Trailer Watch 15th May 2013: Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Pokemon X and Y, Hellraid

There has been an inevitable lull in trailers this week, what with Microsoft’s XBox announcement/conference next Tuesday.  That being said there are still some pretty interesting things coming out soon some of which have trailers worth watching.

Techland are known for their ridiculously brilliant trailers.  The announcement trailer for Dead Rising was brutal, in all of the right ways.  It’s a shame that the game barely registered above a resigned ‘meh’.  It’s refreshing, then, to see them announce their new game with what appears to be 100% gampelay. Oh and the goofiest name for a game you’ve ever heard.  Hellraid

Honestly, this game looks interesting.  The combat looks like a healthy mix between the fast paced action of Skyrim and the free-form combat (aka the only really good thing) from Dead Island.  From games about hanging around in hell to games that can easily become your own.  Pokemon X and Y.

Ah yes, Pokemon, the trailer shows some pretty big steps for the franchise, the full 3D third person view finally taking over from the isometric from previous games and although the battle animations still look sub-par by today’s standards, they are leaps and bounds better than anything else in the series.  Initially I sighed heavily before watching this trailer but this seems like a real step in the right direction and in modernizing the games.  This may very well end up bringing my 3DS out of retirement.

Lastly, it’s Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

The Assassin’s Creed games have tapered off in recent years.  I can’t help but feel like they peaked early in the now annual cycle with Brotherhood.  Revelations felt like a slog and too much of the same to justify the third consecutive game about Ezio.  To the point where Assassin’s Creed III is still sitting, in it’s magnificent collector’s edition box, on top of a cupboard in my living room.  It’s going to take a lot to bring me back to the series at this point.  This trailer didn’t really excite me in the way I eagerly anticipated news of the next game.  Annual release cycles work for sim games; to an extent they work for multi-player focused games.  But for story driven action adventure games? Sorry, but no.  I’d rather wait until 2014 or even 2015, let the new consoles get rooted and THEN release a new game in the franchise.