Secret Level All episodes review.

Overview

Secret Level is a 15-episode animated gaming anthology series from Prime Video. I've watched all episodes. Secret Level's episodes range from incredible to downright awful. In my opinion, it is unfair to judge Secret Level as a whole as certain episodes are way better than the rest. But overall, each episode is either a hit or miss. Here are micro-reviews of every episode. ranked worst to best.

15: Spelunky: Tally

Spelunky is easily the worst episode. It's a 7-minute short that is so rushed you can't even tell what's going on. I never even noticed the soundtrack, there is no plot whatsoever. And most of the episode is taken up by a literal death montage. Aside from a 2-minute scene where the only 2 characters talk. other than that, the episode is basically a blur. It's got no plot, a disappointing soundtrack and is horribly executed. The episode spends so much time trying to explain the roguelike "Runs" that it can't do anything else in the 8 minutes!

Execution: 20

The episode is pointless! There is no ending! Horrible execution!

Looks: 61

Solid animation. You don't exactly get a close look at it though.

Soundtrack: 14

You can't hear anything!

Plot: 10

Getting a high plot score requires a plot!

Overall: 13 💀

All the other episodes are at least a little better (except for Playtime) better. Out of all the episodes, this is that one. GARBAGE. Sorry Spelunky fans... maybe next time.

14: Playtime: Fulfillment

Even calling this a short film is a stretch. ITS A COMMERCIAL. This episode is jam packed with PlayStation characters who really don't need to be here. I mean, the episode is full of PlayStation IPs from the Helldivers to Kratos. Even so far as to putting the X O pattern on a door. And the plot is awful too. Arguably the only good thing about this episode is the animation. The music isn't noticeable, there is no plot and its executed horribly. I mean... Obviously, Xbox fans are going to hate this episode. But its horribly written enough that Nintendo and PlayStation fans aren't going to like it either. It's a literal 15-minute PlayStation commercial.

Execution: 15

No. No. No and no. This is a commercial masquerading as a short film.

Looks: 81

The characters do actually look good. Thats the only good thing about this.

Soundtrack: 19

Same as Spelunky. You can't hear anything.

Plot: 11

COM-MER-CIAL. Horrible plot.

Overall: 15 💀

Garbage Plot and Horrible execution make this a complete glorified commercial.

13: Mega Man: Start

I already did a complete review that you can read Here if you want. But I'll just do a quick summary of the episode. Mega Man Start is a disappointing 7-minute short that doesn't even come close to what everyone was expecting. Mega Man was probably the reason at least a hundred people came to watch this show. But what we got was a glorified teaser trailer. Mega Man Start isn't as bad as it is disappointing. But at 7 minutes I would still watch it. It's nowhere near as good as the other episodes but is good for a five-minute short.

Story: 38

The plot is rushed along and comes out awful. It seems like it's meant to be the start of its own show.

Looks: 62

The Anime / Realism thing just doesn't quite hit the mark.

Soundtrack: 30

It's hard to do anything in soundtrack when your run time is 7 minutes.

Execution: 15

This is awful execution. There is nothing else you can say.

Overall: 26 💢

Mega Man: START just seems like a teaser trailer for a Mega Man series. I was excited for a Mega Man tv adaptation that wasn't a crappy kids show. But this was nowhere near what I was hoping for.

12: Armored Core: Asset Management

Armored Core was also sort of disappointing. Other than Mega Man and UT this was probably the most hyped-up episode. But the story is awful, it's got a crappy ending, and the episode is basically 1 good fight scene accompanied by a bunch of F bombs. The animation is pretty good. But basically, everything else is mediocre. Keanu Reeves's Core Pilot is a pretty bad main character. Basically, the only thing they tell you about him is that he is a ruthless killing machine. No development at all. There is one good fight scene:

Literally the only good scene. this goes on for about 5 minutes. The rest of the episode is unnecessary. As far as acting goes... Secret Level isn't really big on acting. Keanu basically just cusses.

Execution: 43

I've never played Armored Core, so I don't really know the universe. But this episode was just not executed great.

