If you’re an avid gamer, you may already know about the exciting new Amazon Prime Video original series, Secret Level. The show premiered its first batch of eight episodes on Dec. 10, taking viewers inside the world of different video game franchises. This allows fans to explore numerous universes, from early classics like Pac-Man to new releases like Exodus, through the eyes of various non-playable characters. Secret Level has already been hailed as one of the most ambitious projects ever made, requiring collaboration and participation from many game studios. The series comes from the same team responsible for bringing Netflix’s sci-fi anthology Love Death + Robots to life, so many viewers already have high expectations.

Since the first half of Secret Level is still fresh off the presses, and the second half of the season is expected to premiere on Dec. 17, now seems like as good a time as any to look at each game franchise explored by the anthology series. The show is expected to run 15 episodes in total, with 15 different IPs spanning multiple consoles and play-styles. Since each episode of Secret Level will showcase characters and stories not seen in the actual games, you can rest assured that there will be no spoilers for the show ahead. Without any further preamble, let’s dive right in, and see what video game franchises we can expect to find in Amazon’s Secret Level.

‘Dungeons & Dragons’

Though Dungeons & Dragons has been depicted in a myriad of video games over the years, the game began as a tabletop role-playing experience. If you’re a fan of games of any variety, there’s a great chance that you’ve played a bit of D&D yourself, or at least seen it depicted on popular television shows such as The Big Bang Theory, Community or Stranger Things. The game, which generally takes place in a high fantasy realm with elves, orcs and other mythical beings, is generally known for its inventive gameplay, turn-based combat and ability to appeal to the wildest imaginations of its players. The first episode of Secret Level explores the world of Dungeons & Dragons by showcasing a party of adventurers on a mission to stop a dangerous cult.

‘Sifu’

Secret Level‘s second episode centers on Sifu, a hit third-person fighting game from 2022. The game, which is available to play on all major platforms, centers on a kung-fu master who seeks revenge on a gang of bandits who murdered his father. As the player character continues to fight, he gains new special moves and experiences, while aging rapidly. Eventually, the character becomes too old and perishes, forcing you to restart the entire level. Essentially, this game mechanic forces the player to replay levels under increasing time pressure until they become masters of the level layout and move-set, which makes Sifu one of the most innovative and exciting games on this list.

‘New World: Aeternum’

The in-game universe of New World: Aeternum serves as the backdrop for Secret Level‘s third episode, offering a unique spin on the game’s massive MMORPG environment. New World, one of the most recently released games on this list, invites players to join one of three factions on a remote island in the middle of the Atlantic, where monsters and barbarians roam with reckless abandon. The game is said to have a player-driven economy of raw resources and community settlements, often crafted through online play with friends and strangers alike. Much like Dungeons & Dragons, this allows players to set their own unique goals, construct different character types and explore a wide-open world with a plethora of possibilities.

‘Unreal Tournament’

Unlike most of the other games on this list, Unreal Tournament is no longer playable to the general public. The game, which serves as the setting for Secret Level‘s fourth episode, was initially released by Epic Games and Digital Extremes back in 1999, and has since been shut down entirely in favor of newer IPs like Fortnite. Even though gamers can no longer access Unreal Tournament servers, the project has become the source of a great deal of nostalgia for those of a certain age. The game is a first-person arena shooter taking place during the fictional Human–Skaarj war, where violent battles to the death have been commodified in something of a modern-day gladiator colosseum.

Depending on your preference, you could play the game in single-player mode, facing off against an army of computer-controlled bots, or in multiplayer mode, fighting against hordes of actual players from around the globe. In many ways, Unreal Tournament acts as a prototype for Fortnite, though many video game fans of the early 21st-century hail the now-defunct shooter as one of the greatest games of all time. Any way you slice it, retro gamers were surely shocked and excited to see Secret Level venturing into the world of Unreal Tournament for the fourth episode, and will surely rally to see more of the game’s IP in future projects.

