Top 10 Gaming Commercials of 2010

#10

Gran Turismo 5

It's not a list if you don't include Kevin Butler, VP of whatever game he is selling. The laugh from him at 0:20, made this an immediate favorite.

#9

Mass Effect 2

A brief glimpse at the various party members was enough to have people setting who would be their main team members for Mass Effect 2.

#8
Dante's Inferno 


Dante's Inferno had one of the first commercials out there during the superbowl, and offered a glimpse at the impossible odds in Dante's way. Thousands of demons pouring out of the walls to a stellar track was always entertaining to watch.

#7
God of War III

Another Kevin Butler VP commercial, as the one for God of War III proved a personal favorite.

#6

Starcraft II

Straight to the point, this commercial conveyed the anticipation every gamer felt for the release of a game years in the making.

#5

Fable III


Shot with no word spoken, the Fable commercial shows the slow rise of a small band of revolutionaries to their toppling of a tyrant king. It was simple, enjoyable, and added another song to my iTunes library.

#4
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

A subtle hint of the games' characters placed in mirrored objects of the real world grabbed Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood the third spot on my list. It takes a few viewings to truly catch all the small details they added in the opening, and the gameplay cutoff in the middle isn't too shabby to look at either.

#3
Metroid: Other M

The game left a little to be desired, but the commercial for it was enough to sway toward a purchase. The simple piano tune guiding us along the path as Samus walks through stills of her past experiences acts as a simple opener to the gameplay of the game. It used real actors without becoming too cheesy or laughable. It was a commercial I actually enjoyed watching, and worth its spot on the list.

#2
Call of Duty: Black Ops

Instead of playing into the typical "here is some gameplay" tune, the Black Ops commercial kept it in the real world with a strong message. Panning from the typical business lady, to the average construction worker, and ending with the least of them all, the lonely fry-cook; the message served as a testament to the incredible impact the Call of Duty franchise has had this year. All this without a single shot of gameplay footage.

#1
Halo: Reach

Not only did this commercial prove that a Halo movie was possible, but also gave a well directed and well shot dedication to the franchise. The commercial, much like the game, gave off that sense of hopelessness as Reach falls, backed by a somber track cutting as the first Spartan falls, and picking up as a single Spartan delivers a big hurt to the Covenant. Despite this, the pan back to show the entire planet in utter war reminds us of the inevitable fall of Reach.

The gorgeous visuals, somber piano number, and connection to the game's overall feel ties up my favorite gaming commercial of 2010.