Gears of War 2 “Last Day” Trailer Combines Anger, Perspective, & Remorse Into One Powerful Minute
by Chad Lakkis on October 24, 2008 at 4:15 am
Where to begin. I had originally assumed that the “Rendezvous with Death” trailer was going to be commercial that introduced the world to Gears 2, but I was wrong. As Keane pointed out earlier, the “Last Day” spot is without a doubt Epic’s sequel to “Mad World”.
As an enormous fan of the commercial that started it all, I wasn’t initially as impressed by Last Day, but after watching it over a few times and realizing the level of depth the creative team was able to portray in such a short period of time, I quickly changed my tune. Speaking of tune, the Last Day trailer features a song titled “How It Ends” which follows the trend set by Mad World and cranks it up a notch.
Last Day is hands-down, the best Gears of War trailer yet. It’s one minute of pure emotion from start to finish. I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to share my impressions as well as a brief run down of the events that take place in it. Here goes.
The camera slowly fixes in on Marcus, his back pressed up against a tree as he gazes into the sky. What appears to be an eagle soars high above him, and you get the sense that he is searching for hope, yet full of anger, as he pans his head from side to side seemingly in disapproval of the lack of intervention from above.
Not deep enough yet? Alright. Focus then switches to a reddish-orange flower surrounded on both sides by two others who have long been stripped of their life. The camera shifts again, this time to Cole as he lifts his head away from the scope of his sniper rifle. He lays prone, thinking about the flower he just saw, and you get the feeling that a greater sense of perspective has set in.
Perhaps the most gut-wrenching moment is the final shot before they head underground. This involves Dom grasping a photo of he and his wife, looking it over with remorse, possibly sensing that he may never see her again. They all then get together, enter into a giant capsule like drill, and forcefully break through the earths surface. Marcus shoots one last stare in the direction of Dom as if to say “are you ready?” He then reaches down for the handle and pries the door open. The screen fades to black and reveals the Gears 2 logo.
Considering all of the factors outlined above, I can say that without a doubt, this commercial has supplanted Mad World as number one on my list. It should be illegal or a commercial to provoke the level of emotion this bad boy does.
Watch both the Mad World and Last Day below. I will likely be checking this page multiple times over the course of the day to watch them again and again so please share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section.
Gears of War 2: Last Day Trailer
Gears of War: Mad World Trailer
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11 Comments » |
on October 24, 2008 5:23 am
hmm…not as powerful as one would have hoped. the first games was just, ehh, but at the least the second LOOKS better.
on October 24, 2008 8:56 am
I am currently at work and will be for the next 6 hours. Youtube and other streaming sites are blocked here. Is there anyway that you could send me a download link for the new gears tv ad?
on October 24, 2008 9:37 am
I am not a fan of Gears of War, or a fan of the Mad World, but dammit, I’ve watched this trailer like 10 times and have the song stuck in my head.
Damn you cliffy B!!!!!!!!
on October 24, 2008 9:42 am
Forgot to mention this – I think one of the things that puts this a step above “Mad World” is that the lyrics really fit the context a lot better.
on October 24, 2008 11:03 am
I think the lyrics are great and very fitting, but I don’t like this song as much as Mad World. Then again, I was a fan of Mad World before I ever saw the original Gears commercial, so maybe that’s part of it.
on October 24, 2008 12:23 pm
sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet… I’m with you chady. these commercials kick ass. just makes the waiting that much harder.
on October 24, 2008 9:53 pm
GOW2 = fail..
** runs towards a shelter to escapre from the crowd..**
a guy in the crowd smirks,”LOL things people do to attract attention”
on October 24, 2008 11:34 pm
I didnt care for Gears the firs tone, but I’m willing to give 2 a chance.
And I agree with Sir Landis I prefer the “Mad World” trailer better.
on October 25, 2008 7:14 am
Wow, I almost just shed a tear. I agree. This one is more powerful than mad world. This game’s story is going to be much deeper than the first and I think the ad helps to portray that.
on November 6, 2008 11:08 am
Epic’s Gears of War television ad’s have been; hands down, the best video game advertising I have ever seen. They are the only recent commercials that invoke a sense of realism and emotion, a format that Microsoft tried to emulate, (unsuccessfully) in the Halo Believe, and Finish the Fight ad campaigns.
on November 6, 2008 11:08 pm
Speaking of Gears 2 ads. I saw this commercial for the game and it was this guy with a chainsaw cutting things at random, that was so stupid to me. Especially to advertise a game. I’ll stick with the original ones.