Games We Fell in Love With Because of Their Trailers

16 September 2025

Let’s be honest—sometimes it’s not gameplay, reviews, or fan hype that gets us to fall for a game. Sometimes, it’s just a killer trailer. You’re scrolling through YouTube, maybe not even looking for anything specific, and BAM—there it is. A trailer that grabs your attention, punches you in the guts (in the best way), and gets your heart racing.

Those cinematic moments, those haunting melodies, those goosebump-inducing voiceovers—they stick. In fact, we’ve all been there: obsessing over a game we didn’t even know existed five minutes ago… all thanks to one perfectly crafted trailer.

So, in this article, we’re going to dive deep into those unforgettable moments where the trailer sold the dream. We're talking about the games we didn't just want to play—we needed to play. Whether the final product lived up to the hype or not, these are the games we initially fell in love with because of their trailers.

1. Dead Island – The Reverse-Time Trailer That Broke Us

Let’s start with a gut-puncher. Remember that Dead Island trailer? Yeah, the one with the little girl falling through the hotel window—in reverse.

This trailer made waves not just in the gaming scene but in the entire entertainment industry. Filmed like a short movie, it played out a zombie attack backwards, ending with a quiet, peaceful moment that instantly turned tragic. No gameplay. No UI. Just raw, emotional storytelling.

You didn’t have to be a zombie fan to feel something. The haunting piano score and slow-motion visuals added layers of depth rarely seen in game marketing. And the twist? A brutal wake-up call to just how unpredictable and violent survival can be.

Sure, the final game was more action-comedy than heart-wrenching drama. But that trailer? It became legendary.

2. Cyberpunk 2077 – Style, Hype, and Keanu Reeves

Ah yes, Cyberpunk 2077. The game that practically wrote the book on pre-launch hype. And where did it all begin? With that ultra-stylized cinematic reveal trailer back in 2013.

You've got a futuristic city, a rogue cyborg woman, exploding bullets freezing mid-air—it's all dripping with style. The trailer gave us no release date, no gameplay, just a wicked vibe that screamed, “This is going to change gaming.”

Fast-forward to E3 2019 and...

“YOU’RE BREATHTAKING!”

Enter Keanu Reeves. Suddenly, Cyberpunk wasn’t just a game—it was a cultural moment. The newer trailer threw in dramatic world-building, slick editing, and a mic-drop reveal that Johnny Silverhand (Keanu) would be your companion. What more could you ask for?

Did the game stumble at launch? Sure. But no one can deny the trailers were absolute fire.

3. The Last of Us Part II – Brutal, Beautiful, and Bold

When Naughty Dog dropped the The Last of Us Part II trailer at PSX 2016, jaws hit floors. We saw Ellie strumming a guitar with bloodied knuckles while Joel walked through the door like a ghost from the past.

With just a few quiet moments—and Ellie’s haunting rendition of "Through the Valley"—the trailer said everything. It was darker, more personal, and more curved toward vengeance than the first game. The slow pace built tension like a thriller movie, and you KNEW something big was brewing.

What followed were more trailers that doubled down on the brutality, making sure you understood—this wasn’t a game about hope anymore. It was about pain, choice, and consequence.

The marketing was so effective, it divided communities... before the game was even out.

4. Assassin’s Creed – The One That Started It All

There was a time when Assassin’s Creed was brand new—before Ezio fever, before time-jumping shenanigans, before it became a sprawling franchise.

That first trailer? Pure magic. It introduced Altair in a mysterious medieval city, leaping from rooftops, sneaking through crowds, pulling off a dramatic assassination—all cut to atmospheric music with zero dialogue. It was like a secret whispered just to you.

The vibe was fresh, mysterious, and totally different from anything else Ubisoft had done. It wasn’t an action game; it was an experience. You weren’t just supposed to play it—you were supposed to feel it.

And yeah, maybe the first game didn’t fully deliver on that promise. But the trailer? It set expectations sky-high.

5. Halo 3 – “Finish the Fight”

The Halo 3 campaign was more than just marketing—it was a masterclass.

