In this day and age hype is a very real thing in the games industry, with lots of trailers, excessive developer bravado, and media sugar-coating for practically every Western AAA title and everything with a recognisable franchise name. How often do you find yourself getting hyped for upcoming video games, and how often do you find that games live up to that hype for you? Ever been let down by a game you'd been looking forward to for months, or pleasantly surprised by a game you only had a passing interest in?
Ah, I think the way the game is portrayed, the hype and all plus the trailer and promotional videos, when the game comes out, it doesn't feel the same as what I thought it would be. The trailer makes you feel immersed in the experience but the game is normally a let down. Probably my feelings for Halo.
I think that only a few games have lived up to the hype surrounding them - Cuphead, Super Mario Odyssey, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Typically games are overhyped, and I am always wary when that happens, but I generally try to keep an open mind and not fall into any of the hype-traps.
Oh boy, incoming mini-rant from me. Last year was a big year for Sonic the Hedgehog, with the release of two main series games, Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces. Both games drove me crazy in terms of how hyped I was for them. When Sonic Mania released, it surely delivered. A true Classic Sonic experience from beginning to end, and it was a pleasure to play, and I still play it today. Sonic Forces on the other hand, no. All the hype surrounding this game, only to be let down on release day. Sure, it's the best visually speaking, but gameplay wise is a whole other story. To keep things simple, it plays itself. There were only 3 level designers: 2 of them started their work on Sonic Lost World and 1 of them was completely new, which may explain the lackluster level design. The story wasn't much to bargain for either. It was just a huge disappointment all around, and I can hardly look at the box without getting frustrated.
This is why I don't ever watch trailers, and cause myself to form my own impressions of the game from seeing it played for myself (or watching somebody else play that). Watching a trailer for a game will always form some sort of expectations for it, that you think the game will be just as good, if not better, than what the trailer advertises it to be. The last time I watched a trailer for a game, I was indeed disappointed at the end result, for not being as amazing as the trailer purported. (The game was Sonic Mania, for those curious - it ended up being 'very good' rather than 'excellent'.) Trailers are also rather spoiler-like in nature, and for games that I actually care about playing or watching, I have a very strict no-spoiler policy on upcoming game content, and I try to minimise all contact with any hype or press of any kind. If I need to, I'll ask friends who have personally played the game, to get their opinions. That way I'll get a take that is as balanced and fair as possible (I don't care much about bias - I think bias is a natural part of life). That way, I go in expecting nothing, and my only disappointment will be from the game itself, and my experience thereof.
