Secret Level: A Video Game Animation Anthology

During Gamescom’s Opening Night global livestream, Amazon will officially release its video game anthology series, Secret Level, on its streaming platform starting December 10th. Overall, the series consists of 15 episodes that will bring classic video games into the world of animation. Moreover, a teaser trailer was released to give audiences a glimpse of the action-packed ride that was set to come.

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Season One Features 15 Episodes

Ultimately, the series' 15 episodes will consist of video games of various levels of fame. Mainly, each episode of the anthology series will tell its own story by taking Prime customers to new and exciting worlds. What’s more? Audiences will get a sense of nostalgia as they return to these familiar, classic video game worlds with brand-new adventures. So, fans should get excited for the first-ever animated show and video game crossover that’ll contain more game IP than any other television series before it.

Armored Core and Concord

One game shown in the trailer that surprised fans was FromSoftware’s Armored Core, originally released in 1997. This third-person shooter will have its dedicated episode featuring mecha designed similarly to what’s depicted in both 2012’s Armored Core V and 2013’s Armored Core Verdict Day. While these mechas are smaller than its original game, they’re much more industrial-looking. Even more surprising is that the famed actor, Keanu Reeves, will play one of the mechanized pilots.

Although the video game, Concord is set to release in August 2024, it will still debut in Secret Level. On another note, this first-person shooter will also be a 5v5 multiplayer action game and exclusive to PlayStation. With Concord set to release cinematics weekly, the game would benefit from the attention generated from its Secret Level episode.

Crossfire and D&D

Secret Level will also include the video game, Crossfire, which is mostly popular internationally, in South Korea and Japan to be more precised. Surprisingly, Secret Level isn’t the first show to include this international hit game as China released a live-action adaptation in July 2020. However, China’s series differs from Secret Level as it focuses on two gamers rather than the video game itself.

Dungeons and Dragons is considered one of the greatest franchises in the gaming industry so its inclusion shouldn’t be too surprising. Along with 2023’s film, Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, the franchise consists of various adaptations spanning decades. With that said, the biggest question surrounding the game is how will it be depicted in Secret Level.

Exodus and Honor of Kings

Archetype Entertainment’s video game, Exodus, is similar to Concord in that neither game has been released yet. Nonetheless, the game will be introduced on the big screen by having its own Secret Level episode as well. In this role-playing game (RPG), gamers will take on the role of the Traveler. From there, they’re tasked to steal weaponry and technology from advanced alien lifeforms to aid humans in their fight against them. The game’s emotional core will come from how players deal with time dilation as their intergalactic travels will have consequences to the overall story. This exciting premise may make for Secret Level’s most moving episode of the season.

Another popular video game from China is Honor of Kings, and it was originally launched in 2015. Although the game had a successful launch, it wouldn’t become available worldwide until 2024. Ultimately, this action game would become one of the biggest MOBA games worldwide. With that said, Honor of Kings will have its own Secret Level episode as well.

Mega Man and New World: Aeternum

Since its release in 1987, Mega Man would become a global juggernaut with its franchise spanning 50+ games across various game systems. Mega Man is arguably Capcom’s most popular video game franchise, which may explain why it frequently appears throughout the teaser trailer. Additionally, Mega Man’s episode may differ from the other video games included as its art style may be more anime-inspired.

Amazon Games and Amazon Games Orange County published and developed New World: Aeternum on September 28, 2021 respectively . So, of course, Amazon would include the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) in their animated show. Not only can the game’s inclusion make for exciting television, but it can also gain interest from fans to give it a shot.

Pac-Man, PlayStation, and Sifu

Although the trailer gives Pac-Man the shortest screen time, its art style looks realistic and interesting. The game itself is known for its simple plotline of the titular character eating dots while avoiding ghosts haunting him throughout elaborate mazes. How the series will portray Pac-man is still unknown as it may not be as predictable as the other games included.

The end of the teaser trailer hints that numerous characters from Playstation’s iconic games may make an appearance. This episode may be the most random as it doesn’t follow one particular PlayStation game but instead brings together various PlayStation mascots. These characters include Kratos from God of War and Jin Sakai from Ghost of Tsushima.

Sifu makes for a great addition to the animated anthology series. As a whole, Sifu is a run-based third-person action game that is popular by fans for its unique fighting style consisting of 150 different moves in total. The game’s John Wick-like fighting gameplay and beautiful art style may be renowned by fans and critics alike. Taking the game’s style and action may be one to stand out among the rest in Secret Level.

Speluncky and The Outer Worlds

Released in 2008, Spelucky found Indie game success as a 2D-animated platformer. In the game, players explore various generated caverns as the titular spelunker. From what’s seen in the teaser trailer, it seems the Speluncky episode will remain faithful to its source material by maintaining its original art style.

Obsidian Entertainment’s The Outer Worlds series will appear in the animated anthology series. The games are known for their distinct comedy, satire, and their beautiful world-building. All of which is perfect for an animated adaptation. Interestingly, the trailer announced that it will incorporate the game, The Outer Worlds 2, into the series specifically.

Unreal Tournament and Warhammer 40,000

Unreal Tournament was released in 1999 and may be one of the best arena shooter games. Despite it lacking many games, its legacy overall has largely remained untouched in the gaming industry. The game is popular for putting players in a series of fighting competitions to kill their opponents until their the last standing. Following this premise, Secret Level may have one action-packed episode that’ll have fans at the edge of their seats.

The tabletop wargame, Warhammer 40,000, is similar to Dungeons and Dragons for its gameplay and its use of sci-fi and fantasy elements. The game was first introduced to the public in 1987 and has been a fan-favorite since as it has numerous adaptations. Its lore alone gives Amazon and Blue Studio much to work with for its Secret Level episode. However, judging by the teaser trailer, the games’ mascots, the Space Marines, may take center stage in the series.

Creators Behind Secret Level

The project was produced by Dave Wilson and Tim Miller, who also created Netflix’s animated anthology series, Love, Death + Robots. In addition to being an executive producer, Wilson was also given the role of supervising director. With Love, Death + Robots gaining critical acclaim, the rising anticipation for Secret Level is far from an actual secret. Due to its premise, the series’ taking place in the world of legendary video games will only add to fan interest as its release date approaches.

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This article is originally written by David Gilbert the 4th.