Soundtrack: 71

The best songs are played in the clip.

Plot: 26

Not much of a story and a terrible ending. Secret Level isn't big on plots either.

Looks: 78

Armored Core has some good animation. and the fight scenes look great.

Overall: 42 😕

Armored Core's Ending is bad. And the rest of the episode other than the fight scene feels unnecessary.

11: Concord: Tale of the Implacable

We all know about the legendary flop known as Concord. If you ignore how bad the games launch was than this episode is actually kind of good. But of course, no one will ever forget it's flop. This episode is severely marred by its source material's performance. And the fact that it's essentially a Guardians of the Galaxy knock-off. Concord actually does a good job of showing what a hero shooter fight would look like... for a few moments. Then it's just a scene in the main characters spaceship before an overdramatic ending. Quite obviously it meant to be for people who already like the Concord universe but that's kinda impossible as the game lasted less than a month before being delisted. I am getting sick of the whole hero shooter craze. And this episode will not look good because of its source material's horrible performance.

Execution: 55

Er... It's based off of the biggest flop in years. But does a good job of what it was supposed to do. But still comes out mediocre.

Soundtrack: 50

Once again you can't really hear anything.

Looks: 67

Not as good as the rest of the episodes.

Plot: 46

Guardians of the Galaxy Knock-off.

Overall: 51 ⭐

This would actually be good if Concord had stuck around. But it didn't. So, Concord is one of the borderline fine episodes.

Now we enter the episodes that are actually good.

10: Exodus: Odessey

Exodus isn't even released yet. This is one of the "marketing" Episodes. But surprisingly it's pretty good. The biggest problem with the episode is that it feels rushed along and relies heavily on its narration. This episode probably would have benefited from an extra 5 minutes of run time. It does a sort of good job of explaining the universe of Exodus. However, even though it has one of the better plots in the series, Exodus suffers from one of the more rushed plots. This should have been 20 minutes. Not 15. Mostly it's just a chase across the Exodus universe but actually comes out pretty good.

Plot: 71

An actually good plot. One of the better ones.

Soundtrack: 70

The soundtrack fits the environment and theme well.

Execution: 20

Like I said: This one definitely needed to be longer.

Looks: 78

The spaceships and characters look great!

Overall: 63 ⭐

Exodus had a lot of potential wasted due to its shortened run time. Longer is better.

9: Dungeons And Dragons: The Queens Cradle

As a huge DnD player I was excited for this episode. I wasn't a huge fan of the Live action film. But this episode feels like someone tried to cram a DnD campaign into 15 minutes. Like Exodus this one is incredibly rushed. But it definitely gets better at the end. The bridge fight scene is probably the best scene in the episode. The opening is one of the worse ones in the series. And this one has a VERY abrupt ending. The episode has some great animation, but it sorts of flashes by in a rushed 15-minute short that should really have been 30 minutes honestly. However, I will say that they nailed the DnD atmosphere. It is definitely Dungeons and Dragons.

Execution: 21

Poor execution and a bad run time.

Soundtrack: 70

It's okay.

Plot: 68

Good idea but not good execution.

Looks: 90

Looks amazing!

Overall: 65 ⭐

Despite its flaws, this episode is indeed DnD. It's rushed and poorly executed but it's DnD.

T-7: The Outer Worlds: The Company We Keep

One of the few slower episodes, this one was actually better than I thought. It's a story that follows a young scavenger who becomes a test subject to meet an old friend again (I guess?) It's not free from the unnecessary death montage though. The story is a slow break from the action and violence of the other episodes. It's one of the few episodes with a good plot. I've never played The Outer Worlds, but I plan to soon. This was a pretty good RPG adaptation.

Execution: 67

Pretty good overall. Some spots could be improved.

Plot: 74

Not bad. One of the better plots in the series.

Soundtrack: 68

Didn't really stand out.

Looks: 70

Looks pretty good.

Overall: 68 ⭐

It's not amazing or anything but it is good. Outer Worlds doesn't do anything bad, but it also doesn't do anything amazing either.

