Best Debut Trailers of E3 (Part Two ~ Ranking 10-1)

Let us continue with ranking the best trailers at E3, shall we? And for those that have yet to check out the part one, go ahead and click here to get caught up. Go ahead. I'll wait right here until you do....

You good? Alright, cool. Now, let's get going with the top ten.

10. Tomb Raider

I admit. I played this game for the PlayStation (original PlayStation that is) for about a half hour and was not very pleased. I tried playing the sequels only to reach the same conclusion. Can't say I didn't try. Hearing about the reboot of the series had me interested; however, those flashbacks of being bored and confused still lingered. All that was washed away upon viewing the new and much improved origin story in Tomb Raider. Fanboy status confirmed. 

9. Beyond: Two Souls

Quantum Dream had already established a reputation for complete immersion through advanced technical graphics and focus on character development. Beyond: Two Souls was a further step in that direction. By bringing in a real actress in Ellen Page, this was more than just a game; it created a unique experience for players to get lost in.  

8. Rain

For those that remember this title, it was one of the most unforgettable debuts let alone games seen at E3. Rain created an atmospheric world rife with enemies and despair while dowsing up with a sprinkle of hope (sorry, I couldn't help myself). Players were only able to see the protagonist and characters during a downpour in a lonely, small town. All the boy wanted was to find and rescue his friend. Upon his journey, he got much more than he bargained for.

7. The Phantom Pain

Moby Dick Studios? Hey, it fooled me. Although by the end of this hospital visit from hell (literally) it was clear there was a very familiar inhabitant: Solid Snake. I mean Big Boss... You know who I'm talking about! Yet questions still remained as to how he ended up there, who his buddy was and why the government tried to keep everything on the hush. Forever. Kojima created such a masterpiece. Konami, you get a high five too.

6. Unravel

*Grab tissue and blows nose* Alright now that that's out of the way, I can continue. The moment this adorable title was...unraveled at E3 (I know, bad joke), gamers in attendance all declared their love for main character, Yarny. Now I know how cats feel. It has been a while since a character has jumped off the screen and into my heart; by the end of the trailer, that cute ball of animated yarn was number one on my must play list for 2016. 

5. Bioshock

Upon viewing the world premiere of the trailer, something felt different about this game. The tragic poetry spoken by Andrew Ryan, narrating this chilly title told us everything we needed to know. Funny thing is we just didn't know it yet. Its only until after the player completes this game do they understands the often uttered phrase "Would You Kindly?" Kevin Levine...you clever, clever man, you. 

4. The Last of Us

The Last of Us demonstrated the most realistic depiction of a zombie apocalypse in less than five minutes. Amazing. Naughty Dog is known for their meticulous attention to detail. Even though this was not the final build, all the aspects were there: crinkling of shoes over broken glass, concerned and intelligent AI (finally), an intuitive and likable side kick in Ellie and brutally, realistic combat mechanics. In a rare moment in gaming, players were not taking out "bad guys." The end of civilization is just not that simple. 

3. No Man's Sky

Saying that No Man's Sky had me in awe from the first scene is not doing it much justice. And to think its an indie title? A game out for my own nerd heart. After the show, I headed to YouTube and proceeded to replay the trailer back. Like three times...alright more like ten but who's counting? Take a look at this amazing title (coming out in August instead of June...boo) and you too will be amazed.

2. Mirrors Edge

A video created by EA and DICE about a free-running fugitive? Hmmm I don't know....whoa! Did she just tuck roll after leaping from a high building? Wait... now a zip-line?! Mix that all in with an intoxicating theme song and beautifully rendered (not to mention clean) landscape and you have Mirror's Edge. In my opinion, the game that reigned in the current generation's Xbox 360 and PS3 with a bang. I still get chills and nostalgic feels watching this trailer. Easily in my top five for best games I've played.

1. Gears of War

Before I begin this, I'd like to give this trailer and the cinematic sequels following it a huge standing ovation *claps furiously* 

Telling a story in a ten hour video game is tough enough. Gears of War's Mad World trailer did that and more. It spoke of the fall of humanity, the invasion of an alien race and depicted a lonely solider in his final fight for hope when all hope was lost. The background music was the final cherry on top for the feels fest. Anytime I hear this song on the radio, I flashback to how I felt when I saw this for the first time. So much emotion was stirred up in just 60 seconds. I'm not crying...you're crying! 

And that does it, folks. Do you agree with this list? Were there any I missed along the way? What was your favorite video game debut at E3? Let me know in the comment section below. Now if you will excuse me, I'll be playing back every trailer on this list. For research. Don't you judge me!

