The Game Awards 2024 was stacked with trailers and reveals, but some stood out to me more than others and had me jumping aboard the hype train.
My general issues with The Game Awards notwithstanding (the lack of actual awards and focus on industry accomplishments), last night’s 10th annual presentation was absolutely packed. With big reveals, gameplay snippets, and even some release dates there was a lot for gamers to drool over. Some trailers, however, had me hooting and hollering more than others.
I don’t think I even have to mention Naughty Dog’s Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. I’m a fan of all their stuff, with Uncharted and The Last of Us being among my all time favorites. Seeing them dive into the science fiction genre is like a dream come true. I don’t think there’s any way I wouldn’t be hyped up for that. As such, I decided to give the spotlight to other titles:
Whether it was due to excitement over the reveal or just because they were impressively put together, here were my favorite trailers of the night:
Dying Light: The Beast
I’ve never played a frame of Dying Light before. Even so, the “Meet the Baron” trailer for the upcoming expansion, Dying Light: The Beast, had me completely locked in. From the action on display, to the pounding of the music driving the tension continually up, to the ominous rhetoric of the Baron as he spoke over it all…it’s just a damn fine trailer. It made me want to learn more and dive into this franchise, despite never having touched it before.
Turok: Origins
Within the first few seconds, as we saw the man and dinosaur running through the forest, I was intrigued. Everyone knows I’m a sucker for all things dinos, but with the focus on the tomahawk attached to the man’s hip…I felt a stirring in my chest. Without much other evidence, one name came to mind: Turok. I figured I was crazy, but lo and behold, we’re finally getting a new game in the franchise!
While I’m not big on co-op shooter games, there’s no way I can pass up on the chance to play a Native hunting down dinosaurs. I mean, that’s a game/franchise made specifically for me! I was on my feet and fist-pumping the air at this one.
Ōkami Sequel
More than just the fact we’re getting a new Ōkami game, this announcement trailer is just really damn good. Mostly because it knows exactly how to build up to the big reveal. They know it’s a game people have been wanting, and a genuine surprise to many, and it leans into that.
Watching the trailer initially, I was captivated with the art style. It begins subtly, and I remember thinking to myself, “I don’t know what this is, but it looks gorgeous,” before that morphed into, “wow, this feels really sleek and reminds me of something.” But as the sun rises and the radiant white wolf blazes a burning trail through the grass, the awe turned to, “holy shit it’s Ōkami!”
Coming in at just a minute long, the trailer itself feels like a revelatory journey. Exactly the kind of thoughtful approach gamers would expect from the classic game, while also expertly playing on the emotions these reveals can elicit.
Crimson Desert
To be entirely honest, I kinda forgot Crimson Desert was even a thing! Thankfully, the all new trailer (which also gave players a Summer release window) whipped enough ass to bring it all back. Not only does it serve as a great reminder of the upcoming game, it just looks all kinds of impressive.
Beyond the intensity of the action, I was enamored with all the fantasy/Sci-Fi worldbuilding elements on display. There’s a specific moment where the shift into hype happened for me, even though it’s a relatively smaller one. We see Kliff walking the streets of a city, surrounding by colorful citizens and these giant walking things of armor…It made me want to simply exist in that world and take in all the wonders around me. Top that off with some flying dragon combat, and I’m completely sold.
Game of Thrones: The Kingsroad
Yes, I’m still an absolute sucker for Game of Thrones stuff. We can talk about disappointing final seasons all we want, but there’s no denying the insane hold that show had on everyone for years. It’s still a phenonemal overall story and the amount of people sucked into House of the Dragon (myself included) makes it clear Westeros is still a hot commodity.
As such, I was THRILLED when this trailer popped up during The Game Awards. I legit hollered out loud when I saw Jon Snow back on the screen. I know it’s from Netmarble and being developed mostly as a mobile title, but getting a fresh story with action-RPG mechanics and seeing my favorite characters return is enough to get my excitement going.
There was definitely no shortage of impressive trailers last night, but these are the ones I found myself thinking about/returning to this morning. What were your favorites from last night?
