Warning: this text comprises full spoilers for each episode of Secret Level.
Prime Video is as soon as once more championing the online game adaptation with its model new animated TV present, Secret Level. Produced by Blur Studio, the corporate behind many incredible online game cinematics and Netflix’s Love, Death & Robots, this CGI anthology sequence dives right into a model new sport universe every episode.
This first season is made up of 15 quick tales set within the worlds of Unreal Tournament, Pac-Man, Dungeons & Dragons, and extra. Each episode is a standalone story that anybody can watch with out prior data of the video games, however you’ll actually have a richer expertise when you have an understanding of the phrases they’re drawn from. That’s why we’ve put collectively this explainer information, which solutions the largest lore and background questions from every episode.
So should you’ve watched Secret Level and are available away asking issues like “Who is Xan?”, “What is the Cult of the Dragon?” or “What was in that field?”, you then’re in the suitable place for solutions.
Of course, proceed with warning: this text comprises spoilers for each episode of Secret Level out there to date.
Episode 1 – Dungeons & Dragons: The Queen’s Cradle
The Queen’s Cradle relies on Dungeons & Dragons, the 50-year-old tabletop RPG that created the world through which Baldur’s Gate 3 is about. As is typical of D&D’s fantasy adventures, the story follows a questing occasion of numerous characters: Mora, a goliath (see: mini large) paladin; Tally, a gnome wizard; Luzum, a dwarf monk; and Ahokal, an orc druid. Their mission is to avoid wasting Solon, a younger man lined in mysterious tattoos whom the occasion rescues from the Cult of the Dragon.
What is The Cult of the Dragon?
The Cult of the Dragon is a faction from the tabletop lore that believes undead dragons will someday rule the world. Some of its extra grisly practices contain sacrificing folks to the dragon gods, and that’s why Solon has been tattooed with these runes and symbols – the cult intends to sacrifice him to Tiamat, the five-headed queen of evil dragons. It is talked about that Solon was supposed to be sacrificed on the Well of Dragons, which is a temple of Tiamat hidden away inside a volcano.
Who is Oriel, the gold dragon?
Not all D&D dragons are evil. Tiamat’s brother and rival, Bahamut, is the chief of the noble metallic dragons. That’s why the occasion seeks out Oriel, a golden dragon, to assist remedy Solon of his affliction that causes him to see visions of Tiamat. Oriel is an authentic character for this story quite than an essential dragon within the lore, which is an efficient factor contemplating he will get torn aside by Tiamat as she materialises inside him.
Tiamat’s respawn
It’s not precisely clear how Tiamat arrives in the best way she does. The Well of Dragons has been utilized in prior D&D tales to coax Tiamat into the Material Plane (see: ‘regular’ actuality) from her lair within the Nine Hells. That’s probably what’s taking place right here, and Tiamat’s journey from hell could possibly be thought of one thing of a ‘rebirth’ or, to make use of a online game time period, a ‘respawn’. This idea is one thing explored throughout your entire Secret Level sequence.
Episode 2 – Sifu: It Takes a Life
It Takes a Life relies on Sifu, the 2022 motion sport from developer Sloclap. Set in China, the sport follows the journey of a person in search of revenge for the demise of his father. Unlike most episodes of Secret Level, It Takes a Life really takes place inside the storyline of its supply materials – the battle scenes are a recreation of Sifu’s second stage, The Club.
Why can the MC respawn?
Throughout the episode we see our hero, recognized solely as MC (principal character), die repeatedly. Rather than rot in a puddle of his personal blood, the MC is ready to resurrect and proceed combating. This recreates a mechanic from the online game, through which the MC has a magical talisman that raises him from the lifeless. The skill comes with a value, although; every resurrection ages the MC by a number of years. By the top of the episode we see that the MC has turn out to be an outdated man because of the variety of deaths he has respawned from.
Why does the talisman break?
The MC’s talisman is made up of a pendant with 5 charms. Occasionally these charms break when the MC resurrects. This is one other recreation of the sport’s mechanics, as in Sifu a attraction shatters when the MC has aged previous a decade milestone. Basically there’s solely so many occasions the talisman can save him, as all of the charms can have damaged by the point he’s aged previous 70 years outdated.
Who is the boss?
