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If you want to sell a video game, you need a great trailer. Creating buzz for a new title is about getting your potential audience intrigued and excited — or simply just making them smile. That’s why so much time and effort goes into making these quick bursts of drama, action, and comedy.
Here we present 12 of the best game trailers to hit our screens during 2013. Representing a mix of independent titles and big-budget efforts, they’ve all made a distinct impact this year.
If you think we’ve missed any trailers of note, feel free to drop a comment below.
Dying Light
If there’s one thing Polish developer Techland knows, it’s how to make a damn fine trailer. Following the stunning efforts for both Dead Island and Dead Island: Riptide, this heart-pounding cinematic, promoting the parkour-infused survival-horror game Dying Light (Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, PS3, PC), hits exactly the right tone from the beginning.
In case you’re wondering, the soundtrack is “Run Boy Run” by Woodkid.
And, just in the time to make the list, Techland released this disturbing Christmas-inspired musical trailer. Best lock those doors.
Star Wars: Battlefront
Thirty seconds. That’s all we got. But it was enough to set the Internet ablaze with talk of Star Wars: Battlefront (Xbox One, PS4, PC), a reboot of the much-loved shooter series.
Battlefield developer DICE is behind the game, slated to arrive in 2015.
Leviathan: Warships
I could watch this trailer over and over and it wouldn’t get old. With a hilarious voice over from “Jazz Boatman,” developer Paradox Interactive smoothly soft-sells its PC and mobile turn-based strategy game Leviathan: Warships.
“This ain’t no $60 title,” says Jazz Boatman. “It ain’t expensive. It’s cheaper than a real boat. Can’t argue with that.”
Ship just got real.
Mirror’s Edge
Sometimes, the voice of the gamer is a powerful thing. Sara Jansson, the senior producer of the Mirror’s Edge reboot, thanked fans of the original first-person action adventure game for making the next-generation version possible. “Every time you have asked us about the future of Faith, we have felt your support,” she said in an open letter. “Without you, the new Mirror’s Edge wouldn’t be happening.”
Judging by the incredible visuals in this surprise announcement trailer, the new Mirror’s Edge (due on Xbox One, PS4, and PC) will be a thing of beauty.
The Scarecrow
Who’d have thought the most emotional trailer of the year would be for an iOS game advertising burritos?
Fast-food restaurant chain Chipotle created “The Scarecrow” trailer to promote its app of the same name. Minimally branded, the video and app intend to “educate people about where their food comes from,” according to Mark Crumpacker, the chief marketing officer at Chipotle.
Tugging at heartstrings throughout its 3 minute running time, the trailer combines a haunting soundtrack with stunning animation to create one of 2013’s biggest viral advertising successes.