Forza Horizon 2: Not a Corridor Racer
Driveclub and Forza Horizon 2 are the big racers of 2014 (don’t worry The Crew, we haven’t forgotten you either), and though the former’s advertising materials certainly took some bold pot-shots at the competition, it’s Forza’s TV spot that really captures both the superb quality of the game in question and the joy of driving in general. Short of stepping into an actual simulation, it’s hard to imagine an ad doing a better job.
You can check out our review of the game if you’re still not sold on its quality. As for Xbox One itself, there’s some good news on that front happening too. A planned price drop is in the works, lowering the system’s cost to a better-but-still-not-cheap $349. With the major consoles now priced at $299, $349, and $399 respectively, holiday choices aren’t getting any easier.
Sunset Overdrive: The Colors, Duke, The Colors
Sunset Overdrive’s style has been evident ever since it debuted at E3, and if our just-published review is anything to go by, it’s a game you should be seriously considering. Action, humor, and a vibrant and colorful art style; it’s quintessentially Insomniac, and represents a return to form in the eyes of those dissatisfied with the studio’s recent games.
The TV spot itself takes a snippet from the E3 debut video, though when I’ve seen it actually run on TV, the “it’s a f*cking videogame” line was conveniently left out. Still, it captures the general gist of the Overdrive experience, and has been seen multiple times running during the World Series. That’s about as large of an audience as you’re going to get this time of year.
The Evil Within: Sleep Killer
I’d honestly hoped the TV promotion of The Evil Within would be scarier. Sure, this ad is creepy, but it doesn’t exactly show me to what degree I can expect to wet my pants while playing. There’s probably only so much you can get away with in spots like these, but even so — a jump-scare or two would have been greatly appreciated.
That said, the spot is well put-together, and had I not known anything about the title before seeing it, I’d certainly be intrigued. P.T. probably still stands as the most interesting (and terrifying) horror experience this year, but Silent Hills (the game it was eventually revealed to be a demo for) won’t release until next year at best. For now, Bethesda and Tango Gameworks’ latest scares in The Evil Within should more than suffice.
Destiny: Nothing Like the Actual Game
Ah, Destiny. How your toyed with our emotions so. I’m personally still a Bungie fan at this stage in the game, but that doesn’t mean the company’s latest release didn’t divide gamers like no other blockbuster in recent memory. Some find it brilliant, some find it boring — others just wish everyone would shut up about it.
Regardless, Destiny’s “Become Legend” live-action short-turned-TV-ad demonstrates Destiny’s premise as well as its promise, the integrity of which have never been in question. A massively multiplayer FPS world where you can interact with your friends naturally, almost as if it were virtual reality. Whether or not Bungie executed on this promise is another discussion entirely, but I still can’t help but find the idea exciting. Perhaps the real arrival of this idea will appear someday on Oculus Rift, Bungie-developed or not.
