Summary
After much anticipation and constant rumors,Gears of War: E-Dayhas finally been announced, and it’s fair to say the reveal trailer blew fans away for how well it managed to capture the dark and captivating atmosphere that theGears of Warseries has become known for. This isn’t the first time that aGearsgame has featured a captivating reveal trailer, though, as there have been several reveals throughout the series that have successfully managed to get players hyped and ready for what’s to come.
In fact, some of these reveals are often said to be among thebest trailers in all of video games, which is certainly saying something, and it’s not hard to see why some make these claims, considering how epic and captivating the cinematics can be.
The reveal trailer forGears of War 5is a lot longer than the previous ones, and though this might sound good on the surface, it does also lack the immediate impact thatGearstrailers had become known for. Because Kate was made to be the brand-new protagonist for this game, the entire trailer is based around her, and more specifically, her mysterious connection to the Locust horde.
There are somevisually stunning shotsof gameplay in the second half, but there is not as much gore and violence as would have been expected from a series such as this. Still, the trailer does a good job at introducing the basic plot of the game, and the indication of Kat and her friends turning on each other is a compelling hook, but it just didn’t end up having the weight and memorability of its counterparts.
Afterthe Marcus Fenix storywrapped up with the death of Myrrah and the defeat of the Locust at the end ofGears of War 3, fans were left wondering where on earth the series could go next. Barely a year after that game’s release, a trailer dropped at E3 2012. Just over a minute long, it still proved to be incredibly intriguing. The trailer starts off with a Lancer falling to the ground, letting viewers know right from the get-go that what they were looking at was a brand-new entry in the belovedGearsseries, but whether it was a mainline game or not was unclear.
As the trailer goes on, it constantly flicks between gruesome scenes of the war with the Locust, some of which are quite harrowing, such as a particular shot where a group of humans can be seen running for their lives. The trailer ends with a shot of Baird and his signature cheesy grin plastered across his face. Honestly, the trailer spawned more questions than answers, but it’s still full of great visuals and a pretty epic music track that accompanies the action.
Epic Games made it pretty obvious from theGears of War 2teaser trailer that this sequel was going to be much darker than its predecessor, but it managed to do this without giving away any spoilers in the process. In fact, the whole trailer is shot in a black and red style, which is reminiscent of the art style used in games likeMad World. It’s a stunning aesthetic that makes a regular chainsaw battle with a Locust look like a work of art that should be hung up in the Louvre.
The simple yet captivating cinematic is complimented by some very eerie voice lines fromMarcus and Domin the background. While Marcus talks about staring death in the face, Dom can be heard asking Marcus to protect his wife Maria if he falls in battle, which provides a subtle glimpse into the personal journey he would experience throughout the story.
TheGears of War 4debut trailer is simple, brief, and effective. At the beginning, all that is shown is a COG soldier running through the dark woods as he shoots a group of enemies behind him, but moments after, the scene entirely changes to an older Marcus Fenix who is now living on a farm with Anya and his son, JD. The flashback sequences show JD as a young and naive kid running around with his mother and father, but when it cuts back to the present day, he’s a grown and grizzled warrior who seems to be fighting for his life.
This clever use of contrasting scenes, paired with the “Sound of Silence” cover that echoes in the background, creates a creepy visual, which shows that, even when humans have seemingly found peace in theGearsuniverse, a new threat is always around the corner. It also ends with one heck of a cliffhanger as JD can be seen vaulting over a tree with the initial “JD” written on it - initials that Marcus himself had etched into the tree when his son was still a child.
If the reveal trailer forGears of War 3could be summed up in one word, it would have to be: hopelessness. This ishumanity’s final standagainst not just the Locust but also the new ravenous Lambent horde, and it’s fair to say that the humans are feeling like they don’t have much left in the tank to fight on two fronts. This is made clear moments into the trailer where Dom can be seen falling to the ground, and after seeing an ash figure of a woman who looks like his late wife, he continues lying there, even willing to be shot dead by a Locust Drone.
Thankfully, Marcus rushes in to save him, along with Cole, Baird, and even Anya, who’s also now fighting on the frontlines. As Delta Squad holds its own against a massive horde of Locust, the camera closes in on Marcus' shocked face just as a Lambent root rises up from the ground, resulting in an all-out bloodbath between all three factions. Humanity has always felt like they were on the backfoot in the world ofGears, but this unnerving trailer puts this into perspective better than any other.
After the mixed reception ofGears of War 4and5, a lot of fans were understandably worried the series might never be able to reach the heights of its early days. However, the trailer forE-Dayhas put a lot of people’s minds at ease since it manages to capture that classicGears of Warfeeling perfectly without needing to go over the top with its presentation. Most of the cinematic is literally just Marcus engaging in a hand-to-hand scuffle with a Locust soldier, butthe emotional music, paired with a fresh look at a seemingly younger Marcus Fenix, was more than enough to get fans engaged.
It’s honestly quite a heartfelt trailer that feels like one big homage to the first game, but it also reminds players that this new game is still going to be as gory as ever once Marcus pops off the head of his Locust enemy with a Lancer. There are even a few slight hints of the “Mad World” melody towards the end, which really pulls at the heartstrings for anyone who’s been a fan of the series since the beginning. Gore, emotion, surprises, this trailer had it all, and it would have taken the top spot if not for one particular game reveal.
The early days of the Xbox 360 saw some of the greatest video game trailers ever. The first few trailers forHalo 3are examples of this, but another that single-handedly convinced many people to buy the console was theGears of Warreveal. The trailer starts with a full-scale shot of a city that looks to be on the brink of destruction, while the iconic “Mad World” by Tears for Fears plays calmly in the background. It’s not long before Marcus shows up, but he is forced to run for his life after a mysterious underground monster starts chasing him.
After launching himself into a nearby alley, multiple eyes begin to glow as it’s revealed that he’s just jumped into the nest of a Corpser, one of the Locust’s most powerful units. As he begins firing his Lancer off, the trailer abruptly ends as the music slowly fades out. The pacing of this trailer is truly remarkable, and it manages to keep viewers' eyes glued to the screen without having to show a single enemy until the very end. The bleak atmosphere and genius music choice also do an excellent job ofimmersing players in this world, and it all culminates in a trailer that many consider to be iconic nowadays.
