll be moving in the quiet of the night the entire time, however. We see here that Theif aims to deliver on the loud just as much as they look to focus on the quiet. Hopefully a good balance will be struck between the two; as enticing as stealthily stealing prized possessions sounds, sometimes you just want to make something go boom.

The question here will be whether or not the next-gen port will be worth buying over the 360 and PS3 versions. We're in a very interesting time when one game is coming out for every system, but we expect the next generation to be vastly different than its younger siblings. By different, there seems to be a general thought that the visuals and overall performance of the game will be much better on the XbOne and PS4. Even further, there's the potential opportunity to add extra game content with the improved hardware, a potential that not all developers are opting to go for. And to a degree, the consumer is correct: if the game is basically the same on both systems, then why get the new one?

I'm not sure that gamers are seeing the mind blowing "difference" that they are expecting, but as developers get more time with these new systems, we'll be seeing more impressive products. Plus they do obviously look better, but I sense that people want more. When don't they?

Will Thief be the start of this upwards trend? Will trailer translate to game? I hope so, for someone's sake.

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

Darkest Dungeon - Terror and Madness Trailer

2014-02-11T18:30:00.000-08:00

The terror! THE MADNESS!!

I've never really payed much attention to games that go to Kickstarter in order to fund their products, but perhaps I should start. Darkest Dungeon is aiming to be the next great indie RPG, and they've already surpassed their fundraising goal, so they are well on their way.

This isn't your typical RPG, where all of the heroes are infallible pillars of light that dive head first into whatever danger they encounter. You have to look after your party's mental well-being as well as keeping tabs on their physical health. Every action has an equal reaction, and it will effect how you go about playing the game... they call this the "Affliction System". Each dungeon will push the characters to their limit, and there's no telling what they'll do...

I think the people at Red Hook are really on to something here, I can't recall an RPG where it truly takes into account the kind of stress that these heroes are under as they partake in this adventure. It's a dark, less glamorous look than the typical RPG, but I think that will garner an audience of its own. For more details on the game itself, you can visit the game website. Crowdsourcing for the win!

Darkest Dungeon

PC, Mac

Release: Fall 2014

Publisher: Red Hook Games

Developer: Red Hook Games

Murdered: Soul Suspect - Every Lead Trailer

2014-02-04T11:16:00.000-08:00

Points for Originality

In a world that is bogged down by sequels, reboots, and remakes, it's nice to see an original story surface that looks worthy of checking out. Murdered: Soul Suspect is riding that line right now. While the premise of a cop killed in action searching for his killer in the afterlife has the potential for success, I have some questions: If that witness is the only one who can see him, how could he possible apprehend a killer? Is that girl supposed to be his liaison from the dead?

And that makes me want to play to find out, not the other way around. Square Enix has a reputation of either making the best or the strangest story you'll play until the next title they release. But if features include "using your ghostly powers to solve cases" and "combat against demonic creatures", count me in. Mostly because I want to see how in the world that's going to work.

Murdered: Soul Suspect
Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS4, PS3, PC
Release: June 2014
Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Airtight Games

Xbox 360 Bucket List - Sleeping Dogs

2014-02-01T17:58:00.003-08:00

What Makes a Good Man: Wei Shen and the undercover cop drama

Launch Trailer

"That was very exciting... I like exciting."

Sleeping Dogs from Square Enix is the first game on the bucket to be crossed off. Despite selling more than 1.5 million copies and the announcement that the game had reached profitability, a feat that seems to be a bigger deal with original story titles these days, it feels as if this revival of True Crime: Hong Kong has flown mostly under the radar. However, these numbers were well short of Square's somewhat lofty expectations of moving 2 - 2.5 million copies.

Before I say anything else - I really enjoyed Sleeping Dogs. It was exactly as that quote above states: exciting. There was no shortage of brutal beat downs, simple gunplay, and high speed firefights. The launch trailer (above) actually paints a solid picture of the action and internal struggle you would be encountering as undercover cop Wei Shen.

Story Trailer

You're a very dangerous man, Wei Shen

Upon arriving back in Hong Kong from an extended stay in the United States, Wei Shen gets an opportunity to become muscle for the city's most notorious Triad, the Sun On Yee. But in this case, you aren't some random nobody that appears at their doorstep looking for thug work. Wei Shen has roots in Hong Kong and the Sun On Yee, and they run deep. He grew up with a current member who ends up being his initial in with the bad guys. His sister got mixed up with some of the same gangsters, ultimately leading to her drug abuse and demise. Wei has some serious stakes in this fight, and those motivations both push and haunt him at the same time.

Wei moves his way up the Sun On Yee very quickly without much resistance. There were a couple of tense moments in the first quarter of the game when he was being vetted, but it was too early in the story to worry about the protagonist being killed. The story up until the last couple missions felt predictable, a lot of time you could see the disaster that you were being set up for during some of the bigger story missions.

