Top 10 Worst Video Game Trailers!

Top 10 Worst Video Game Trailers

A trailer can make of break a game’s reputation. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top ten worst video game trailers.

For this list, we’ll be looking at what we consider to be the worst, most asinine video game trailers of all time, and having a good laugh at them along the way.

#10: “TimeSplitters Rewind” (2017)

Way back in 2012, some fans of the woefully underappreciated “TimeSplitters” series were granted permission to create an elaborate mod using CryEngine 3. Well, it looks like they actually pulled it off, because lo and behold, we have a trailer! Too bad it kinda sucks. What we’re treated to is nearly two minutes of green crystals floating through space like some kind of crappy screensaver, followed by the “TimeSplitters Rewind” logo and the release year. No weapons. No gameplay. No…anything, really. While we’re hyped for more “TimeSplitters,” this trailer has done nothing to further our excitement.

#9: “Mighty No. 9” (2016)

Has there ever been a bigger disappointment from Kickstarter? After being initially praised for its concept, “Mighty No. 9” eventually lost the faith of its potential fans via numerous delays and an appalling trailer which damn near infuriated everyone. While the gameplay admittedly doesn’t look too bad, the trailer’s voiceover is cringy as all hell, complete with some spectacularly failed lines which only made the fanbase upset, like the infamous prom night joke. The trailer was so dreadful that the CEO of co-developer Inti Creates even took to Twitter to publicly disown it, calling it “unforgivable.” You know it’s bad when…

#8: “Solbrain: Knight of Darkness” (2016)

OK, we have to ask: is this some kind of joke? While we might have forgiven this had it been a rough demo or something, this looks to be an official trailer, and it’s one of the worst we’ve ever seen. Someone actually sat down, watched this, and thought, “Yep, looks good, great job guys!” We don’t know what’s worse: the iMovie graphics, the looping “gameplay” footage of a character walking against terrible backdrops with constant texture pop-in, or the fact that this trailer was actually released on the official PlayStation YouTube channel. On top of all that, it was late discovered that many of the in-game assets were straight up stolen! Who okayed this?

#7: “Skylight Freerange 2: Gachduine” (2017)

OK, Sony, you got us. Great joke. Oh, it’s not a joke? Oh. Oh dear. In a move that is completely baffling to us, Sony actually advertised this game on their YouTube channel, a game that looks terribly dated even by PlayStation 1 standards. We mean, what do you even do in this game? Because it looks like you just kinda…walk around. Is it even completed? Why does this exist? While we’re sure that some people will ironically try it out and report back, the rest of us are left here to stare in total bewilderment.

#6: “Life of Black Tiger” (2017)

OK, it’s really not funny anymore. Was Sony’s YouTube account hacked or something? Does someone want to go over there and make sure that they’re all right? We don’t know how this slipped past quality control, because not only do the graphics and gameplay look like total unplayable garbage, but there are even bugs in the freaking trailer! How do you show bugs in your trailer!? How does someone honestly approve that? What’s even funnier is that Sony advertised this game as a “realistic and vivid experience.” Let that sink in.

#5: “Bombshell” (2016)

This trailer definitely didn’t drop a bombshell on us, we’ll tell you that much. This trailer is nothing but a… graphics showcase, we guess, as we watch the camera pan around Bombshell’s mechanical exterior as she watches TV. Then we are treated to what is supposed to be a badass moment of her riding in front of explosions, but we’re left laughing instead at the ridiculous stock music and amateur explosion effects. The resulting response was so toxic that 3D Realms decided to scrap what they had and start from scratch!

#4: “Duke Nukem Trilogy” (Cancelled)

Explosions! Guns! Duke Nukem! Are you pumped yet, because we sure as hell aren’t! This infamous trailer was actually shown at E3 in 2008, and while we think they were going for pure, unfiltered testosterone, what we were left with instead was one of the goofiest trailers in existence. Rather than showing any gameplay, we’re instead left with a slideshow that a ten-year-old could have made, complete with Duke Nukem’s theme song, explosions, a ridiculous floating picture of Duke, and the titles … for 3 and a half minutes. On top of that, only one of the three planned games were released, and the results were… not good.

#3: “Champion Jockey: G1 Jockey & Gallop Racer” (2011)

Let’s be serious: jockey video games seem like they would only appeal to a very niche market. Trailers like this aren’t doing them any service in the eyes of the mainstream player base. Literally everything about this trailer is terrible. First there’s the horrendous music. Then there’s the amateur graphics that were probably made on a Mac in five minutes. The game itself looks like garbage. And let’s not forget the clearly embarrassed actor who was forced to gallop and is trying his hardest not to laugh the entire time. You know you messed up when even your actor can’t keep a straight face.

#2: “We Dare” (2011)

You know what’s fun? Playing Wii games with your friends. You know what’s dumb? Playing Wii games which are just thinly veiled excuses for mild sexual behavior. This trailer immediately made the rounds on the internet, as everyone laughed and cringed as we watched terrible actors partake in mildly suggestive actions with a Wii controller. The trailer wants so badly to be quirky and sexy, but comes across as childish instead. The trailer was quickly pulled in the States, probably because it was so terrible, and the game was never released in the US or the UK. Great job, marketing team!

#1: “WolfQuest”

How could it be anything BUT “WolfQuest!?” This is the granddaddy of terrible video game trailers, and it still retains its spot as the king all these years later. This trailer is truly a combination of everything that makes a laughably bad advertisement. You have your hilarious transition from live action to embarrassing graphics. You have your atrocious looking gameplay. Throw in some awful child actors who literally growl at the camera, as well. Don’t forget the goofy, repetitive stock music! This is just awful in every conceivable way, and we kind of love it.