When I first heard about Secret Level and what it’ll be about, it was needless to say that I was excited. Then, I got even more excited when I found out who would be overseeing the series. After watching it, let me say that it was exactly what I expected from them. For those who have yet to find out, Secret Level is an anthology series featuring short stories based on popular video game titles produced by Blur Studio, the same studio that gave us LOVE, DEATH & ROBOTS on Netflix. From that, along with the trailer, we knew that a twist would be placed on the games we love. I will note that I only know about half of these titles prior to going into this series so learning about them was a surprise. After watching the trailer, I did wonder how certain games would fit into what Blur Studio was doing given my prior knowledge of their work from LD&R. Amazingly, they managed to pull it off.
Mega Man was a big one for fans who want to see the Blue Bomber back in action. It would be awesome to see this version of him in a revival title.
Blur Studio is known for their incredible CGI and imagery. They spare no expense in giving us an animation buffet for the eyes. The imagery in each episode is unique and astounding. There were times when the lines between fiction and reality were blurred. For example, the Crossfire episode could easily have been mistaken for a live action short due to the realistic features of the characters and heart pumping intense action that was packed into a ten-minute episode. Dungeons & Dragons fans get a treat at what a fully CGI movie based on the beloved tabletop game would look like if one was ever fully realized. While Blur Studio may be at the helm, other studio companies also get to show off their work which leads to unique animation styles. The episode centered on SIFU improves dramatically upon the animation, art style and action that is present in the game. The same also goes for Spelunky which (like SIFU) seemed to borrow its animation style from the “League of Legends” inspired series Arcane. Like any gamer, when I see something inspired by video games, I look for references and tie-ins to those games. The Super Mario Bros and Sonic the Hedgehog movies have plenty of references and Easter eggs for fans to spot so naturally, Secret Level would have more of the same. Heck, the title says it all. Some of these are obvious, like the elephant in the room while others can only be spotted the eagle-eyed fans and those who truly understand what the reference means, and by that, I mean experience as the player.
A new completed party faces off against the legendary dragon, Tiamat in “Secret Level: Dungeons & Dragons – The Queen’s Cradle.”
Many of us gaming fans are always for good story telling and Secret Level delivers that in a variety of ways even though the episodes have a max runtime of 10 – 16 minutes. Those of us who have played the game the episodes are based on already know the story and characters. However, this does not mean that people who are unfamiliar with the game cannot follow along and get the gist of what is happening. Like I said, I only know about less than half the games featured in the series, yet I still got the idea of what the game is through the short story and straight up just figuring it out. For example, I have zero knowledge about Crossfire yet, just by how the episode progressed, I was able to piece together that it was a shooter-type game. I looked it up and found out that it is an FPS. And the same thing with Spelunky. I had no clue this even existed but still, watching the episode I figured out that it was a platformer game. There is a story in each episode even when it may not seem like it. The Warhammer 40,000 episode is told through pure action with virtually no dialog. The action told the story, what was happening and what was going to happen. Again, I have heard of but never played Warhammer, but I got who these guys are just from the tone that was set in the episode. Now, you can’t have a good story without good voice acting. A lot of the cast fell into these roles and pulled them off nicely. There are a couple standouts such as the actors in the Crossfire episode. They were just as intense as the episode mainly because they are portraying military type characters. You felt how tensive the situation is. It was like watching an action movie and you were pulled in. There was a bit of controversy surrounding a promo image for the Armored Core episode the featured a character who resembled Keanu Reeves. Thankfully, the right decision was made and the “John Wick” star brought all his brooding demeanor to a character who shares his temperament. I have to say that I really enjoyed Arnold Schwarzenegger as King Aelstrom. He was just having a ball with this character in one of the lighthearted episodes of the series. After years of being imitated, he pokes fun at himself portraying a bumbling king whose intelligence is matched by his muscles.
No, your eyes are not deceiving you. The CGI in some episodes (such as Crossfire, pictured) blurs the line between reality and fiction.
With Mortal Kombat, the Castlevania series, Arcane series, Vox Machina, Sonic and Mario movies, I am happy that video games are getting recognition and the love they deserve. With so many failures in the past, we fans were due for something that will respect the games we love to play. The varying interpretations that the writers made with the games does open the door to these ideas being used in the future. The series also presents the opportunity for older franchises to be reinvented and revived. For instance, the Pac-Man episode is a promo for an upcoming title, Shadow Labyrinth. I’m sure fans would love to see a new Megaman inspired by his appearance in the series. Overall, Secret Level is a love story for video game fans which gives us both a deeper understanding of our favorite characters and weave new stories about the worlds they live in. It can be enjoyed by gamers and non-gamers alike.
Secret Level get 4.5 out of 5.
Secret Level Official Trailer
