With each passing year, game trailers seem to leap forward in terms of style, presentation, and emotional weight. Whether it's with a teaser to introduce a new game, a cinematic to unveil some plot points and characters, or a gameplay trailer to showcase new technology; trailers have the opportunity to get the industry buzzing about upcoming titles.
2019 turned out to be a year full of surprise game reveals and updates on projects that have been in the pipeline for a long time, so there were a ton of great trailers dropped throughout the year. Now that the year is coming to an end, it's the perfect time to look back at all of the trailers dropped at E3, BlizzCon, Toyko Game Show, and every Nintendo and PlayStation direct press conference and determine which ones stand out as the best of the year.
Keep in mind that these rankings are not based on most views or the success of the games they were promoting. These are the game trailers that stuck with us the most throughout the year and offered the most compelling content to get Game Rant excited about the games they are promoting...
Ghostwire Tokyo Teaser
The next major project from Shinji Mikami and Tango Gameworks was revealed by Bethesda's at its E3 2019 conference. Ghostwire: Tokyo was revealed with a stylish CG trailer that showed off a futuristic-looking Japan where many of its citizens have vanished into thin air. Viewers can also see a few horror elements mixed in with what appear to be supernatural beings going up against the main character who wields a bow and has access to abilities. Little is known about the game, but the trailer definitely got the hype train started.
The Last of Us 2 (Joel reveal trailer)
Not only did this trailer event give fans a first look at gameplay, but Naughty Dog and PlayStation finally showed off Joel in the game. The beloved character has aged to look a fair bit more like a grandfather than he did in the last entry. However, it is a bit strange that Ellie simply happens across him in the wasteland, and many fans are still speculating that he is just a figment of her imagination. The Last of Us Part 2 is supposed to be larger than many thought possible, which is an exciting possibility and the trailer definitely teases that massive world that players are going to explore.
Halo Infinite: Discover Hope Trailer
An easy contender for Microsoft's biggest game for 2020, Halo: Infinite, returned to E3 this past summer and received a featured spot at the very end of its annual press conference. The new cinematic footage was more story-centric than the prior year's atmospheric tease and revealed an unnamed UNSC pilot discovering Master Chief floating in space. After reviving the iconic hero, a mysterious yellow lightning strikes the USNC Pelican, prompting Master Chief to grab a gun and jump out of the ship. For fans wanting more, Microsoft is essentially putting Halo Infinite back on ice until E3 2020 ahead of its holiday 2020 launch on Project Scarlett. We'll be ready for the next update whenever it arrives over the summer.
Cyberpunk 2077 E3 Trailer
One of the biggest, if not the biggest game at E3 2019, was CD Projekt RED's ambitious open world title, Cyberpunk 2077. The CG trailer introduced fans to the male version of V, showed off lots of newer story elements and plot points, and finally gave fans what they want: An actual release date for the game. With one of the biggest questions about the title answered, the studio could've stopped there. Instead, it upped the ante even further by announcing the inclusion of Johnny Silverhand played by none other than Keanu Reeves.
Marvel's Avengers A-Day Trailer
Perhaps the biggest title fans were anticipating from Square Enix at E3 2019 was Marvel's Avengers. While this game had been previously announced with a dark and ominous teaser, nearly nothing had been shown before this year's event. The E3 2019 trailer gave fans their first look at the game and its five starting heroes: Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, and Black Widow (Ms. Marvel wasn't confirmed until later). As the trailer reveals, a celebration turns deadly, splitting up the team until five years later when new threats force them to reassemble.
Final Fantasy 7 New Cinematic and Gameplay
At the beginning of the Square Enix E3 2019 presentation, fans received a very long glimpse at the Final Fantasy 7 Remake. A lengthy trailer also provided another glimpse at the game including the new combat mechanics, boss battles, and previously unrevealed characters like Tifa Lockhart and Sephiroth. The trailer helped win over many fans who were worried about the game's lengthy development cycle and phased roll out plans.
Breath of the Wild 2 E3 2019 Reveal
It's no secret that Nintendo likes to keep its cards close to its vest when it comes to projects that are early in development. However, the big N made a very surprising reveal at the very end of its E3 2019 Direct by showing some teaser footage for a sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The footage shows Link and Zelda exploring a dungeon below Hyrule Castle and the pair run into a reanimated corpse that could be a familiar old foe... There's still no word on when this title will arrive, but the trailer did a great job sparking discussion and hype for the title.
Diablo 4 BlizzCon Cinematic
Blizzard revealed Diablo 4 with a very lengthy cinematic that puts the spotlight on the game's main villains and the return to a dark, gothic-inspired tone. In the cinematic trailer, fans witness the villain Lilith summoned, complete with Satantic horns and what appears to be a huge (and disgusting) cape made out of human skin.
World of Warcraft Shadowlands Cinematic
World of Warcraft lead Ion announced the WoW: Shadowlands expansion with an incredible new cinematic trailer at BlizzCon 2019. The lengthly cinematic continues the story established in BfA and focuses on World of Warcraft lore. It depicts an encounter between Sylvanas, who has traveled to Icecrown, and the current Lich King, Bolvar. Sylvanas arrives at Icecrown in pursuit of something much more nefarious than just claiming the throne for herself though. The trailer's twist ending sparked a ton of debate on the internet and in the WoW community.
Overwatch 2 Cinematic Trailer
Similar to Diablo 4, the Overwatch 2 reveal trailer plays out like a short TV episode or movie, more so than a traditional hype trailer. The Overwatch 2 Zero Hour cinematic features Winston, Tracer, and Mei going on a mission in Paris after Winston's Overwatch Recall initiative. The three of them attempt to fight Null Sector robots, but they eventually become overwhelmed.
Winston makes a move to sacrifice himself so that Mei and Tracer can escape with their lives, only for Genji, Reinhardt, Mercy, and Brigitte to show up and save them at the last minute. Presumable new hero Echo can also be seen in the cinematic.
Honorable Mention: Elden Ring Teaser
The Elden Ring trailer provides next to no information about the upcoming collaboration between George R.R. Martin, the writer of the A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy books series, and FromSoftware, developers of the Dark Souls franchise, Bloodborne, and Sekiro, but that didn't stop it from being one of the most talked about announcements at E3 2019. Fans of FromSoftware loved the teaser and seem to be ready for the next punishing adventure from the developer.
Honorable Mention: Deathloop
Having gone quiet since the release of their last big titles, Dishonored 2 and Death of the Outsider, Arkane Studios returned this year to premiere the first trailer for its newest IP called Deathloop. The stylish and action-heavy trailer reveals two characters who appear to be in constant conflict with one another in a never-ending loop on Blackreef island.
As 2019 wraps up, there's no denying that this has been an incredible year for both games and for game trailers. It's exciting to speculate about what 2020 will bring to the table and we're already looking forward to what trailers will arrive as the launch of next-gen consoles rapidly approaches.