2019 has been a year full of great game reveals and trailers that had some fans ready to immediately empty their wallets. We covered the best pre-E3 trailers before the summer, but in these post-E3 months at the end of the year, there are many more contenders. Here are some of the very best.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Sequel
Starting off this list is one of the biggest trailers of the year. The Zelda franchise doesn’t exactly do direct sequels too often, so this end-of-E3 trailer came as a surprise in many ways.
From the much darker tone, to the possible (inevitable) reviving of Ganon, this trailer had a lot to show in just a minute and a half.
Tons of players are eagerly awaiting their chance to see how the sequel changes up this version of Hyrule. Zelda fans, please join me in keeping your fingers crossed for a playable princess Zelda, and a few improved dungeons.
Elden Ring
Another one of the best game trailers of 2019 is the reveal of Elden Ring. It’s purely cinematic, but the ominous voiceover, striking visuals, and accompanying music all work together perfectly.
Honestly, seeing FromSoftware’s name alone is enough to get most people to shell out money for a pre-order these days.
For some, the decision to spend money is made even easier by the fact that FromSoftware president, Hidetaka Miyazaki, and George R.R. Martin collaborated to create the world for this new IP.
Deathloop
If you’re the kind of person who recognizes familiar voices in video games, then Deathloop’s trailer made you stop, look, and listen within its first 20 seconds thanks to Dave Fennoy.
If that didn’t grab your attention, you should know that Arkane Studios is the developer. If the Dishonored devs don’t grab your attention, then the trailer’s concept of two characters clashing in a never-ending time loop will.
If you’re still stone-faced after all of this information, just move on to the next trailer because I don’t know what to tell you.
12 Minutes
12 Minutes hasn’t been talked about or seen much since its E3 reveal, so here’s a reminder that this game’s trailer was one of the best of 2019. And what a surprise, it’s another game with a time loop.
You play as a husband who must solve a murder mystery while stuck in a 12-minute time loop. That fact isn’t immediately apparent from the beginning of the trailer, but the build up to the time reset is full of suspense.
The sense of urgency and tense atmosphere will make you want to get your hands on the game to play through it as soon as possible.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Next up on the list of best game trailers of the year is Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. This announcement came out of nowhere, and the best announcements are the ones that nobody sees coming.
The trailer came at the tail end of the Xbox Series X reveal. It was stated to have been captured in-engine using the new hardware, but it was hard to tell exactly what Hellblade II’s trailer was for at first.
However, as soon as Senua showed up and the unnerving chanting started, it was impossible to look away.
Phantasy Star Online 2
It’s hard to believe that this is a trailer for a game that initially came out back in 2012. It’s even harder to believe that it actually ended up getting localized, and is coming to the West for the first time in spring 2020.
As a Tales of Vesperia fan who had to wait 10 years for a localization, I feel for Phantasy Star players. Your patience was rewarded during E3 with this trailer.
On top of that, sign-ups have just opened up for the Phantasy Star Online 2 closed beta. If you can’t wait a few more months for the official launch, now’s your chance to play the game a bit early.
No More Heroes III
If you watched The Game Awards, you may remember that the version of “The Return” shown during the event wasn’t the full one. That version would’ve still made the list, and this one just cements its place.
No More Heroes III goes for a huge fake out by passing as some sort of Saturday morning cartoon for the majority of the trailer. Travis Touchdown is only seen at the very end, but it’s interesting enough to keep watching all the way through, even without him.
How will this bizarrely intriguing trailer tie in to No More Heroes III? Fans are on the edge of their seats waiting to find out.
Katana Zero
Katana Zero actually had another trailer that could’ve been on this list for its insane action alone, but this launch trailer went in a different direction by setting a more captivating mood and tone.
The slow musical build and more story-focused visuals make you not only want to slice up enemies, but also know why you’re doing so.
Katana Zero is Devolver Digital’s second fastest selling Switch game. That’s thanks, in part, to the game having one of the best trailers of the year.
The Last of Us Part II
Naughty Dog teased that The Last of Us Part II would make an appearance in PlayStation’s State of Play in September, and they definitely delivered.
This trailer gave us our first good look at Joel, and still, the fandom can’t decide whether he’s really there or not. It also set a release date that was changed a month later, but the hype of the moment still remains.
If this trailer isn’t enough to hold you over until the new release date (it probably isn’t), then you can listen to the team provide even more details.
Cyberpunk 2077
If you told me a year ago that Keanu Reeves would be in a trailer for Cyberpunk 2077, then walk on stage at E3 2019 to talk about the game, I’d have probably laughed and thanked you for the joke.
What came as perhaps an even bigger surprise, is that this cinematic trailer even shows the death of a character that was introduced in previous ones.
There’s still so much about Cyberpunk’s world that hasn’t been seen yet, so each new look just builds more and more anticipation.
Apex Legends
Apex Legends dropped on the same day that it was revealed, and this launch trailer was the first thing most people saw. It was an instant attention-grabber with its eye-catching art style and humorous banter between the characters.
First impressions mean a lot, and around 1 million players would most likely agree that this trailer certainly delivered.
Months later, Apex Legends has had itself a praiseworthy year. It launched in a genre that was slowly being taken over by Fortnite, stood its ground, and won Best Multiplayer Game of 2019 at The Game Awards.
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Several of the entries on this list have multiple trailers that could be considered to be among the best of 2019. Final Fantasy VII Remake is no exception.
This one was chosen because of the excitement behind the Tifa reveal, despite some complaints over her new design.
Seeing Tifa fight alongside the rest of the party for the first time in the remake makes this a must-see trailer for any Final Fantasy VII fan.
Halo Infinite
It’s not shocking to see Halo at a Microsoft conference, but so little had been seen of Halo Infinite prior to this trailer. In fact, the game only has one other trailer, and it was released over a year ago.
This one still doesn’t show very much, but at the very least, we get to see Infinite’s Master Chief for the first time.
Thanks to clever Halo fan, Xepyal, we also got to listen to a secret audio message that was hidden within this trailer, making it even better than it already was.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Every single Ori and the Will of the Wisps trailer from 2017 onward could land on these annual trailer lists for their visuals alone. One look at this game and I’m sure most anyone would agree.
This Ori trailer shows off more than just a beautiful art style though. It focuses mostly on combat and traversal, which weren’t focal points for the previous Ori sequel videos.
This trailer is only a minute long, yet it’s able to show the viewer everything they need to see while leaving them wanting so much more.
Borderlands 3
Last, but not least, is this cinematic trailer for Borderlands 3. The only thing more important than finding rare loot in these games may just be the Vault Hunters themselves.
This trailer gave us our first quick look at them in action. Even without gameplay, the video introduces the playable characters while giving glimpses of their respective abilities set to the beat of a catchy track.
There are many, many more trailers out there that were dropped throughout the year. We couldn’t list them all, but let us know if we missed any of your favorites!
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