The Best Video Game Trailers of 2015

This year has been filled with video games releases, each one accompanied by a plethora of trailers and marketing material. Here’s a look at some of the best video game trailers from this year, in no particular order.

Halo 5: Guardians Opening Cinematic

It’s no secret that Halo 5: Guardians had plenty of good content behind it leading up to launch, including a multiplayer beta last year and a sizable marketing campaign focusing on the truth behind Locke and Master Chief. But nothing beat the revealing of Halo 5’s opening cinematic — featuring Team Osiris dropping into a warzone filled with chaos.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands Reveal Trailer

Shown at the Electronics Entertainment Expo this year, Ghost Recon Wildlands teased the evolution of the franchise following Ghost Recon: Future Soldier; a promising open-world environment filled with objectives that players could tackle in a variety of ways. While it seems similar to Grand Theft Auto V’s online world from 2013, it showed plenty of gameplay focused in a more tactical environment — while Imagine Dragons echoed in the background.

For Honor World Premiere Trailer

Easily the biggest surprise from Ubisoft this year, For Honor premiered at the Electronics Entertainment Expo this year with soldiers clad in armor wielding swords and axes — and boy did it make a lasting impression. The game itself has been considered a risk by many gaming professionals; but with vikings, samurai, and medieval knights fighting each other? It’s certainly a trailer that presents a different take on competitive multiplayer more akin to Game of Thrones — and that’s a good thing.

Star Wars Battlefront Gameplay Launch Trailer

Everyone is familiar with Electronic Art’s acquisition of the exclusive license to make Star Wars games at this point, and Star Wars Battlefront is the spearhead of their lineup. Created by the same people who brought you Battlefield, Battlefront is one of the most highly anticipated games of this year and the launch trailer continued to feed the hype. Introducing many new heroes fighting across a variety of planets, the launch trailer is filled with the iconic Star Wars music and sounds — plus plenty of great one liners. There’s just something about Boba Fett saying, “that won’t happen again,” while over the sarlacc pit that gets me every time.

Fallout 4 Official Trailer

Fallout 4 has basically become a pop-culture movement at this point, with the developer Bethesda putting out tons of merchandise for fans, including Fallout Beer and Soda — and even if you aren’t a fan, there’s no denying that the reveal of Fallout 4 via the official trailer caused quite the stir. Opening with the traditional ‘Please Stand By’ screen accompanied by the Ink Spots’ “It’s All Over but the Crying,” the official trailer gave everyone a glimpse into the next evolution of post-apocalyptic gaming — and at Inverse, we’ve been enjoying it so far.

Mass Effect: Andromeda Official Announce Trailer

Even though we knew it was coming, the first trailer for the next installment of Mass Effect left us with more questions than answers — along with an entirely new direction for the franchise. Mass Effect: Andromeda’s announcement trailer introduced a new protagonist setting out to explore a variety of worlds beyond humanity’s reach — set to the western influence of Johnny Cash’s “Ghost Riders in the Sky”. While it didn’t feature any gameplay or explanation, it sure opened up plenty of discussions about where the series will take us next.

Final Fantasy VII - E3 2015 Trailer

Final Fantasy is one of the most respected franchises in the video game industry, branching over 25 years across nearly every console since 1987. For years crowds have waited to see a Final Fantasy VII remake premiere at E3, and this year they got their wish. Whether or not you agree on Final Fantasy VII being the victor of the remake debate, it’s going to be the first of the older games to be remade for the current generation of consoles — and it looks gorgeous.

Far Cry: Primal Reveal Trailer

While it may not have been as big of a surprise compared to For Honor, Ubisoft’s Far Cry Primal took a step in a very different, but appealing direction. Set in the Stone Age, Primal takes the Far Cry formula and flips it over entirely, removing all of the guns players are used to and replacing them with bows and spears. It’s going to be interesting to see how the game turns out, but the reveal trailer was another surprise that impressed this year with a great premise and fitting music.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Launch Cinematic

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is essentially the Game of Thrones for the video gaming industry; filled with blood, sex, controversial themes, and brutality. Launching earlier this year, the game was well-received by many and featured a large, detailed open-world to explore. Plus, it was accompanied by a fantastic cinematic launch trailer where Geralt takes on a very experienced vampire. It’s filled with themes from the past, emotions from the future and the various conflicts from the Witcher universe — all encompassed in a simple tale from a single night, a tone that exists throughout the entire game.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Launch Trailer

Possibly one of the most emotional trailers from this year, the launch trailer for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain echoed in the end of an era filled with Hideo Kojima. Edited by Kojima himself, the trailer reflects everything the franchise stood for, flashing back through every game in the franchise and touching on each of the characters we fell in love with over the years. It’s a beautiful tribute to a game franchise that we love — one with an interesting future ahead of it.