Secret Level, the self-proclaimed “revolutionary gaming anthology series” created by Tim Miller (Love, Death & Robots, Deadpool), came out towards the very tail-end of 2024 with a rather straightforward, yet tantalising, premise — a collection of 15 original, standalone short stories based on (some popular, others not so) videogames.
Only it turns out — not that surprisingly, I guess — not all of them were created quite equally. Nonetheless, with almost each episode boasting its own unique set of the good, the bad and the ugly, it seems fair to bestow them with judgement separately.
So lest we overstay our welcome with these filler opening paragraphs, here we present, the Secret Level episode power ratings (spoiler-free-ish):
Episode 01: The Queen’s Cradle
Game: Dungeons & Dragons
It’s not that difficult to guess why the showrunners might have wanted to open with D&D. It’s got a wider following and appeal outside core video game circles (not to mention the massive, recent success of Baldur’s Gate 3), and endless possibilities when it comes to storytelling.
Alas, the episode squanders any such opportunities in favour of a generic D&D tale with generic visuals and generic characters. In a time when there exists not only a great Dungeons & Dragons film (Honor Among Thieves), but a plethora of brilliant podcasts and web-series around the iconic game, the episode comes off as uninspired and hacky.
A brilliant dragon (Oriel) design though; it sure feels like that’s where most of the budget (and creativity) went into.
How good was the episode as a standalone? 5/10
How much it makes you want to look up / play the game? 5/10
Episode 02: It Takes a Life
Game: Sifu
Bleeding cool from the very get-go (and borrowing visual aesthetics from the game itself), the episode wastes little time getting to the point — the action.
High-octane direction and seamless choreography bring to life(!) our revenge-bent protagonist’s bloody descent into the neon-lit Chinese urban landscape, and help turn a serviceable base story into something more gripping and exiting. Add to it a supernatural twist, and it’s as if you’ve almost reinvented the wheel. With practically only seven minutes long, the episode is a true coup de maître.
How good was the episode as a standalone? 8/10
How much it makes you want to look up / play the game? 9/10
Episode 03: The Once and Future King
Game: New World
There are few attempts at humour in this anthology, but this one surely takes the cake. It’s difficult to say much without giving away the central premise, but it’s a story that treads some familiar themes of self-worth, conquest, friendship, and second chances, without any of it coming off as corny.
Arnold Schwarzenegger too delivers a great performance as the protagonist, making it one of the more memorable parts of the series.
How good was the episode as a standalone? 8/10
How much it makes you want to look up / play the game? 7/10
Episode 04: Xan
Game: Unreal Tournament
One of the OG games to feature on the series, Xan gives Unreal (literally) the space it deserves. One of the longer episodes at about 20 minutes mark, it manages to tell a more comprehensive story compared to some of the others, which often feel a little like snapshots.
That said, and while surely high on the slick-factor, unfortunately, the episode ends up treading a lot of beaten paths. Machines becoming sentient, the abusive human overlords, gladiatorial combats, an uprising and rebellion — there is little you probably haven’t already seen a dozen of times. A strong outing overall, but shy of outstanding.
How good was the episode as a standalone? 7/10
How much it makes you want to look up / play the game? 8/10
Episode 05: And They Shall Know No Fear
Game: Warhammer 40,000
One of the coolest entries in the series — and therein lies its strength and weakness.
A visual feast, the episode is a masterclass in atmosphere and the notion of show, don’t tell, with a near-perfect blend of high-octane action, horror undercurrents and the grimdark tone. But while the short makes you quite curious about the world it’s set in, it’s also decidedly thin on storytelling, sacrificing it a bit in favour of leaning on the lore side of things. A very enjoyable outing nonetheless.
How good was the episode as a standalone? 8/10
How much it makes you want to look up / play the game? 9/10
Episode 06: Circle
Game: PAC-MAN
This is where things start to get a little weird for the series, and not necessarily in a good way.
Primarily a promotion for an upcoming Pac-Man game — re-imagined as a metroidvania — by Bandai Namco Studios, the sinister take on the classic here is not inherently a bad idea, but feels a little awkward when forced onto a, you know, floating golden ball that is Pac-Man(?).
But then again, it might to be the worst thing you have seen the character featured in over the decades. As for the broader idea in for story itself, it comes off as a poor man’s version of an incredible arc from Scavengers Reign, a brilliant the animated show that you should probably be watching instead of this.
