Why Secret Level May Not Be the Show You Think It Is

Despite all that has been revealed about it so far, Tim Miller’s upcoming American adult animated anthology series Secret Level remains largely a mystery, with its trailers showcasing a rather interesting conglomerate of video game imagery that will somehow eventually translate into a show. Each episode in Secret Level is a standalone story based on several video games and franchises, some of which have already arrived and some that are still to come.

Game Rant recently had the opportunity to pre-screen several episodes of Tim Miller’s Secret Level ahead of its release, and it seems as though, by and large, the show may subvert the expectations of fans of some of the video game industry’s biggest titles. Fortunately, it’s not necessarily a negative subversion, as it can be seen as more than worthwhile when viewed through a particular lens. In the end, the key is in knowing Secret Level‘s intentions and choosing not to limit expectations to narrow specifics.

Why Secret Level May Subvert Expectations

Secret Level Is All About Expanding Video Game Worlds

In order to understand Secret Level‘s potential to subvert the expectations of fans looking forward to its premiere, it’s important to acknowledge Secret Level‘s premise, which is largely summed up in its title. Essentially, Secret Level intends to be a “secret level” for some of the biggest gaming franchises and IPs on the market, as opposed to being a mere continuation of the narratives and characters fans have come to know and love, as well as those they might be looking forward to delving into. In a sense, Secret Level is comparable to that one DLC that fleshes out a game’s world but doesn’t feature the main protagonist as the lead character and, therefore, doesn’t necessarily continue the game’s main narrative.

More or less, each episode of Secret Level is an expansion of worlds — a proverbial side quest, for lack of a better term — in which virtual universes at large are taken beyond the confines of their respective hands-on limitations and into a much larger space where almost anything is possible. The only limits here are the video game lore and characters that have been previously established as gospel. However, even then, Secret Level is able to take viewers to an undiscovered place where they might find themselves caring about stories and characters they didn’t even know existed in the worlds they might have otherwise become experts in.

Secret Level Primarily Excludes Well-Known Characters and Stories

Given Secret Level‘s premise and the hype that has surrounded the show ahead of its release, it may inevitably subvert fan expectations, especially in light of what has been the primary conversation surrounding the show. More specifically, fans should plan on almost every episode of Secret Level surprising them, as the show seems to do its best to avoid featuring the most famous characters from video games and referencing the narratives those characters are a part of. Perhaps even this was expected of Secret Level, based on the minor details that have been disclosed in the show’s trailers, but the hype train that the show is on might suggest otherwise.

After eagle-eyed fans spotted major characters like God of War‘s Kratos and Ghost of Tsushima‘s Jin Sakai in Secret Level‘s trailers, a vast majority of the talk surrounding the show has revolved around said characters making an appearance. There was even a rumor at some point that suggested Jin Sakai’s appearance in Secret Level was an indication of a video game sequel on the way, even though that turned out not to be the case, as Ghost of Yotei was revealed instead. However, some might find it either unfortunate or a blessing in disguise that the show has a tendency to avoid such stories, preferring instead to focus on characters and stories that no one but the show has known ahead of its premiere.

Secret Level‘s preference for stories and characters previously unheard of isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as many of its episodes, regardless of their short runtime, succeed in making substantial additions to some of the most prominent virtual worlds in gaming. More than anything, this approach accomplishes something that video game franchises might otherwise have a difficult time achieving in their own medium, due to the limitations established by the narratives they have already set in motion. Nevertheless, the best advice for those looking forward to watching Secret Level might be to head into the show expecting to see less of what they know and more of what they didn’t know was possible.

Secret Level premieres on Amazon Prime Video on December 10.

Amazon Prime Video’s Secret Level is an animated series that explores different gaming worlds, telling short stories within them. Some of the featured games include Armored Core, Sifu, Unreal Tournament, Concord, Ghost of Tsushima, Pac-Man, and The Outer Worlds.

Release Date

December 10, 2024

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Cast

Arnold Schwarzenegger , Patrick Schwarzenegger , Kevin Hart , Laura Bailey , Keanu Reeves , Gabriel Luna , Ariana Greenblatt , Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje , Michael Beach , Emily Swallow , claudia doumit

Seasons

1

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Production Company

Blur Studio, Amazon MGM Studios

Network

Amazon Prime Video

Streaming Service(s)

Amazon Prime Video

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Creator(s)

Tim Miller

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