Violence With A Purpose

Violence in video games...I know. So revolutionary right? It seems like we revisit this topic time and time again like it were clockwork. Conservative types and parental units fear they turn precious youth into psychopathic, brainless murder machines. We gamers are hardly that dramatic. Let's face it. We're used to it.

And when I say "it" I am referring to both the gruesome nature of the game of choice and the constant criticism of our entertainment. Is it a bad thing? Is it terrible that we rush to our local game stores, preorder and wait in line during a midnight launch of Bloodborne knowing of the content prior to the experience? If I were to answer the question it would be a no. Actually, a "hell no!" There are several reasons mature titles are enjoyed by us all. 

Look at this painting below:

What do you see? Those with a myopic view will simply state "that painting is violent! Outrage!" Broaden your view, if you will. Take in the colors, the shading, the intricate detail and story this piece delivers to the viewer. That, in a nutshell, is the point I am trying to make here. Gamers see more than just the blood and gore and violence of the game; the predictable mass will parody one another's opinion and simply repeat the same simple statement, calling for bans and fines and censorship. 

Take the newest game to spark such controversy: Hatred. For those that don't know the game I am referring to, go ahead and Google it. I'll wait....ok fine. Here's a trailer of this polarizing title below. Warning...this video is very graphic:

Just to give a little background, let's take a step back and briefly explain the story of Hatred: A man is on a mission to kill everyone. Yup. That's it. It's not to save his wife from a kidnapper. It's not to enact revenge on a longtime foe. He just wants to kill. Everyone. Period. After this piece hit the interwebs, the floodgates burst open and soon everyone had an opinion. I'm sure you can guess who was for and against such an intense, dark game.

Scanning through the comments on forums and YouTube, it wasn't to my surprise that several people came out in droves to support the game. Many were excited something like this was created. But why? A man kills innocents and the boys in blue who's job it is to protect and serve the people. My answer is this: gamers live to protect the games they love. 

It wasn't too long ago that the Grand Theft Auto series fell into the same boat. With the famous line of "a game that depicts the violence against hookers women in games" went viral. Female groups, politicians and everyone in between began to voice strong opinions to remove the game from store shelves. Some were successful (Oh, Australia...tsk tsk tsk). However, it was the infamous "Hot Coffee" mini game gave San Andreas most of its negative press. It became the only GTA game to receive an AO rating. 

Since its June 1st release, all eyes have been on Hatred. The ESRB didn't hesitate to slap the AO rating on this one. And they are correct in doing so. Let me explain...I believe in freedom of expression. I played and still enjoy the Gears of War series, Mortal Kombat, Grand Theft Auto, Bioshock Infinite, Hotline Miami and The Last of Us. All have their fair share of violent content. Yet there is a big difference between these games mentioned and Hatred: the premise, story and characters.

I love games that have incredible dialogue, unforgettable characters and are story driven. The violence within takes a backseat to a world that plays with your emotions and makes you think about decisions you make. Hatred does not have any of that. Hatred is a game with a violent premise, story, character and environment (You "execute" innocent victims to regain health, for Pete's sake!). No pathos or ethos. No underdog or antihero sentiment. Just a game that wants to take the first amendment and stretch it as far as it possibly can.

Pardon my French, but this pisses me off.

And this is what the creators want. They want people up in arms for and against this title. It puts the spotlight on them; this creates a name for them. Yet this is the very thing that gives "violent video games" a bad name. Without answering the "why" for a character to carry out such sickening acts on unarmed innocent AI who beg for their lives, more crap gets shoveled on top of the gaming community. Having said that, if people want to pick this up and play it, do it. No one should stop those of age from wanting to enjoy this game.

I'll give you an example:

I hate mushrooms on pretty much everything. You name it. I hate them. A man, let's call him Jim (sorry to the Jims who read this) enjoys them on his pizza. Just because I think they are disgusting does not give me the right to slap the pizza out of his hand. It's his choice to eat it. "Protecting" him from the mushrooms he loves does him no good. Those that deny others from enjoying something they love for their own self righteous reasons are wrong. 

Will I play this game? Of course not. As I mentioned earlier in this post, it fails to meet my interest of an epic story, character development and sincere emotional string tugging. Its just a brute slaughtering folks for fun. The main appeal of the game is on shock value alone. Attacking civilians that are ill equipped to defend themselves is morbid in my eyes. Not my cup of tea. 

As I write this, the game is being enjoyed by thousands of gamers everywhere. For those that do, I just have this to say: please game responsibly. I do not ask that you share my opinions. I'm just a gamer defending what, at times, can't (or shouldn't) be defended.