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Opinion: The Top 10 Mood Trailers

Posted November 12, 2010 by David Radd

Most game trailers follow recognizable patterns that are readily identifiable for anyone that's seen enough of them. Perhaps the most typical is the slow build up to a furious amount of action starting in the middle, with the game's title and main credits appearing, and maybe a send off of some monster roaring at the camera. What I'm writing about now, however, is what I dub “mood trailers.”

There's no exact science for what encompasses a mood trailer, but to me, it's a trailer that tries to bring out simple feelings using strong imagery and bold music. There's little dialog or exposition, with the message conveyed mostly via what is seen and heard on an emotional level; that's why I call it a mood trailer, because it evokes a particular mood rather than trying to rattle off story or gameplay features.

Here's my top 10 list of mood trailers; let me know in the comments of your favorite mood trailers!

#10: Fable III - Revolution

This is one of the most recent mood trailers, and it's the first trailer of its sort for the Fable franchise (It should be noted that Microsoft seems to really love mood trailers). All previous trailers in the series had concentrated on the grandiose legend that you are experiencing in the world of Albion; by contrast, this trailer with music provided by the Young Men Dead has a much simpler message: lead the masses to overthrow the powers that be. It's a high quality trailer, but the slow motion is a bit overdone and its tone isn't exactly original by this point.

 

#9: Gears of War 2 – Last Day

In the sequel mood trailer to the “original” mood trailer (further down on this list), we see moments of peace and beauty right before the Gears we know and love are sent to war. Using Devotchka's “How It Ends,” it's an emotional little piece if bordering on the sappy.

 

#8: Halo 3: ODST – The Life

A trailer known by most as “We Are ODST,” it actually has a story arc to it. Beginning at a funeral, a boy is inspired to join the military, who then goes through basic training, gets (literally) scarred in battle and becomes a leader. With a Gaelic song and Hungarian actors, it feels slightly disconnected from a Halo universe where everyone is shown speaking English, but the production values do shine through.

 

#7: Left 4 Dead 2 – Bang Bang Bang Bang

This trailer is different from most of the other trailers here because it's upbeat! Using the song Electric Worry by rock/blues group Clutch, it conveys a different sort of mood than the rest of the trailers here. The message is simple – kill lots of zombies with your friends. It works well too, and the song is really catchy.

 

#6: Gears of War 3: Ashes to Ashes

Unlike the other Gears trailers featured on this list, this is was the reveal trailer rather than the launch trailer. It's still very moody though, showing the world of Sera in complete ruin, as the images of ashen statues and a thoroughly resigned Dom convey a lot without words, especially for those that know the story so far. Sun Kil Moon's “Heron Blue” is the low-key audio accompaniment for a trailer that also reveals a new enemy to both humans and the Locust. It's a great trailer, even if it feels like a worn concept for the series at this point.

Check out the top five next...

David Radd has worked as a gaming journalist since 2004 at sites such as GamerFeed, Gigex and GameDaily Biz.