The Spike TV Video Game Awards were a popular event but not just for the awards. The event saw a slew of debut trailers for new and existing games which will have gamers excited about the future.

First off there are some trailers for a few new modern warfare games. No I'm not confused and stating there'll be new Call of Duty games (although we all no there will be), I'm just talking about some new games that are set in the modern theater with a Middle Eastern focus. There's EA's long awaited return of the Medal of Honour series which had already been announced earlier but without a trailer. The game is set in Afghanistan and players control members of the Tier 1 Operator group a real life unit, which is literally made up of the best of the best. Unfortunately the trailer made the game seem ridiculously the same as Activision's Call of Duty Modern Warfare yet not as impressive. There was a black and white scene from a gunship, ATVs that you could perform knife kills on, lots of sand, explosions and bad assery except it didn't seem as polished and looked graphically inferior to Activisions popular but in a nice finish which actually sparked my interest the team members booted a hostage out of a window because he was rigged with explosives. It was a nice end to the trailer but EA will have to show something spectacular to distance itself from Modern Warfare.

The other shooter set in the 'modern' period that debuted at the VGAs was Spec Ops The Line. This trailer seemed to blend more actual gameplay in the trailer as well as some cinematics. The game is also a third person shooter which is a change of focus from Call of Duty and Medal of Honour. The game takes place in post apocalyptic Dubai were the remnants of great skyscrapers dot the land and the ever changing sands are just as dangerous as those who are trying to kill you. 2K studios are publishing the game for the 360, PlayStation 3 and PC and the games site describes it as a challenge to "players' morality by putting them in the middle of unspeakable situations where unimaginative choices affecting human life must be made."

This trailer really impressed me with its gorgeous graphics, use of Gears of War style cover and destructible environments. This means players will have to be mindful of their surroundings as things can change on the fly, either through destruction or through a shifting in the sands. Given the voice over and the imagery portrayed the game also seems to have an interesting and as they say morally challenging story. Few other details are known but the trailer is certainly worth watching.


A couple of sequels to successful titles were also announced at the show. They were both sequels to games I have purchased, played and loved so I am very happy. The sequels are to Batman: Arkham Asylum and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

Arkham Asylum hinted towards a grander scale in the sequel. The Joker has survived the first game and returned, this time he's on the loose in Gotham City. With Harlequin at his side The Joker is seen weary and  hooked up to a blood pack and after laughing manically at the carnage his goons are wrecking in Gotham he coughs and splutters. There are also hints that Two Face, aka Harvey Dent, will make an appearance in this game as there are modified Uncle Sam posters in the trailer and on the official website. The grander scale is a nice touch as the Asylum felt a little cramped at times. Managing a bigger backdrop will prove difficult for Rocksteady but will also give them the chance to implement new features like possibly some of Batman's vehicles and give him plenty of new hiding places. I also hope they improve on the fighting system because while it was impressive to watch it was kind of boring to implement. No word on a release date but a game like this will require a long production time which fans are sure to appreciate as it will ensure, to a degree, that the game reaches and possibly excels the success of the first game.


The other sequel, Force Unleashed, did not have as impressive a debut trailer as the original did. It focuses of Starkiller who has somehow managed to survive the incidents of the first game. He is seen walking down a corridor as the voices of Toda and Darth Vader fill the air. They appear to be two sides of an internal struggle which is plaguing Starkiller and obscuring his future. He is then startled at the end by Juno Eclipse's voice and her questioning of whether she'll see him again. He appears to focus after this and then enters a huge gladiatorial arena. He stops in front of a huge, and I mean huge, door where the body of a Rancor is thrown out of. After the Rancor body makes the trademark squeal from Return of the Jedi an even bigger Rancor, possibly 5 or 10 times bigger than a normal one, appears and it is angry. Starkiller then takes off his black robe and charges up his arms and hands with electricity ready to fight. The screen turns black, we hear Yoda again and then Starkiller is seen with dual lightsabers launching himself at the Super Rancor. Like I said it's not as impressive as the original games debut trailer, the guy took down a Star Destroyer just with the force, but it is still an impressive trailer and the promise of dual lightsabers is great. I'm also really interested to find out some story details on this one. The first games story was very good in my opinion, the idea of the Emperor and Vader starting the Rebellion was very cool and unexpected and now it will be in full swing. Meanwhile Starkiller will be seeking out Juno, who as I recall is expecting a baby, and revenge against Vader.


Finally the most anticipated announcement was surely the revealing of a new trailer for Halo Reach. So little was known about the game as the announcement trailer gave away nothing except that it was on the planet Reach and would feature Spartans. The new trailer, which hasn't officially been released, seems to confirm that squad gameplay will be the focus as the lead Spartan says "No more of that lone wolf stuff" and another Spartan asks if this is the "new #6". Looks like you will play a new edition to a squad of Spartans who had acted alone like Master Chief up until now. The trailer also showed off some new armour, Reach is the research planet so there could be a lot of cool new stuff, what is believed to be a Hornet helicopter (the Halo equivalent of a Black Hawk in my opinion) and one bad ass Spartan with a skull decorated helmet ala Army of Two with a freaking huge knife. Could this be a hint at knife based melee combat in Reach? Here's hoping as it is a feature which is surely missing, especially given the fact that knives are visible in the game but unusable. The trailer finished up with a snarling Elite wielding an energy sword and left me wanting more. The graphics did look like an improvement on Halo 3, which is a good sign, and seemed to hint at a change in style from lone wolf to squad based that could revitalise the series. 


So there you have it, the best bits from the Spike Video Game Awards and its impressive array of new game footage.