After combating his manner via the membership, the MC lastly faces the person he has been looking for. This is Sean, the second boss from the online game. While we don’t see the battle itself within the episode, the world is an identical to that seen within the sport, and Sean wields the identical bo employees that his sport counterpart makes use of.
Episode 3 – New World: The Once and Future King
The Once and Future King relies on New World, the MMORPG from Amazon Game Studios. Specifically, it appears to be a prequel to Aeternum, the sport’s latest replace. Set on an island the place no one ever dies, it follows the journey of a buffoonish king dying again and again in his try to assert rulership over the land.
Who is King Aelstrom?
In New World: Aeternum, Aelstrom is an NPC quest giver who supplies tutorial goals for brand new gamers. Little is understood about him within the sport, however he does clarify that he’s a former king. This episode of Secret Level thus acts as one thing of an origin story for Aelstrom. We see how his youthful self, voiced by none aside from Arnold Schwarzenegger, makes an attempt to put declare to the island of Aeternum. He finally fails, which presumably is the start line for his profession as an NPC camped out on Aeternum’s seashore within the beginning space of Monarch’s Bluffs.
In the sport, it’s revealed that Aelstrom has been kicked out of town of Prydwen. It appears probably that the citadel depicted on this episode is Prydwen and the story’s occasions are the rationale why Aelstrom has been exiled from town.
Why can Aelstrom respawn?
This episode briefly explains that no one dies on Aeternum (the island’s title is definitely the Latin phrase for “everlasting” or “perpetually”), therefore why King Aelstrom is ready to resurrect again and again, Edge of Tomorrow-style. Much just like the Sifu episode, this skill is rooted within the authentic sport. In New World, a mineral referred to as Azoth grants the island its supernatural energy and ensures that every one residing issues can resurrect. Simply put, it’s the lore behind why your character can respawn within the sport.
Episode 4 – Unreal Tournament: Xan
Xan is about within the Unreal Tournament universe and, very similar to the earlier episode The Once and Future King, acts as a prequel to the occasions that happen within the video video games. During this quick we witness a retelling of the origins of the Unreal Tournament, which was designed to place a cease to an AI rebellion.
Who is Xan?
The hero of this story is Xan Kriegor. While he appears to be like very completely different on this episode in comparison with the Xan seen within the first Unreal Tournament sport, Secret Level’s model of the character lives a life that largely matches the unique lore. Xan was constructed by the Liandri Mining Corporation for harmful mining operations. His notoriety started when he led a robotic rebellion in opposition to his human masters on asteroid LBX-7683. The episode reveals how Xan is the primary to strike again in opposition to his human oppressors.
What is the Unreal Tournament?
In Secret Level, it’s prompt that the Unreal Tournament demise matches are one thing of a punishment for Xan and his group of robots for his or her function within the riot. Things are barely completely different within the video games’ authentic backstory. After quelling the riot, Liandri captured the rebels and reprogrammed them, turning them right into a group of robotic warriors often called The Corrupt. They have been then entered into the Liandri Grand Tournament, a legally-sanctioned bloodsport that was launched to supply a violent outlet for an more and more aggressive inhabitants.
Rather than making an attempt to assist his fellow robots via a brutal punishment as he does in Secret Level’s model of occasions, the unique Xan is an environment friendly soldier making an attempt to win victory for his employer. He rapidly rises to turn out to be the event’s champion, changing into a mythological determine within the course of.
Episode 5 – Warhammer 40,000: And They Shall Know No Fear
And They Shall Know No Fear is a narrative set within the Warhammer 40,000 universe. This makes it the second Secret Level episode to be primarily based on a tabletop sport, however this quick additionally acts as a companion piece to the lately launched Space Marine 2 online game. Taking place after SM2’s marketing campaign, this episode sees Lieutenant Titus working as a part of an elite Bladeguard group on a mission to remove an agent of Chaos – daemons who pose the best risk to humanity. Continuing Secret Level’s ongoing theme of respawns and rebirth, the story explores how Space Marines are created by breaking down kids and rebuilding them into fearless warriors.
What is within the field?
