From Mech Warrior to Xenogears, from Zone of the Enders to Armored Core, gaming has always been a safe space for giant pilotable robots, so often stigmatized elsewhere as “dorky” or “big-boned” (sigh, sizeism). 

What gamers have known all along is that giant pilotable robots are typically fun-loving scamps that just accidentally crush a building sometimes. And now, thanks to to Guillermo del Toro, the giant-robot-sized director of Pan’s Labyrinth, the world may finally come to accept our sky-scraper-sized titanium avatars. His Pacific Rim, which looks like Christopher Nolan directing Transformers, may be the last chance for giant pilotable robots to grow beyond their Power Rangers associations.

The first trailer dropped yesterday:

This may also clear the way for the upcoming giant pilotable robot indie, Hawken, to clean up. It’s in open beta now.