‘Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2’

Most modern gamers have already heard of the Warhammer franchise since the outings are some of the most popular in the modern gaming landscape. The latest from the franchise, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, sees players optimizing a variety of third-person combat styles to hack and slash their way through massive hordes of enemies. With a myriad of play styles to choose from, including 6v6 competitive multiplayer, couch co-op, and many more, Warhammer fans can explore a wide variety of options, leveling up their characters with traits and superlatives that adapt to their individual needs. Much like Dungeons & Dragons, the Warhammer franchise originally began as a tabletop game, which continues to dominate in public gaming spaces to this very day.

‘Pac-Man’

If you’ve spent any time playing video games in the last 40 years, you’re likely intimately acquainted with Pac-Man. The eponymous yellow creature with an insatiable appetite has been gobbling up pellets and ghosts since the arcade game landed in the 1980s, and has seen numerous adaptations since, including a variety of arcade games, releases for home consoles, mobile devices and even television and film iterations. Needless to say, the Pac-Man seen in Secret Level’s sixth episode bears little resemblance to the 2D pie-chart-shaped classic. Instead, the show takes a bold new approach and showcases a new and inventive take on the classic franchise. If you take nothing else from the exciting new Amazon Prime series, be sure to run to your nearest arcade and blow a few quarters trying to run up a new high score on this old favorite.

‘Crossfire’

Though American-born gamers may not be aware of Crossfire, the 2007 game is known to be a massive hit in the Asian gaming market. The project was once considered the highest-grossing online video game of all time, generating billions in revenue in the first ten years since its release. The free-to-play shooter is still available to play in most nations, with Microsoft Windows and Smilegate Entertainment hosting servers all over the world for online use. In Crossfire, players are able to choose between two mercenary operations, which battle one another in an endless war of attrition. Most rounds consist of two teams of eight players each, who must work to complete tasks and kill their enemies under time pressure.

‘Armored Core’

Though Japanese video game company FromSoftware is best known for developing so-called Souls-like games including Dark Souls, Bloodborne and Elden Ring, the devs have also been hailed for producing the Armored Core franchise, which released its sixth installment, Fires of Rubicon, in the Summer of 2023. This serves as the home for Secret Level’s eighth episode, which sees human fighters hopping in giant decked-out mech suits to engage in explosive combat with foreign soldiers.

These suits, named Armored Cores, require pilots to hot-swap new technology and a variety of weapon types to progress through each fight, making the series something of a dream come true for kids who grew up on shows like Power Rangers back in the ’80s and ’90s. Multiple continuities exist within the extended universe, so avid fans will just have to tune in to Secret Level in order to see how the series approaches the canon.

‘Concord’

Unfortunately, Concord is the most notorious game on this list, and not for the right reasons. The battle royale style first-person shooter was initially released for consoles on Aug. 23, 2024. Despite wowing some gamers with its sci-fi premise, retro-futuristic setting and innovative storytelling techniques, Concord was shut down just weeks after release and removed from all digital retailers on Sep. 6, 2024. At first, Sony Interactive Entertainment promised that the server closures would be a temporary measure as developers at Firewalk Studios fine-tuned some of the game’s day-one issues.

Unfortunately, this ultimately turned out not to be the case, as the studio closed its doors in late October. Those who purchased Concord were entitled to full refunds at that time, and the game’s development has been permanently halted. While it’s a true shame that Concord turned out to be a $400 million money pit, it’s even more upsetting that the game will serve as the backdrop for one of Secret Level‘s 15 episodes. Though the Concord episode was undoubtedly planned to coincide with the story and setting of the game when the Amazon series was first announced, the episode will now serve as a testament to lost media, since the IP has been all but wiped from the face of the Earth.

‘Exodus’

Much like Concord, Exodus is unlike any other game on this list- albeit for more positive reasons. The game, which is currently being developed by a team of ex-Bioware programmers under the banner of the newly minted Archetype Entertainment, has not yet been released to the public. This means that, while many hardcore gamers are already excited to play Exodus thanks to some recently released promotional materials, most people’s first experience with the game will be through an upcoming episode of Secret Level. For now, we know very little about Exodus, though fans are welcome to learn more by joining the founder’s program at the game’s official website.