Throughout the primary half of the episode Titus drags a coffin-like field via the battlefield. It is finally revealed to include an astropath, a slave with psychic powers. Astropaths are basically the Warhammer 40k model of a phone, as their talents permit them to ship and obtain messages throughout interstellar distances. They are additionally able to speaking with aliens and daemons, which is probably going one of many explanation why this astropath was introduced alongside for the mission. The principal purpose Titus has the astropath, although, is for its defensive capabilities – a talent often called Psychic Barrier. We see this getting used to guard the squad from the spectral grasp of Chaos.
Who is Titus’ foe?
The Space Marines are as soon as once more combating servants of the Chaos god Tzeentch, and followers of the sport will recognise each the blue-skinned Tzaangors and the statue of the large, bird-like Lord of Change. Slumbering inside the statue’s employees, although, is a brand new enemy: a Sorcerer of Tzeentch. There just isn’t a mannequin of this creature within the tabletop sport, but it surely has all of the hallmarks of a servant of Tzeentch: tentacle-like appendages, bizarre eyes, and the power to poison minds with terrifying illusions.
What is going on in Metaurus’ imaginative and prescient?
Much of this episode is seen from the attitude of Metaurus, the squad’s sergeant. He’s an authentic character for this story, however an essential one: it’s revealed that he was the individual to recruit Titus. Rather than break Titus as a baby and rebuild him right into a fearless soldier, Metarurus explains that Titus was fully fearless at the same time as a younger boy.
When the Tzeentch sorcerer torments Metaurus with visions, he begins to think about what Titus’ full lack of worry may imply. We see the picture of Titus remodel right into a spike-adorned disciple of Chaos earlier than stabbing his outdated mentor. The implication is that Titus’ full lack of worry may imply he’s not fearful sufficient of Chaos, and thus could also be tempted to hitch them. This hyperlinks to the story of the primary Space Marine sport, through which Titus is believed to have colluded with Chaos and is subsequently convicted of heresy.
Thankfully Titus’ incapacity to really feel worry saves the day. Within his personal imaginative and prescient he’s capable of strike again in opposition to the sorcerer, permitting his bodily self to cleave the creature in two. In the aftermath, Metaurus asks “what may a soul like that be able to?” Based on the occasions of this story, in addition to the 2 Space Marine video games, it looks as if Titus is the final word defender of humanity, incapable of falling to Chaos.
Episode 6 – Pac-Man: Circle
Circle is probably Secret Level’s most out-there episode, primarily based on the arcade sport Pac-Man. Considering the Nineteen Eighties basic doesn’t have a lot in the best way of story or setting, this quick acts as one thing of a wild reimaging of what the mazes, dots, and ghosts of Pac-Man may characterize.
Pac-Man easter eggs
Because Circle is a whole reimagining of the sport, the Pac-Man parts are virtually extra like easter eggs than direct recreations. The Puck is, after all, this episode’s most direct model of Pac-Man – a floating yellow orb that travels via a jungle-like maze. But the basic function of Pac-Man is definitely fulfilled by the Swordsman, a confused humanoid making an attempt to outlive the maze on the behest of the Puck. The two characters are united by the Swordsman’s blade, which options the open mouthed design of Pac-Man on its crossguard.
The Puck spurs the Swordsman on by saying “You should be hungry”, a reference to how gamers eat their manner via the maze within the authentic sport. While the Swordsman doesn’t eat something resembling the sport’s pill-like dots, he does chow down on a wide range of beasts, in addition to the long-lasting cherries. The Puck additionally suggests the Swordsman ought to eat the maze’s hungry ghosts, a reference to how gamers are capable of eat the ghosts who hang-out them within the sport.
There’s energy in repetition
The episode’s title, Circle, refers back to the cycle that the Puck consistently goes via seeking a Swordsman who will defeat the maze. It seems that seemingly infinite Swordsmen are being held in stasis, each destined to be bullied by the Puck into travelling via the maze. The Puck tells the Swordsman that there’s “energy in repetition”, a commentary on each the Swordsman’s must eat again and again to succeed in his aim, and the Puck’s compulsion to attempt again and again to pressure a Swordsman to finish the maze.
This commentary hyperlinks into Secret Level’s wider exploration of how demise and respawning is a key a part of video video games. There’s a recognition right here that the act of enjoying Pac-Man is a relentlessly repetitive course of, destined to ceaselessly finish in Game Over, however that it is just via repetition that gamers enhance their abilities and are capable of grasp the video games’ mazes.
