Okay, I’ll admit: I kind of rolled my eyes when I heard that this trailer was considered a great bit of storytelling. Sure, trailers can certainly be great while getting folks excited about whatever it is they’re showing off, but I think it’s totally fair to say that this trailer for an expansion to the online MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic is actually a pretty great story told in a very compelling way.
This cinematic trailer, “Betrayal,” for the game’s expansion (titled Knights of the Eternal Throne) focuses on the life of one young force-sensitive girl and her mother, who appears to be a Republic-era Jedi. Since the game takes place back when Jedi were something of a common sight (pre-Order 66), this mother and daughter lived in the relative open. The young girl is especially gifted, as we’re shown, and has a bit of an angry edge to her use of the Force.
When her mother takes her in for training to follow in her footsteps, she soon realizes just how strong her daughter can be. The only thing is that so, too, does the training facility’s master realize this, and he ends up taking the little girl away from her mother to undergo what looks like Sith training.
It’s here that the trailer takes a darker turn, and even the color palette shifts dramatically to reflect this. Gone are the nature-based greens, golds, and whites, replaced by cold, wet, harsh steel, blacks, and greys. The girl’s mother, sensing that something is wrong with her daughter, launches a rescue mission to save her, fighting off guards like a total badass in a fight scene that seriously makes me want for more. Ultimately, though, when it’s time to go, her daughter elects to stay behind with her master.
You may (or perhaps may not) be able to guess what happens next, but all the same, the entire trailer is worth watching right up to the end.
There’s so, so many things to love about this trailer, and the only thing going against it is the fact that it’s, well, a trailer, and a cinematic one at that. Likely the only time you’ll experience or see this story play out in this fashion is through wherever this cinematic or trailer is placed in-game. There are a few moments in here that reflect the really cool in-game stuff you can do in The Old Republic, but ultimately, this story is fully contained within this six-minute treat.
That being said, that’s totally fine, I think. While I would absolutely love to see more, I think that what’s here is tight, concise, and well delivered. It really is a great piece of storytelling, done primarily through clever cinematography, color palette choices, and of course, dramatic-as-hell music.
Truth be told, this trailer has me strongly considering checking out what’s going on in The Old Republic, so I guess in that way, it’s certainly done its first job as a trailer: It’s piqued my interest.
Tell me, though: what did you think? Would you like to see more of what’s here?
(via Eurogamer)
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