Dead Island’s 2011 reveal is still the best game trailer of all time

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I love video game trailers. While I don’t believe they are an integral part of a game’s success (especially these days), there’s something about a well-produced trailer that really just reminds me why I like video games.

There have been some great ones throughout the years that could contend for “the best” in my eyes. Kingdom Hearts’ original North American trailer sticks out for its iconic use of the song Simply and Clean by Hikaru Utada.

Josh points out Halo 3’s “Believe” campaign as a contender, as well. Then there is the 2018 Smash Bros. trailer, Everyone is here!, that just makes my little gamer soul happy.

Those are all great trailers, no doubt, but the one that I have gone back to multiple times throughout the years and never fails to produce an emotional response is Dead Island’s original 2011 trailer. If you need a refresher, check it out below.

The Dead Island trailer just hit all the right notes. It starts with some hauntingly beautiful piano and violin before revealing a dead child lying in the grass. Then, as soon as your mind processes that, zombie snarls cut through the music, before throwing you into a reversed montage of the events that led to the child lying in the grass.

The editing was truly top-notched. You get a reverse trailer of what led the girl to her demise intertwined with what happened initially. You can feel the parents’ emotions as they fend off zombies from their recently-bitten daughter.

The desperation is of the family is palpable. Then, it ends with a happy family waving at the camera while on a picture-perfect vacation. It truly runs viewers through a gauntlet of emotions.

It’s just… perfect. Over a decade later, the graphics are obviously not quite up to par with today’s offerings, and the trailer didn’t really represent how Dead Island actually felt to play, but that’s all beside the point. The trailer captured my interest immediately and still sticks with me today.

Have any thoughts on this? What are your favorite game trailers? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.