At the center of it all? That iconic “Believe” trailer. A slow pan through a massive diorama battlefield, with voices of soldiers reminiscing about the war. You see Master Chief frozen in action—a silent guardian, mid-battle, ready to strike.

Even without flashy battles or live-action scenes, this trailer hit hard. It felt like a eulogy. A tribute. A legend being born (or finished).

It wasn’t just hype—it was reverence. And if you’re a Halo fan, don’t lie—you teared up a little.

6. Bioshock Infinite – That Floating City of Dreams

The moment we saw Columbia, the flying city in Bioshock Infinite, we knew we were in for something special.

The initial trailer showed off a bright, sunlit world of 1912 Americana floating above the clouds. But then, things got weird. A girl with creepy powers. Mechanical monstrosities. Skyline rails that looked like theme park rides turned deadly.

It was utopia meets nightmare, and it shouldn’t have worked—but it totally did.

That trailer blended action, mystery, and world-building perfectly. And yeah, the actual game had a few differences. But it still took us on a wild ride—thanks to that dreamlike slice of trailer magic.

7. Destiny – You Had Us at Space Magic

When Destiny first appeared, it felt like Bungie was taking Halo and turning the dial to 11. The trailers showcased fireteams landing on alien planets, donning slick armor, blasting enemies with glowing guns, and unleashing space magic like they were Jedi with better fashion.

Oh, and the narration? Gave me chills.

“We called it the Traveler, and its arrival changed us forever...”

Goosebumps. Still get them.

Even though the launch version had some issues (lookin’ at you, vanilla Destiny), the trailers sold us a sci-fi MMO FPS fantasy that we had to be part of.

8. Metal Gear Solid V – A Phantom Not Easily Forgotten

You know a trailer’s something else when it makes people scream at their monitors.

The Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain trailer dropped at E3 2013, and it felt like a fever dream. Horses on fire. Skull masked soldiers. Wounded bodies in slow-mo ballet. And that haunting song, “Sins of the Father”? Straight chills.

It was cinematic chaos, wrapped in a riddle. We didn’t know what it all meant—but we needed to.

Kojima’s trailers have always been top-notch, but this one? This was art. It made the hype for MGSV real, even if the final story left some fans divided.

9. No Man’s Sky – The Galactic Dream That Hooked Us

The initial No Man’s Sky trailer looked like a dream in hi-def.

An explorer walking through alien landscapes. Huge brontosaurus-like creatures grazing under pink skies. Ships launching to space in real-time, no loading screens. Planets with their own ecosystems, each waiting to be discovered.

It was magic. Pure and simple.

And yeah, we all know how the launch went—hello disappointment. But that trailer? It’s the reason millions of us were even there to be disappointed. It promised the stars, and even if the game took a while to get there, the trailer inspired wonder.

10. Star Wars: The Old Republic – Better Than The Prequels?

Let’s end on a banger.

Star Wars: The Old Republic has some of the best trailers in gaming history. Period. The cinematic intros? Literal short films. Especially the “Deceived” trailer where Darth Malgus storms the Jedi temple.

Lightsabers clashing, Force powers flying, orchestral Star Wars music swelling—it felt bigger than some of the actual movies.

These trailers didn’t just sell a game. They sold an era. A galaxy in chaos. A war that felt raw and personal.

And while the MMO had its ups and downs, the trailers? Legendary.

So, Why Do Trailers Hit So Hard?

Trailers are our first kiss with a game. They don't have to be loyal, or even realistic—they just have to spark something. Emotion. Promise. Mystery.

They’re like Tinder profiles for games. Sometimes the date doesn’t live up to the profile pic, but that doesn’t mean you regret swiping right.

And when it works? When the game not only lives up to the trailer but builds on it? That’s when magic happens.

Final Thoughts

Gaming trailers are a form of art. From emotional storytelling to orchestrating full-blown adrenaline rushes, they’ve convinced us to buy, play, stream, and even cry. They’ve made us fans long before the disks hit our consoles or the download bars hit 100%.

Sure, some trailers overpromise. Others capture lightning in a bottle. Either way, they’ve earned their place in gaming history.

So next time you’re watching a new game trailer, ask yourself: Is this just hype, or is this the beginning of a new love story?