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Although some cinematic trailers aren’t any kind of indicator of what a game will be like, a few companies have mastered the art of using trailers to capture the tone and mood of an upcoming project.
Although some cinematic trailers aren’t any kind of indicator of what a game will be like, a few companies have mastered the art of using trailers to capture the tone and mood of an upcoming project. But when n the realm of CG cinematic trailers, nobody does it better than Blizzard.
In the last twelve years, the powerhouse studio has developed a reputation of announcing games by revealing breathtaking cinematic trailers that appeal to both long-time fans of the company’s IPs and potential new customers. Although the last few games and their expansions have been announced with trailers that focus more on in-game footage ( like World of Warcraft: Legion ), the company still releases a top of the line cinematic trailer when each new product hits shelves.
And so, without further ado, here are our five favorite cinematic trailers from the modern era of Blizzard:
World of Warcraft: Opening Cinematic
No list of Blizzard cinematics would be complete without mention of the original World of Warcraft reveal trailer. In many ways, this is the trailer that kicked off the modern era of Blizzard gaming. The reveal trailer takes players back to Azeroth after Warcraft 3 and offers a brand-new perspective on the Warcraft setting. Aside from Trolls, just about every race and class get some love in this trailer.
The voice over narration perfectly sets up the conflict that the Horde and Alliance have remained locked in for the last ten years and by focusing on unnamed heroes, rather than icons of the Warcraft world, players are able to imagine themselves as the Orc warrior going berserk or the Dwarf hunter exploring the snowy mountains. Maybe it’s just nostalgia taking over, but we’re tempted to roll a new character every time the drums of war start beating in this trailer.
Next: Kung Fu Pandas?