Secret Level Review
SECRET LEVEL SEASON ONE REVIEW
Sometimes a trailer for a game can be better than the game itself and the reasoning is fairly simple. It takes the best parts of the game and distills it down to a few short, endorphin packed minutes. It has high production values, there are no mechanics to hinder the experience and it usually leaves you wanting more. Secret Level has taken the essence of a trailer and created something special thats never been done before: an anthology that is a love letter to video games and the people that play them.
Before we get into our full thoughts on the show, no, there won’t be any major spoilers and yes, the Concord episode is still in Secret Level and sadly, it is one of the best episodes in the anthology. There is such a great lore and universe that Firewalk Studios created and it’s unfortunate that we wont be able to experience it.
If you want to avoid even the smallest spoilers, I can safely say that if you have even the slightest love for video games, you will find a lot to like about Secret Level.
BLURRING THE LINES
Secret Level is an anthology from Blur Studio, that features fifteen episodes dedicated to some of the most iconic names in gaming and some other inclusions ill talk about later. If you aren’t familiar, Blur has been making some of the best gaming cinematics for decades and have made a name for themselves working on some of the biggest franchises including Call of Duty, Halo, and Grand Theft Auto.
It’s fitting that Secret Level is brought to us from the people behind Love, Death, and Robots because at the thematic core of this anthology, each episode is about either love, death, and/or robots. Secret Level also shares the same blueprint with episodes that range from eight minutes to seventeen with the whole anthology being just over three hours.
Secret Level is an addicting experience. I would be shocked if you don't binge the whole anthology in one sitting. The episodes are snack size, the quality is high and they were over before you knew it, which leaves you with a desire for more.
Within seconds it becomes apparent that the production value of Secret Level across the board is beyond reproach. Every aspect of Secret Level is pristine. The visuals are stunning, voice acting is superb, sound direction is immersive, and the score is epic. The score for each episode actually stood out with how on point it was for each franchise. With Dungeons and Dragons, it created an epic and fantastical world with an orchestral focus. While on Unreal Tournament, the score was electronic, which was more in line with the nature of the game and the generation when it was in its prime.
Some of the episodes of Secret Level stay fairly close to the source material and deliver a story close to what you would expect. However, on some other episodes, Blur takes the liberty to create original story by stepping out of the box. Pac-man comes to mind, which I wont spoil, as well as Unreal Tournament, which you might think would be nothing more than eye popping pyrotechnics with a shallow story, but then you are met with one of the more engaging episodes about an AI uprising that begins with one robot similar to Chappie.
While talking about Unreal Tournament, it’s a perfect time to mention the attention to detail in Secret Level. Little things like how the tournament announcer is one of the original voice actors from the game and anyone who played it will instantly recognize it.
Elephant in the room is obviously the Concord episode. Obviously, Secret Level has likely been in development for 3-4 years, right around the time that PlayStation acquired Firewalk based on their IP Concord. In the off chance you have been living under a rock, after a beta that failed to gain interest and dismal launch numbers, Concord was removed from sale after two weeks in an unprecedented move from PlayStation, but also in the world of gaming altogether. Retooling was suggested, but sadly mere months later the studio was completed shut down. Sadly, Concord is one of the best episodes and those who gave Concord a chance say that the best thing about the game was the lore and the Secret Level gave us a peek into what could’ve been.
I would love to have been a fly on the wall for the creation of Secret Level. How was the order of episodes chosen and why did they pick some of these games that were included. There are obvious answers like Crossfire from Tencent and New World: Aeturnum from Amazon. These make sense for funding purposes and the simple connection with Prime Video, where Secret Level will be exclusively streaming, but what about games like Sifu from sloclap and Spelunky from Mossmouth. How did these titles from small indie developers also get included?
PATCH NOTES
With Love, Death, and Robots I never knew what the next art style of each episode would be, however most episodes of Secret Level had a similar look with the exception of a few episodes. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Sifu and Spulinky, two of the better episodes of the anthology also features unique art styles from the rest of the series. These episodes felt like a breath of fresh air.
Some of the games, no matter how iconic they were like Pac-Man felt a little fractured from the rest of the anthology and even from the source material itself. The episode was very good, and featured a very unique take on the Pac-man universe, but I wondered why it was included.
When Secret Level was at its best was when it took a microscope to the franchises we love and told us stories that focused on the minutiae and was able to expand on knowledge that we are already familiar with like when how the Armored Core episode gave a glimpse into the life of one specific pilot. These stories were captivating and I think thats why the PlayStation focused episode stood out from the crowd in the wrong way.
The other area of strength for the series was the direct tie-ins to the actual games. I might not be one of the five million people who have played Space Marine 2 yet, but learning about the backstory of Lieutenant Titus and his origin story made me want to play the game right away. Not only did this episode feature some of the strongest visuals, and sound direction, but it also featured one of the more fascinating stories of the entire anthology.
Obviously as good as Secret Level was, I wanted more. Some of the episodes were only 8 minutes, which were over before you even knew it. If all episodes were between 15-20 minutes, that would be enough to be satisfied and tell a decent character arc.
VERDICT
Secret Level is a massive success for a three simple reasons. First, you don’t need to know anything about the source material to enjoy it. Second, if you don’t know about it, it makes you want to learn more. Finally, if you already know the source material, it still finds ways to surprise you or teach you more about the universes that you already love. It might not be a perfect first season, however most criticisms of the show are only ways that we hope it could improve if we are lucky enough to get a second seasons.
If you’re unaware of how screeners work, they include your name or email right in the middle of the screen, so that you can’t pirate the show. I bring this up because I coudln’t think of a better endorsement to leave you with than by saying how in most episodes I didn’t even notice because Secret Level is that good. Secret Level is a celebration of the medium that is unlike anything before it and if you have any type of affinity for video games, Secret Level is a must watch