Trailer Review - Unbeatable
Holy moly this trailer is so good it makes me want to throw my hands up into the air and yell "I would never be able to make this trailer!" I talked about the graphics of this trailer in my post about how parts of the trailer "frame" the game differently but there's a lot more to this trailer which I want to unpack.
This is a trailer for a Kickstarter campaign which means its goal is to get you to back it before the campaign ends. I'm not an expert on this particular type of trailer, but I think there are key things which might motivate people to back a project.
Clear idea of what the game is
Reassurance the developers can follow through
Likable people behind the game
Here's a breakdown of the trailer's structure:
25 sec opening with a mix of cinematics and gameplay
25 sec walkthrough of how to play the game
10 sec elevator pitch
10 sec raw gameplay
20 explanation of how the gameplay gets more difficult
20 sec walk through the other facets of the game like exploring the open world, interacting with characters, doing missions, playing minigames, etc.
20 sec musical breakdown section citing the 100% original soundtrack
The music cuts out and the trailer ends quietly
Doesn't get much clearer than this
Without even getting into the content of the trailer, this is a great outline which answers all the pertinent questions as they naturally occur.
"What is this game?" (Gameplay and cinematics show the game)
"That was nice and flashy, but how do I play it?" (Explanation of how to play the game)
"But is that all there is? Will this get boring?" (Explanation of how the game gets more difficult)
"That's cool, but is this all there is to the game?" (Walkthrough of game's additional content, missions, characters, story, etc.)
The opening of the trailer is a flashy intro which intercuts the animated sequences and gameplay. This trailer is already a cut above the rest because of its amazing art and music. By showing the goods up front they earn a lot of good will and attention. It's not clear how the game works yet, but it's a lot of fun to look at. After the exciting intro we get a title screen which moves to the beat, which builds anticipation to the next section.
Here is where the trailer kicks into gear with the overlayed text which is reminiscent of a lyric music video. It explains the character and the nitty gritty details of how to play the game. It's all clear and fun to watch. The typography and layout feels energetic and shows a lot of attitude. This game is stylish as all heck and it knows it!
The graphics and editing match the feel of the game's style. For example, this quick closeup cut of a dialogue bubble makes it literally in-your-face and easy to read.
What follows is the core message of the game "This is Unbeatable, a game where music is illegal and you do crimes." This is a great one-liner which is unique and intriguing. It doesn't tell us anything about the gameplay, but it's short and memorable; it's stuck in my head ever since the first time I watched it. That's the power of a good message!
Now that we understand how the game works, they show a clip of raw gameplay which we can better comprehend now that we've been given an explanation. Then once we're up to speed, the explanation resumes with the ways the game adds complications like objects coming in two lanes at once, multi-hit enemies, etc.
This is when it cuts to a shot of Beat in a shop. This looks completely different from the previous shots, it immediately expands the scope of the game (and the text spells out "that's only HALF the game." It adds that you explore the cityscape, uncover secrets, play mini games, help out locals and rehearse with your band. The footage shows non-combat situations, and dialogue bubbles as she interacts with other characters.
It follows this up with a title card about the 100% original soundtrack before ending on a final musical montage of a few songs. The trailer ends with the music reduced to a muffled whisper as we see Beat looking out of the window of a subway train car.
A gray rectangle would've functionally added enough contrast to read "EXPLORE AN OPEN CITYSCAPE" but it wouldn't have as much style as the squiggly lines.
At the most abstract level, the structure of this trailer is:
Tease/Sample
Basic gameplay explanation
Quick Pitch
Gameplay complications explanation
Content walkthrough
The trailer does a fantastic job of explaining the game in a clear and entertaining way and seeing a large finished portion of the game gives us reassurance the developers are capable of making the game. A lot of Kickstarter trailers show the developers on camera to talk about their game to add personal appeal, but I think this trailer gives you an indirect understanding of the people behind the game.
The style and substance of the trailer indicate their desire to make things clear and understandable to their audience. They gave us what we came to find out, and that feels good! Making a trailer which conveys what the game is about might sound like a low bar to cross, but it makes a big difference when it's done successfully.
This is a tremendously well made trailer which is concise, clear, stylish and incredibly appealing. It's no wonder it met its goal within the first day and surpassed it!
