What Makes a Great Video Game Trailer?
By Jeremy Snead, Founder of Mediajuice Studios
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my 20+ years of crafting trailers, documentaries, and marketing content for the video game industry, it’s this: a great video game trailer isn’t just about flashy visuals and cool music—it’s about storytelling.
I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the best studios in the business, from Gearbox Entertainment and 2K Games to CAPCOM, helping bring their worlds to life in a way that excites, intrigues, and ultimately sells. And whether it’s an epic cinematic reveal or a punchy gameplay teaser, every great trailer shares the same core ingredients. Let’s break it down.
1. It Starts with Emotion
A trailer’s job isn’t just to show what a game is, but to make you feel something about it. Is it exhilarating? Mysterious? Heart-pounding? That first impression is everything.
Take the “Borderlands 3” Mayhem Trailer we created for Gearbox. Fans knew another Borderlands game was coming, but our job was to make them feel the mayhem. We used high-energy music, kinetic editing, and bombastic character reveals to instantly grab attention. The moment you hear that classic “Children of the Vault” chant, you know you’re in for something big.
2. Know Your Audience, Speak Their Language
A trailer isn’t just for anyone—it’s for the players. Understanding who you’re talking to changes everything. Are they longtime fans who crave deep lore? Are they newcomers who need a quick hook?
For the “Adagio for Homeworld: Creating the Sounds of Homeworld 3,” we knew Homeworld fans are passionate about the franchise’s rich sci-fi storytelling. So instead of leaning purely on flashy gameplay, we emphasized the emotional weight of the score, giving viewers a sense of history and purpose—because that’s what makes Homeworld special.
3. A Killer Hook in the First 5 Seconds
The average attention span online? Brutally short. You have just seconds to pull someone in, or they scroll away. That’s why every great trailer grabs you immediately—whether it’s a jaw-dropping moment, a powerful line of dialogue, or a killer piece of music.
4. Music & Sound: The Secret Weapons
People often underestimate how much sound makes or breaks a trailer. Music sets the tone, while sound design brings weight and impact to every moment.
For the “The Cost of Joy” We Happy Few Mini-Doc, we combined haunting, 1960s-style music with eerie, unsettling sound design to immerse players in the dystopian world. That juxtaposition between cheerful tunes and dark subject matter? That’s what made it unforgettable.
5. Cinematic vs. Gameplay: The Perfect Blend
A common debate: Should a trailer be cinematic or gameplay-focused? The answer? Both—depending on the goal.
- Cinematic Trailers (like our work on Borderlands 3) build hype and establish a game’s world.
- Gameplay Trailers (like our Homeworld 3 reveal) show off mechanics and get players excited to play.
- Hybrid Trailers blend both, giving players story and gameplay in one package.
6. A Call to Action (Without Overdoing It)
Every great trailer should leave you thinking, I need this game. But there’s a balance—you don’t want it to feel too salesy. The key? End on a high note: a shocking moment, a killer one-liner, or a release date drop.
Sometimes it is best to lean into high-energy action, quirky humor, and a bold “AVAILABLE NOW” punch at the end—because at that point, the goal was to drive immediate sales.
Final Thoughts
A great game deserves a great trailer. And while every project is different, the core principles never change: emotion, audience connection, a killer hook, impactful sound, and the right balance of story and gameplay.
At Mediajuice Studios, we’ve spent years perfecting this craft, helping some of the biggest (and smallest) studios in the world bring their games to life in ways that excite players and sell copies.
So, if you’re working on something special and need a trailer that hits all the right notes—you know where to find us. 😉
What are your favorite game trailers of all time? Drop them in the comments below!
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