As we've stated in a previous Level Up post, videogame ads are rarely a fount of ingenuity. So kudos to Microsoft for avoiding the aggro rock songs, generic electronica tracks or orchestral Carl Orff ripoffs that permeate much of the genre. The score--Michael Andrews and Gary Jules' cover of Tears for Fears' "Mad World," lifted from the "Donnie Darko" soundtrack--is spare and haunting, making it a perfect fit for the theme of "destroyed beauty" that has guided Gears' creator Cliff Bleszinski since the project's inception. With just a vocalist, a piano and gently swelling keyboard sounds towards the trailer's end--to say nothing of the near-Pixar quality visuals--there's no way that this spot won't catch the attention of gamers and non-gamers alike. That said, we do have a few nits to pick with the Gears of War TV spot (shown below.)

While the choice of "Mad World" is off-kilter enough to turn heads, Microsoft's decision to remove all of the game's digetic sounds "gunfire, raindrops, breaking glass, etc. "gives the ad an emo, overly conceptual feel. So while the trailer conveys the majesty of the games imagery, it robs the game of the visceral, you-are-there sensation that the Gears of War's sound effects ably convey. You can't always get what you want, we suppose. However, the ad has sparked the creativity of online cutups and fanboys who've taken the original trailer and replaced the music with tracks from Culture Club,("Do You Really Want to Hurt Me"), the Bee Gees("Stayin' Alive"), Men Without Hats ("The Safety Dance") and Smashing Pumpkins("Bullet With Butterfly Wings"). We've assembled a YouTube playlist of the most interesting mashups, here. Enjoy.