I just recently rewatched the Halo 5 launch trailer and I forgot how awesome it was. The song they used was Knights of Cydonia by Muse and it went perfectly with the trailer.
What are some songs you would use for a launch trailer involving Halo?
To be honest, I still think that the H5 launch trailer was awful and I’ll never forget the first time I heard that song. I felt like I’d be in a Michael Bay Video Movie by Aliens.
I’ve always prefered instrumental music for Halo to set the tone, everything else feels out of place for me.
I think that the E3 '18 reveal trailer for Infinite completely killed it by bringing back the “Finish the Fight” motifs from the H3 OST. That gave me some serious chills.
As far as a mass market appeal, non-OST song, though? I’d say go with something fun, unpretentious (accessible) and jammy/groovy/jive-y. I’m thinking of the sort of thing that you mix with a highlight reel of gameplay footage and abridge as a TV spot. For that- and I don’t know why this is- what immediately pops into my head is “Glass House” by Kaleo. Just some serious undeniably kick-yoink!- riffs and neo-classic rock vibes; gives off a triumphant, unapologetic and inviting tone. I think it’s the kind of self-assured but effortlessly cool way to say “Halo is back, Baby!” that can really catch the attention and peak the interest of lapsed and new players.
While I really did enjoy that H5 commercial, and love that song, it felt un-Halo to me. It was cool and fun to watch, but those old commercials with slow build ups and rising tension were classic. Many of the older commercials involved music made specifically for the trailer or game as opposed to a song from another artist or famous band. Not that it can’t work well, but Halo’s best commercials involved songs like “Finish the Fight” (I’m a known H3 fanboy so take that as you will).
That said, I’m very happy with what little we have seen so far from Infinite’s marketing. The music is all Halo stuff, which is definitely one of the franchises strong suits.