Planetside 2 is like one big Michael Bay movie; a massively multiplayer first person shooter with explosions as far as the eye can see. It’s a brilliant mix of troop combat, vehicle warfare, and ridiculous aerial assaults. Sometimes you need to take a step back from the front lines and admire the carnage. Thank Auraxis, then, for YouTube.

Here’s what we think are the best videos to demonstrate why Planetside 2 is just so exciting. There’s glory, failure, rage, and bombers falling out fo the sky.

1. Every army needs fresh meat. The New Conglomerate are looking for Fortunate Sons.

Of Planetside 2’s three factions, the NC has the most fun: rebel spirited, big guns, and bigger flags. Creedence Clearwater Revival supply the soundtrack.

2. Strike Fighters are terrifying in the right hands.

Fear the Reaver: exclusive to the NC, it’s usually considered the most cumbersome of Planetside 2’s air fighters. But in the right hands…

3. While invisible infiltrators put the fear of God into the grunts.

Moving from the air to the ground, this chap shows us how being a great marksman extends further from just the Infiltrator role. His aim is systematic and methodical. His weakpoint? Heights.

4. Just look at the scale of this game. Magnificent.

Planetside 2’s observer camera gives players a gods eye view of the action. Combined with smooth editing it can produce some impressive trailers: some are even better than SOE’s own efforts.

5. In Planetside 2, failure is usually funny. For the audience.

It’s always comforting to watch a video full of mishaps. To the men and women who are brave enough to create these kind of videos, I salute you.

6. Don’t ever get in the way of the Terran Republic.

There’s nothing like a good propaganda video, and no one does it better than the Terran Republic. New recruits are in constant demand: their battle strategy comes down to throwing as many soldiers at the problem as possible.

7. It makes for some stunning front line war-reports.

Here’s a pretty convincing mashup of some Planetside 2 footage and remixed public service broadcasts from World War Two. The only difference is that nowadays the government would send this sort of information in a tweet.

8. Here’s a novel way to turn your bomber into a deadly anti-air platform.

For the uninitiated, Liberators are massive gunships capable of bombing ground targets from high above the battlefield. It takes some incredible pilot to gunner synergy to pull off these kind of shots, all while wielding the infamous slow firing Dalton cannon.

9. Special delivery: explosives!

Here’s a fantastic anecdotal monologue about how giving freely is a good thing; when you’re giving C4. Even some divine intervention comes into play.