Game Trailer Analysis: Valley

A couple of weeks ago, I bought Valley on a whim when it showed up on my Steam queue. Within a couple of minutes of playing the game, I fell in love with the beauty of the environments and the story it began to tell. I may not have finished the game yet, but I wanted to take a moment to analyze the trailer for the game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Nwyld2SUiU

It took some consideration, but I chose the "first look" trailer over the story trailer simply because it showed a lot more of the gameplay, and what really sold Valley. The beginning is incredibly similar to a Fallout tutorial cut scene, but sets up the story in a way so that viewers can understand what they're about to see. I also appreciated the narration that came after, which explained the three core mechanics of the game: running really fast, jumping really far, and having control over life and death itself. The rest of the trailer flashed through many of the environments the player will encounter, but I felt it was almost too fast (and sometimes too dark) for the viewer to understand what they're seeing. The environments in this game are gorgeous, and I feel that this trailer doesn't do them enough justice.