My Top 10 Game trailers, teasers and Intros

A good game introduction or teaser (in a lot of cases) usually sets the tone for a game, or an upcoming title still in progress. I love intros and teasers. They tend to give you a good feel for what to expect story and gameplay wise. Although CG teasers are not an accurate representation of what to expect from the gameplay, they are still vital for the immersion and entertainment factor. 

With that in mind, I present to you my Top 10 game trailers, teasers and intros (CG & Gameplay included). They are not ranked in order of preference, however the number 1 game intro on the list clearly deserves that spot. It is still my best game intro, and I'm yet to come across another than can topple it. I've watched it that many times, I know every sound effect and dialogue down to the Japanese Pronunciations (and each time I do watch it, it still has the same "wow" effect on me) I believe "EPIC" is the word . . . .

1) Onimusha 3: Demon Siege Intro (PS2): My undisputed number 1 game intro of all time. This was enough to make me purchase the game (even though Samanusoke Akechi was incapable of performing those moves in real time). An excellent intro by a CG team known as 'Robot'. 

2) White Knight Chronicles (Cinematic Trailer) (PS3): I never paid attention WKC until I saw this particular cinematic trailer. There was a certain climax to the trailer and this was augmented by the fantastic soundtrack. Brilliant stuff. 

3) Lost Odyssey TGS Trailer 2006 (XBOX 360): A few years back (when I was still undecided as to what console to purchase), I remember being so compelled by this trailer, I almost bought an XBOX 360 Just to play the game. Bear in mind I suck at RPG's.

4) Ninja Gaiden TGS 2003 trailer (XBOX): A trailer from my favourite action adventure game. Enough said :)

5) Rockstar Games Presents: Table Tennis (trailer) (XBOX 360): A short trailer of a game I usually wouldn't give much attention to. It was a well produced trailer with a catchy soundtrack to accompany it. 

6) Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Trailer (PS3, XBOX 360): A brilliant trailer from Konami's action adventure game.

7)  God of war 3 official teaser trailer (PS3): What can I say ? A fantastic mouth watering trailer composed entirely of in-game graphics and assets. The EPIC God Killing Son of a B*tch Kratos did it again. 

8) Tekken 5 Intro (PS2): Another very good intro.

9) Virtua Fighter 4 intro (PS2): Watching this brings back sweet memories :) I shed a tear :(

10) Shenmue trailer (DreamCast): SEGA, please bring this game back, A remake of Shenmue 1&2 and Shenmue 3 will bring the gaming industry to its knees.

Bonus Trailers/intro's that didn't make the Top 10 but are still worth mentioning:

11) Killzone 2 intro (PS3): A well produced solid intro.

12) Fahrenheit intro (PS2, XBOX, PC): 

13) Resident Evil 4 trailer (PS2, Game Cube):

14) Virtua Fighter 5 AOU Final Showdown (Arcade): SEGA, we still have faith in you :)

What are your thoughts ? I'd love to know what game trailers and intro's got your mouths watering. Feel free to comment/suggest. 

Many Thanks
Shadow Master

Fahrenheit: A Quick retrospective . . .

Fahrenheit (2005: PS2, XBOX, PC)

Many of you might remember Fahrenheit (known as Indigo Prophecy in North America). On the other hand, a lot of you might have never come across it at all (or even heard of it). I count myself lucky enough to have experienced this truly cinematic and immersive game. In my most humble opinion, it is definitely one of those games that deserved a sequel (or even prequel). Saying that, Fahrenheit wasn't without it's faults. But those faults can be forgiven to a certain degree seeing as majority of the game was spectacular, the dialogue was well thought out and the action as well as suspense had me at the edge of my seat. Funnily enough, I actually purchased the PS2 version of Fahrenheit and played it on my " Phat " backward compatible 60 gb PS3 (now sadly deceased due to a drive failure).

Fahrenheit was developed by Quantic Dream (makers of the excellent 'Heavy Rain') and was released in September 2005 (PC, XBOX, and PS2). It was manufactured and marketed by Atari Europe and has sold 700,000 copies worldwide till date.  I vividly remember walking into various game stores, stopping and staring at the box art and not really not having the will to make any further inquiries about the game. I think the blood soaked dagger and open palms intrigued me initially. In fact I remember on one occasion, I picked the DVD case up and read the game synopsis at the back cover and thought " Most likely another boring game trying too hard . . a definite time waster " . . . . Don't worry, I ate those words eventually.

