Thailand's Elden Ring advert is a journey that... goes places
A reminder that video game adverts can be good
Remember when video game adverts were good? I'm thinking that Halo 3 "Believe" one that featured a cool diorama, or Gears Of War teaming up with Gary Jules for an emotional rendition of Mad World. We just aren't treated to the same level of grandeur nowadays. A few frames, Guns N' Roses, "RATED M FOR MATURE". That's our lot.
But Thailand clearly puts out good video game adverts. One of note features Elden Ring, a family, a strange trumpet noise, and a story as complex and obtuse as FromSoft's offerings. Give it a watch below, you won't be disappointed. More confused and emotional, perhaps.
First off, thanks to industry analyst Daniel Ahmad for bringing the advert to our attention over on Twitter. It's a wild ride and one to stick with, as it really goes places.
I have to admit I welled up initially when the piano kicked in and the man looked at the big lizard on the pavement. At that point, I thought I'd be in for a touching advert, one where he'd reminisce about the good times. Oh, how wrong I was.
Soon, the advert transforms into something greater. One where a family fights over a shattered ring at the dinner table. The man who saw the lizard on the pavement defuses the situation by saying that the tree outside – a normal tree - wouldn't forgive them for arguing like this. Not only that, but he refers to it as the Golden Erdtree without a hint of irony.
Later, it's revealed that Grandma runs away from home quite often due to these big family rows. As one kid stands up at the 2:49 mark, there's also a little trumpet noise. A call out to Elden Ring's bad guy-assembling trumpet lords, or just a chair leg scraping against the floor? Out of everything, that's what finally tipped me over the edge into a full-blown belly laugh.
I'd like to request that all future Thailand video game adverts come our way too from now on, cheers.