Last Friday night, Final Fantasy XIV's Digital FanFest kicked off with a trailer that since then I've probably watched and thought about a hundred times. Endwalker's full trailer is five minutes of story and music, melded perfectly into a flowing snapshot of what players can expect when the upcoming expansion comes out. It gives many a spoiler for those who pay attention to the story, but it also gives glimpses into the story itself, as well as places players will go, such as the new area of Old Sharlayan or even a brief moment on screen for new classes like the Reaper.
Trailers themselves can be both agents of hype and disappointment, especially trailers that showcase one vision of a game, yet fail to deliver. Gameplay trailers especially can be guilty of this, showcasing a game in development only to have the fully released game look significantly worse when the game finally hits.
However, when they are done well, they can drum up excitement for a title, such as the Endwalker trailer for me since Friday last. For an MMO in which I'm still woefully behind on story, it's got me looking ahead to walking on the Moon myself, battling more monsters alongside Alphinaud and Alisaie, as well as visiting the port city of Old Sharlayan. I want to know more about the story beats shown in the trailer itself, such as who the mysterious new characters shown are and how they progress the plot.
More than anything though, I want the music being played in the background to release as a separate track. I've had the tune stuck in my head (with brief moments of Scarborough Fair interjecting for attention) since the trailer first dropped. The last time I can remember walking around my house humming specific parts of a game trailer's music was when The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild had its extended gameplay trailer ahead of its 2017 launch. It was a master class of trailer scoring, and I'm starting to think the Endwalker trailer deserves to be mentioned there too.
I can't remember the last time an MMO trailer got me truly excited to keep playing to ensure I was ready when the content released. The Elder Scrolls Online's recent trailers have been good - every trailer ZeniMax has produced has been. EVE Online's trailer game has stepped up quite a bit with its Quadrant and Triglavian Invasion trailers the last few years. But there is something about the Endwalker trailer that has stuck with me.
Has there been a trailer you can remember, either recently or just overall, that gripped you like the Endwalker trailer seemingly has with me? If so, what was it and what about it kept your gaze?