Fahrenheit revolves around Lucas Kane, and the predicament he finds himself in, when he strangely falls into a trance and murders a man in the restroom of an East Side diner in New York. The unexplained event puts Lucas in a cat and mouse game with the police, and he constantly has to stay ahead and think on his feet to stay alive. Other unexplained events and  murders occur, and Lucas plagued with these strange visions is determined to find out what exactly is going on. Two other integral characters to the story are Inspector Carla Valenti and agent Tyler Miles (both of which you control at some point in the game).

What made Fahrenheit such an unforgettable experience is the overall atmosphere the game was able to maintain, while allowing the player create a connection with the main characters  with such ease. You don't ask to be sucked in, but it's almost guaranteed you will be. Not only is your attention on a constant lock down, you are kept guessing and wondering what could happen next. The story and character development were also noteworthy. It was and still is a true interactive cinematic experience. There was an overall gloom to the atmosphere, rather cold, chilling and somewhat downbeat and even the soundtracks reflected that. I enjoyed the game soundtrack that much, I had to download (via amazon MP3 I might add) Martina Topley Birds " Sandpaper Kisses " and Patrice Rushens " Hang it up ".  Ok . . . the track " Hang it up " is an upbeat departure from the rest of the games soundtracks, but that is an exception, which I might add was suitable for the portion of the game it accompanied. I choose not to delve any further into the games plot (I'm assuming some of you might have no played it yet), but I must mention that it was a joy controlling Carla Valenti and Tyler Miles. I was pleasantly surprised that their portions of the game weren't just shoved in for good measure. They actually contributed significantly to the games progression. Each of these differing perspectives converge at one point. Even when the main character (Lucas) was unavailable, I found that the game just as enjoyable and intriguing. There was still a sense of purpose. A bit of role play there as well (not the bedroom type). Each of these main characters had their varying personalities that made them distinguishable, and I think that is what made things rather interesting. Even the dialogue between characters in the game wasn't there for filler purposes. Every single sentence uttered by any of the characters in the game was significant. You couldn't possibly miss it. There are other characters in the game I have chosen not to mention. I will leave that to your curiosity.

Notable gameplay mechanics include the use of a mood meter, QTE's (Quick Timer Events),  basic decision making options (wrong decisions could land you a quick game over), basic decision making options via conversations e.t.c. These are but a few. The decision making options in the game could have been an attempt to avoid an overly linear experience. Furthermore, these basic decisions had to be implemented because they complemented the overall structure and progression of the game. Giving far too many options could have potentially diluted the story and immersion the developers were aiming for. On the other hand, it could have also made for a much deeper and accomplished game if implemented properly. The rooftop fight, basketball scene, police chase, Lucas's flat (a particular incident comes to mind), sparring scene e.t.c. are only few of the memorable experiences . . . 


Even with all the praise bestowed upon this game, it isn't without its faults. I think the main problem I had with Fahrenheit was the rather nonsensical and disappointing ending. It was weak and definitely left a sour taste in my mouth. I guess the disappointment came from having to accept such a poorly thought out ending after such an exhilarating roller coaster ride. It was obviously rushed (budget or time ?) and quite frankly, it is the only bad thing I can say about this game. Those of you who have played it might be able to relate to this, but for those of you who haven't, dont give up just yet. I was left wanting, but there is forgiveness in me.


I would like to use this as an opportunity to congratulate Quantic Dream. They almost gave birth to a masterpiece, and the negative points mentioned should not put any one off the game. Anyone remotely interested in story driven experiences NEEDS to play Fahrenheit. It is something I am confident you wont regret. If you don't have your last generation consoles any longer, you can always pick it up quite cheap on PC. Fahrenheit is an example of a game we don't experience too often in the present generation of consoles, and it is definitely among the forgotten genres/games. I hope maybe one day Quantic Dream could make a sequel ? or even do a remake with a much better ending ? Or, Just what if Fahrenheit was treated to a HD remake with PlayStation Move support, and was bundled on a Blu-ray disk with heavy rain ? That would be a dream come true . . . But a part of me thinks all this merely wishful thinking . . . .


Your thoughts ?
Many thanks
Shadow Master

Lucas Kane

Tyler Miles

Carla Valenti

Before I forget, the Fahrenheit Trailer :) Enjoy . . . .