10 CLASSIC Video Game Commercials That Were Peak
2. Gears of War
Gears of War's teaser opens with a bulky soldier armed with a chainsaw gun, navigating through an abandoned city. While he roams through the crumbling streets and looks at the dilapidated structures, the burly protagonist encounters a colossal alien. As he fires his futuristic firearm at the creature, the screen abruptly cuts to black.
Even though there's no dialogue or sound effects, the minute-long footage has been seared in many gamers' minds, primarily because of the choice of music. Based on the cartoonishly sized hero and gritty aesthetic, you'd expect the trailer to contain an aggressive and explosive soundtrack (which was standard for action titles at the time).
Instead, the marketing team went in the opposite direction, having Gary Jules' Mad World play from beginning to end. The bleak and tragic tone beautifully juxtapositions with the war-torn imagery, creating a heart-wrenching feeling that was unexpected for an edgy third-person shooter.
Even though Gears of War has remained consistent for two decades and has plenty of powerful moments, it's hard to think of a time when the franchise left an impression quite like this.