That said, the ending of Sleeping Dogs had a couple of very good surprise twists that saved the story and made the ending more enjoyable. Sometimes I will discuss spoilers in these posts, but the turn the ending took had me in enough shock that it's something I don't want to ruin for anyone looking to reach back into the 360 vault for a solid original story.

Sleeping Dogs 101 Trailer

Sleeping Dogs included a crisp combat system, shooting mechanics that weren't too difficult to master, and a massive open world littered with collectables. Hand to hand combat was easily the most enjoyable part of the gameplay, and the story missions allowed you to pick up statues that you could exchange at a dojo for new moves. By the end of the game, you could cut through crowds of ten-plus enemies like butter.

Enemies would become more diverse as the game progressed, turning hand to hand combat into a game of chess. Certain moves won't effect certain bad guys, which sometimes results in having to wait for a counter opportunity. Thankfully attacks come fast and often, so there's never much downtime during combat. It adds an element of timing and finesse to the fighting, which was very enjoyable. Not to mention the nasty environmental attacks. Try and get through this whole thing.

Driving is was where gameplay fell short in my experience. The cars were pretty basic apart from pure speed (pretty fast and really fast) and it was a chore getting from one end of Hong Kong to another no matter what you were in. The act of driving itself was a constant experiment in just how much brake is needed to take a corner smoothly. I swear it was never the same one time.

Another gameplay aspect of Sleeping Dogs was a penalty to your "Police" (good guy) score if your reckless driving caused property damage or death. This was especially frustrating when missions called for you to chase a triad fleeing at high speed, yet property damage hurt your score. L.A. Noire used a similar system, as reckless driving would hurt your overall case score. Plus I find no motivation to drive legally when I was literally on my way to break bones. 10 points for that old guy.

Final Thoughts

Year of the Snake DLC Trailer

I'm very glad I took the time to play Sleeping Dogs. It was an enjoyable story-driven experience, but I would not recommend it for everyone. If you enjoy an above average mix of combat and story, can appreciate the use of a foreign language in a game, and want to scratch your completionist itch, then this game is for you. If you want to run and gun and kick and punch without really knowing what you're throwing yourself into, then there are plenty of other games for you out there.

If you want a good laugh, the voice of Jack Black's "father" in the Kung Fu Panda movies (among many more roles) is the voice of the most feared gangster in Hong Kong: the head of the Sun On Yee. It's a little hard to take him seriously when it's the same voice as an animated noodle making duck.

James Hong >> Mr. Ping (Kung Fu Panda) >> Uncle Po (Sleeping Dogs)

Man, I want some Ramen now.

Sleeping Dogs
Publisher: Square Enix London Studios/United Front Games
Developer: Square Enix, Namco Bandai

The Xbox 360 Bucket List

2014-01-20T17:57:00.000-08:00

The prize at the end of the rope

Microsoft may have a claim here, they do have a long list of impressive looking titles slated to come out for the Xbox One. Hell, some of them aren't even in this little sizzle. But here's the thing: most of them won't be here for a while. While we're inching closer to the drop of Titanfall (March 11), most of the games that will truly want to get my hands on an Xbone still say TBA 2014 under their release date. So this means that I definitely want to get this new console, but it doesn't seem to make sense to get it just yet.

So then I look at old faithful, my Xbox 360 (the same I've had since 2008, with only one red ring in its life) and I decide to squeeze every ounce of life I can out of it. I've decided to put together a bucket list for my 360: all of the games that I should have played by now that I haven't. This will be a year-long endeavor, with posts galore as I try to navigate through this list of games I've yet to experience.

The list, as it currently stands, in no particular order:

Games currently owned but not played/finished are bolded.

Bioshock (plus 2, Infinite)
Assassin’s Creed (Revelations, III, Black Flag)
The Walking Dead (Eps 2-5 + 400 Days)
DMC HD Collection/DMC: Devil May Cry
Metal Gear HD Collection
Lego: Marvel Super Heroes
Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Conviction
Batman: Arkham Origins
GTA IV: Episodes from Liberty City
Saints Row (the Third, IV)
Fallout: New Vegas
Hitman Crysis(2, 3)
Metro: Last Light
Tomb Raider
Kingdoms of Amalur
Dark Souls
Spec Ops: The Line
Sleeping Dogs
Epic Mickey: The Power of Two
Alan Wake
Dues Ex: Human Revolution
The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings

So this is where you all come in! If you think I am missing something from this list, please add your two cents. If I haven't already played it, I'll consider adding it. The same goes for if you've played one of these games and don't think they are worth my time. This is a doozy of a list, and the endgame is to have a collection of the most quality titles the system had to offer.

Here you have my gaming challenge of 2014. There are worse things.

VGX Awards - Best in Show

2013-12-15T20:49:00.000-08:00

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

2013-12-10T18:09:00.000-08:00

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

2013-11-29T10:34:00.000-08:00

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

2013-11-26T12:02:00.000-08:00

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