Episode 7 – CrossFire: Good Conflict
Good Conflict is impressed by CrossFire, a PvP shooter developed by Smilegate Entertainment that’s massively in style in China and South Korea. The sport pits members of two mercenary groups in opposition to one another – the Global Risk counter-terrorist organisation and the Black List group. Both of those factions function on this episode.
Who is Global Risk and who’s Black List?
Due to the lore-light, multiplayer nature of CrossFire, there’s little that wants explaining about this episode. It is value establishing who’s who, although, because the script does a comparatively poor job of creating sides for these unfamiliar with CrossFire. The episode begins from the attitude of Black List, who has been contracted to escort a person referred to as Mahler to a drop-off level the place he might be collected by “freedom fighters”. The Black List group are intercepted by Global Risk, who will be recognized by the blue badges on their helmets. Confusingly, Global Risk are outfitted in black and drive black autos, whereas Black List put on tan-coloured tactical gear and drive white autos.
What is within the bundle?
The members of Global Risk usually are not really searching Black List. Instead their mission is to retrieve the bundle Mahler carries. It just isn’t explicitly revealed what’s within the bundle (except for the dummy bundle, which is filled with sizzling water bottles), but it surely’s thought of very invaluable. Global Risk needs it for safety functions, noting that if it have been to finish up within the flawed fingers “there wouldn’t be wherever left that isn’t a warzone.” Meanwhile, Mahler believes the liberty fighters will kill him if he arrives with out the bundle. The implication is that the case comprises both data that would trigger international insecurity, or a nuclear/chemical weapon.
Episode 8 – Armored Core: Asset Management
Asset Management is the ultimate story in Secret Level’s first batch of episodes. Based on FromSoftware’s mecha fight sequence, Armored Core, it options Keanu Reeves as an unnamed mercenary mech pilot. What looks as if a routine job turns into more and more complicated when the pilot realises that his targets could also be related to his previous.
Why is the pilot particular?
During the episode’s opening, two males in a bar talk about the pilot. The older man explains that “they made him to do one factor” and that “they don’t make them like that anymore.” It’s quickly revealed that the pilot is an augmented human, outfitted with methods that permit him to immediately interface along with his mech. There have been many variations of augmented people throughout the Armored Core sequence, however this quick as an entire pretty carefully resembles the newest entry, AC6: Fires of Rubicon, and so we’ll use that because the supply for our explainer.
In Fires of Rubicon, there have been a number of generations of the Human PLUS program. Each new iteration of human augmentation was designed to refine and improve pilot aptitude, enabling the next talent ceiling and thus deadlier warriors. The first 4 generations used an uncommon substance referred to as Coral to fabricate enhancements, and a aspect impact of that is a minimum of one pilot – C4-621, the protagonist of Armored Core 6 – is ready to hear disembodied voices of their head. Keanu Reeves’ pilot can also be capable of hear a voice in his head, and so he might both be a fourth technology augmented human akin to the protagonist of AC6, or the results of Secret Level’s personal model of the Human PLUS program (it’s unclear if this episode is about in the identical universe as Fires of Rubicon or its personal model of the Armored Core fiction).
The final of his type
While the pilot initially claims that “everyone like me is lifeless”, it seems that’s removed from the reality. It is finally revealed that the pilot’s present contract is to seek out and remove different augmented pilots. This is reflective of the sport’s strategy to missions, through which the true nature of contracts is commonly stored hid from the assigned pilot. The ‘enemy’ pilots have seemingly been assigned the identical contract within the hope that the augmented people will wipe one another out, however they pull their punches in battle – an indication that they don’t need to kill the pilot. But, regardless of them being one thing akin to his ‘siblings’, the pilot carries out his orders and crushes the goal’s cranium .
There are many potentialities as to why the pilot would willingly homicide different augmented people, however maybe the more than likely is that in Armored Core’s ruthless company future, it’s a invaluable factor to be the one individual with a specific talent set. Perhaps that is the pilot’s manner of making certain he’s the primary decide for future contracts. Survival of the fittest, certainly.
The ultimate seven episodes of Secret Level will launch on December 17.
Matt Purslow is IGN’s Senior Features Editor.
