The reveal of Secret Level – a new anthology TV series for Prime Video featuring many of our favourite video game characters – was one of the most talked about announcements from this year’s gamescom Opening Night Live, and rightly so because the trailer was awesome. It’s being created by Blur Studio, which made the Netflix series Love, Death, and Robots, but chances are you’ll have seen much more of Blur’s work than you think because it’s been making game trailers and cinematics for the last two decades, many of which we’ve compiled here because you really should check them out.
Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War
In the reveal trailer for Secret Level we get a glimpse of Space Marines blasting an unseen enemy, but it’s not the first time Blur Studios has collaborated with the Warhammer 40K universe. Bearing in mind this intro cinematic was made for a game that’s 20 years old, it nails the vicious conflict between the Space Marines and chaotic Orks perfectly. Hopefully is a positive indication for what we’re going to see come December.
Bioshock Infinite
Similarly, Blur's debut trailer for Bioshock Infinite perfectly captures the vibe of Columbia and the perils Booker and Elizabeth face. It’s only a couple of minutes long but many of the game’s standout features are clear to see, from its floating steampunk city setting to Elizabeth’s powers and the grabbing fist of the ominous Handyman.
It wasn’t the only teaser Blur Studios produced for Bioshock Infinite, though, and a TV commercial which aired in the run-up to the game’s release showed an action-packed side to Booker DeWitt that wasn’t quite in keeping with what we saw in the game.
True Crime: Hong Kong
Before Sleeping Dogs got the moniker we now all know, it was previously known as True Crime: Hong Kong. It was going to be the third game in the True Crime series, following on from Streets of LA and New York City, but it was cancelled by its then-publisher Activision, even though it had a very cool, Blur-crafted debut trailer. Thankfully Square Enix stepped in to save the day, getting the project back on track under the name Sleeping Dogs.
Prey 2
One game that wasn’t quite so fortunate was Prey 2, which went into development shortly after the first game came. After switching publishers to Bethesda in 2011, the project was re-revealed at E3 alongside one of Blur's best known videos - this fantastic new cinematic trailer that depicts a bounty hunter seeking a target in an alien city. But despite the game allegedly being almost finished, it never saw the light of day and was cancelled in 2014.
Overstrike
Around the same time, Insomniac was working on a four-player, third-person co-op shooter called Overstrike, which debuted as part of the Electronic Arts E3 conference in 2011. A year later it switched names to become Fuse and was unfortunately released to poor critical and commercial success. But still, the trailer looked great!
Halo Wars 2
Blur Studios did the cinematic cutscenes for Halo Wars 2, making a real-time strategy game look way more action-packed than it has any right to. Heck, the cutscenes were so good we’d much rather they had become the basis for the TV show rather than the live-action guff that appeared on Paramount+ a few years later. Blur also produced new and remastered cinematics for Halo 2's anniversary edition.
Blur Studio also produced a great teaser trailer, which introduced new enemy The Banished and their leader Atriox.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
BioWare marked the announcement of new SW:TOR expansion pack, Knights of the Fallen Empire, with a cinematic trailer titled Sacrifice, which gave people their first look at the DLC’s story. It’s four minutes of lightsabers, cool Force moves and nods to the movies, so what’s not to like?
Titanfall 2
If you want to experience the love between one man and his mech, check out this trailer for Titanfall 2. It perfectly captures the fluidity of the game’s movement, but more importantly showcases the connection between a pilot and their Titan. It proves that if things are gonna get rough then you’d better have a 20-foot robot by your side.
Dark Souls II
Even though Secret Level doesn’t hit Amazon Prime Video until December this year we’re already hoping for a second series because, after watching this incredible cinematic trailer for Dark Souls 2, we’d love for FromSoftware to be involved. It feels wonderfully faithful to the source material, bursting with brooding atmosphere and hinting at the game’s punishing difficulty in the shot where our hero slumps to his knees after being riddled with arrows.
Destiny 2
As well as astonishing visuals, Blur Studios is renowned for peppering its work with humour. Its trailers for the early Fable games go in bizarre directions you’d never expect, and the Last Call teaser made for Destiny 2 is as light-hearted as it is action packed.
Batman: Arkham City
Every cinematic on this list is a certified banger but Blur’s Batman: Arkham City trailer is perhaps my favourite. It introduces supervillain Hugo Strange for the first time, who’s seen torturing a Gotham police officer to extract information on the whereabouts of Batman. He should’ve known the Dark Knight is perched on a gargoyle high above the city streets, of course (always check over your shoulder in Gotham) and the caped crusader soon swoops down and takes on an entire SWAT team without breaking a sweat. But the big reveal is that the Arkham mastermind, although unsure of the bat’s wearabouts, does know his true identity…
Those are just some of the awesome video game trailers Blur Studios has produced over the last 20 years. It’s also worked on movies like Deadpool and Sonic, and we cannot wait to see Secret Level when it debuts on Amazon Prime Video on December 10.