‘Honor of Kings’

Honor of Kings is a multiplayer online battle arena game, developed for mobile devices such as iPhones and Androids back in 2015. Its primarily beloved by gamers in the Chinese market, though it has grown to become an extremely popular app with some Western audiences as well. The game typically sorts players into 20-minute matches, which consist of defeating waves of enemy NPCs with unique powers. In order to win a match, players are required to take out enemy structures, destroy their opponent’s power crystals and eliminate all opponents under time pressure. For now, it’s hard to say exactly how Secret Level will approach the IP, though we’re sure it’ll be a delight to see the mobile game brought to life on Amazon Prime.

‘Mega Man’

Much like Pac-Man, Mega Man is an iconic video game character dating back to the 1980s. The original Mega Man was developed for the Nintendo Entertainment System nearly 40 years ago, though the character and IP have since been translated into more than 50 standalone projects. The most recent main-line Mega Man game, Mega Man 11, was released in 2018, to widely favorable reviews. Since then, the iconic character has continued blasting his way through numerous ventures, including the Smash Bros. franchise. If you’re not already familiar with the Mega Man games, you definitely owe it to yourself to dive into the fast-paced sci-fi smasher as soon as humanly possible.

PlayStation

If you’re an avid gamer, this entry may stand out as odd to you, since “PlayStation” isn’t the name of any one single video game or franchise. Nonetheless, Secret Level claims that one of its upcoming episodes will focus on the PlayStation universe, leaving fans with plenty of questions. The video game console, which has now spanned five generations of high-quality gaming machines, serves as the home to a wide array of exclusive favorites. Will this episode take Secret Level through the alleyways of Sly Cooper, the space stations of Ratchet & Clank or the eco fields of Jak and Daxter? Maybe it will even go slightly more modern and drag its viewers through the blood-soaked arenas of Bloodborne?

While there’s no way of knowing exactly how the PlayStation episode of Secret Level will play out, it’s also possible that the show deviates from its usual format to walk through a series of self-referential meta-games like Astro’s Playroom or the now-defunct PlayStation Home. Any way you slice it, this episode will surely be a highlight for many console gamers who have firmly sided with Sony over Xbox and Nintendo releases.

‘Spelunky’

Spelunky is a classic 2D platformer, originally developed and released for free back in 2008. The game’s sole independent creator, Derek Yu, has since gone on to become a major player in the world of mobile gaming and app development. For those who don’t recall, Spelunky offers a procedurally generated roguelike experience, which sees players exploring tunnels, gathering treasure and resources and facing off against monstrous enemies. As you descend further and further through the game’s never-ending cave system, you face increasing risk and increasing reward, culminating in a few epic boss battles for massive loot.

Though the game, and its 2020 sequel Spelunky 2, were both most popular on mobile platforms, both have been formatted for Xbox, PlayStation and other consoles, offering additional perks such as co-op and team death-match modes. This game seems like an ideal source of exploration for Secret Level… as long as you’re not too claustrophobic!

‘The Outer Worlds’

Wrapping up our list of every game and franchise covered by Secret Level is the 2019 action role-playing hit The Outer Worlds. This science fiction game, developed by Obsidian Entertainment, sees human beings colonizing and terraforming a variety of planets in the vast expanse of space. Like several of the games mentioned above, The Outer Worlds allows players to customize their character, make impactful choices and explore an open world while knocking out a wide array of quests and self-guided missions. This game was developed from the same team behind the legendary Fallout franchise and carries many of the same beloved hallmarks of those hit games. While it’s undoubtedly exciting to see each of these new and retro games adapted into anthology tales for Amazon, The Outer Worlds may just be the most highly anticipated episode of the whole Secret Level series.

Secret Level

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