Summary
- Gamescom ONL featured Amazon's Secret Level anthology show, adapting various game franchises in 15 episodes.
- Armored Core, Mega Man, Pac-Man, and more iconic games will be included in Amazon's Secret Level animated series.
- Secret Level's lineup ranges from classic franchises like Dungeons and Dragons to newer IPs like Concord and Exodus.
This year's Gamescom Opening Night Live ceremony was possibly the biggest yet, delivering two hours of reveals, updates, and brand-new game announcements. While there were plenty of smaller reveals, Gamescom had a surprising number of show-stoppers this year, and Amazon Prime's Secret Level was one such announcement.
Revealed for the first time at yesterday's Gamescom ONL presentation, Secret Level is an Amazon animated anthology show created by Tim Miller's Blur Studio, the same studio behind Love, Death & Robots. Secret Level will consist of 15 episodes, each one focusing on a different game adaptation. From classic franchises like Dungeons and Dragons to more recent IPs like Concord, Secret Level is set to adapt licenses from across all corners of the gaming industry.
Every Video Game Collaboration Confirmed for Secret Level
Armored Core
FromSoftware's third-person mech shooter franchise, Armored Core will have its own dedicated episode in Amazon's Secret Level. Armored Core can be spotted several times in Secret Level's reveal trailer, with a titular mech suit dashing across a barren landscape towards the start of the trailer, and a pilot shown throughout the trailer at different points.
Concord
PlayStation's newest first-party IP, Concord is a 5v5 hero shooter with a narrative throughline. Concord is already set to release weekly cinematics, so it should be fun to see even more from the world via its Secret Level episode.
Crossfire
A multiplayer tactical shooter that has gained extreme popularity in China and South Korea over the last decade and a bit, Crossfire will appear in Amazon's Secret Level. Interestingly, this isn't the first time Crossfire has been given a TV adaptation, with a Chinese live-action adaptation dropping in July 2020, though that series focused on two men wanting to play the game professionally rather than an adaptation of the game itself.
Dungeons and Dragons
The grandfather of gaming, Dungeons and Dragons has had more than its fair share of adaptations over the years, including a critically acclaimed recent live-action adaptation, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. But D&D is set to receive another adaptation with its own episode of Secret Level.
Exodus
Being developed by Archetype Entertainment, Exodus is a Sci-Fi action-adventure RPG that doesn't currently have a release date. Despite that, Exodus will get its own episode of Secret Level.
Honor of Kings
Another mega-hit from China, Honor of Kings is a Tencent-published MOBA that originally launched all the way back in 2015 but received its worldwide release just a few months ago. Honor of Kings will also appear in Amazon's Secret Level.
Mega Man
One of Capcom's oldest franchises, Mega Man appeared several times throughout Secret Level's announcement trailer. While many of Secret Level's episodes seem to share a similarly realistic art style, Mega Man's episode will seemingly be a bit more anime-inspired.
New World: Aeternum
An MMO RPG from Amazon itself, New World: Aeternum will feature in the animated Prime streaming show.
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Pac-Man
Pac-Man appears for just a split-second in Secret Level's reveal trailer and seemingly features quite a realistic art style. While it's relatively easy to predict the general plotlines of Secret Level's other episodes, the same can't be said for its Pac-Man episode.
PlayStation
Appearing at the end of Secret Level's trailer separately from Concord, it seems PlayStation will get another episode for its characters. Though rather than focus on one particular PlayStation IP, this episode of Secret Level seems like it'll throw a few PlayStation mascots into the same arena, with God of War's Kratos and Ghost of Tsushima's Jin Sakai appearing in the show's trailer.
Sifu
A perfect choice for an animated anthology series, 2021's fast-paced beat-em-up Sifu will receive an episode in Secret Level. The game's heavily stylized art style, John Wick-like action, and simple story make it a great pick for Secret Level.
Spelunky
One of the earliest Indie game successes, Spelunky was a 2008 2D platformer in which players control an adventurous spelunker as they explore procedurally generated caverns. Based on the tiny glimpse fans got of Spelunky's Secret Level episode, it looks like another faithful adaptation of the game's unique art style.
The Outer Worlds 2
A 2019 Sci-Fi action-RPG developed by Obsidian Entertainment, The Outer Worlds features some excellent world-building and a distinct sense of humor that leans heavily into satire, making it a great choice for a short animated adaptation. An interesting detail to point out, however, is that Secret Level's trailer specifically stated it was partnering with The Outer Worlds 2, a sequel that was announced in 2021 and is still presumably quite a ways off, with Avowed still set to come out first.
Unreal Tournament
A classic of the arena shooter genre, Unreal Tournament debuted in 1999, and a new entry hasn't been seen in a decade. Despite that, its legacy in the video game industry is still quite strong, and it should make for a good episode of Amazon's Secret Level.
Warhammer 40,000
A tabletop wargame that can trace its roots all the way back to 1987, Warhammer 40,000 is an incredibly iconic Sci-Fi/fantasy franchise that's received plenty of adaptations in the past, just like Dungeons & Dragons. There's a wealth of Warhammer 40K lore for Amazon and Blur Studio to use as inspiration for its episode of Secret Level, though it seems like it'll focus on the series mascots, the Space Marines.