How good was the episode as a standalone? 5/10
How much it makes you want to look up / play the game? 5/10
Episode 07: Good Conflict
Game: Crossfire
One of the biggest misfires (to put it politely) of the series, Good Conflict is chock-full of bad writing, bad direction, and bad execution.
Written by one can only image a 13-year-old who just discovered the idea of self-perception, and decided to have each character literally say they are good guys every other line because, I guess, that’s how the creator’s TikTok mind works. A dumpster fire of clichés.
How good was the episode as a standalone? 2/10
How much it makes you want to look up / play the game? 3/10
Episode 08: Asset Management
Game: Armored Core
From one of the worst to, mercifully, one of the better outings in the anthology. Not only does the episode finely manage to balance a character-driven narrative against a plot-driven one, but also comes off more than the sum of its sci-fi, action and suspenseful parts.
And while having a big celebrity in the driving seat(!) of an animated production (be it in for voice acting or motion capture) is often debatable, Keanu Reeves — no stranger to these waters — pulls his weight here with his Constantine-esque, death wish-y, unhinged-junkie-off-his-rocker part.
How good was the episode as a standalone? 8/10
How much it makes you want to look up / play the game? 7/10
Episode 09: The Company We Keep
Game: The Outer Worlds
A disappointment coming from a game that has built itself around corporate satire and humour. Predictable from the beginning, the episode just goes through the motions with it’s a small pocket of jokes, and fails to pull through with the emotional beats.
There are a few good gags in here, but in the end, the story just feels empty, and even incomplete to a point where one wonders if something was left on the chopping board.
How good was the episode as a standalone? 6/10
How much it makes you want to look up / play the game? 7/10
Episode 10: Start
Game: Mega Man
There are decades-old videogame cutscenes without dialogues that offer more interesting and purposeful stories.
How good was the episode as a standalone? 3/10
How much it makes you want to look up / play the game? 3/10
Episode 11: Odyssey
Game: Exodus
Another episode that acts as a promotion for a game not out yet. In this case, a sci-fi from former BioWare developers. But keeping our focus on the show here, Odyssey tells an intergalactic story of exploration, relationships, rebellion, sacrifice, and adventure.
Alas, if only an emotional father-daughter tale via the prism of time dilation hadn’t already been told through a tiny little film called Interstellar. Well, at least we get so see some aliens here.
How good was the episode as a standalone? 7/10
How much it makes you want to look up / play the game? 7/10
Episode 12: Tally
Game: Spelunky
In one of the most meta episodes in the show, Tally looks players in the eye and tries to have a heart-to-heart about the nature of games, the highs and lows of a run, and the motivation to keep on keeping on.
Although not too long, at times it does come off a little too sincere in a preformative way, but there are far worse crimes than that. Not a bad one, but nothing that’ll stay with you either.
How good was the episode as a standalone? 6/10
How much it makes you want to look up / play the game? 5/10
Episode 13: Tale of the Implacable
Game: Concord
If this is now all what remains of the infamously purged game, it’s a bloody shame. Uninspired, predictable, generic and bland, it suffers from a tired case of we-have-Guardians-of-the-Galaxy-at-home.
How good was the episode as a standalone? 4/10
How much it makes you want to look up / play the game? SMH/10
Episode 14: The Way of All Things
Game: Honor of Kings
The penultimate story feels something right out of a Ted Chiang collection. History, technology, quest for revenge and questions of free will, all collide in a battle of wits and conviction.
Masterfully animated — with few of the best visuals the series has to offer — this philosophical musing into the causes and effects of existence, and the triumph (and folly) of human nature is a winner. The only thing it suffers form is a flat protagonist, but then again, I guess you can’t have everything.
How good was the episode as a standalone? 8/10
How much it makes you want to look up / play the game? 7/10
Episode 15: Fulfillment
Service(?): Playtime
One of the, if not the, worst closing episode I’ve come across in a series. A ginormous glass of aged-milk blended with a mutated, fungus-infused decade-old-pizza of an ad disguised as a something profound. What in the hell, Sony!? (coming from a multi-PlayStation owner).
So bad, it’s surprising Ryan Reynolds didn’t show up. I guess a point for that mercifulness.
How good was the episode as a standalone? 1/10
How much it makes you want to look up / engage with the service / company? -10/10
All episode screengrabs via Amazon Prime Video.