T-7: Honor Of Kings: The Way of All Things

Uh... I know next to nothing about HoK but I was asking myself... WHAT does this have to do with an anime MOBA? Surprisingly I actually enjoyed this one. However, if you are looking for a MOBA episode you WILL be disappointed. The episode is a sort of animation showcase that takes place over a board game. It's got an interesting plot, and I like how they pulled it off. Another slower episode, (With a few exceptions) This one was much better than I was expecting. Some of the animations are impressive too.

Execution: 70

What does this have to do with a MOBA?

Soundtrack: 68

Much like the Outer Worlds HoK's soundtrack doesn't really stand out.

Plot: 70

It makes absolutely no sense, has absolutely nothing to do with its source material and is actually good.

Animation: 93

Most of the episode is a big showcase of impressive animation. It looks really good.

Overall: 68 ⭐

HoK has absolutely nothing to do with a MOBA and seems better for it. It's an interesting sci-fi/ fantasy tale and is actually good.

6: Crossfire: Good Conflict

This episode is out of control. The plot and scriptwriting are mediocre, the animation is great, and the fight scenes are amazing. However: the language is ridiculous. You honestly should watch this episode on mute. Because the swearing is OUT OF CONTROL. The acting is not impressive, and the script is crappy. You hear the characters say things like "Sitrep now!" or "Where is the package!?" Which SOUNDS militaristic but if you have any sort of understanding of the military (Heck you could have just played CoD!) You will know they have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. While the animation and combat are impressive, the episode really doesn't have anything else to show you.

Soundtrack: 31

One of the less impressive ones.

Execution: 45

The script is too bad to allow a higher score.

Looks: 90

The episode looks extremely impressive.

Plot: 20

Terribly written. The script and story are very sloppy.

Overall: 69 ⭐

Crossfire: Good conflict is a mixed bag. Way too much language, great animation and a horrible plot. But the combat saves it.

5: New World: Aeternum

One of the only funny episodes, New World revolves around a hardheaded king who isn't very good at anything and always mentions himself in third person. The king basically embarrasses himself trying to conquer the island. The acting and plot are pretty good in this one. King Aelstrom thinks with his fists and that leads to a ridiculous death montage when he tries to take control of Aeternum. It has one of the actual happy endings in the series. The story follows King Aelstrom as he learns from his mistakes and follows him in a character development plotline. It's funny and looks great. One of the top five easily.

Soundtrack: 70

Good not great. Fits the theme well.

Execution: 85

They did a great job with this one! The episode is executed well.

Looks: 90

Looks incredible!

Plot: 70

It's well done. Not the best but it's good.

Overall: 71

New World is a great episode. You should definitely watch this one.

4: PAC-MAN: Circle

This was an episode I didn't see myself enjoying. I was originally going to skip it. But here it is at number 4. This complete rethinking of PAC-MAN was mostly created by Bandi Namco. It's a dark, violent and unsettling Pac-Man story. And yet, strangely, its actually pretty good. The animation is impressive, the story is a fresh take on a gaming legend, and the soundtrack fits the theme perfectly. As Pc Gamer stated in their review: " I don't really understand the episode and it seems barely connected to the game, but that's what I like about it." I don't fully understand this episode either. But it seems like Secret Level and Bandai Namco combined Pac-Man with Dark souls. And apparently, that's a recipe for success. This episode is not for the faint of heart. But it's worth it.

Execution: 73

They pulled it off. and its great.

Looks: 80

The animation style is really good.

Plot: 60

It's weird. Weird and good.

Soundtrack: 70

Eerie and fits the theme perfectly.

Overall: 73

PAC-MAN Circle is an ambitious re-imagining of a classic. And it's great.

3: Sifu: It Takes A Life

This was one of the few episodes that I watched again and again. It's 10 minutes long. But it has one of the best scenes in the whole series. (There is a clip-on IGN that I couldn't find on YouTube), And it is animated wonderfully. Execution is pretty good. It tells a good story, and the soundtrack is pretty good. It's this high on the list because it does so well with so little run time. While acting and scriptwriting are not necessarily on display here, its 100% worth your time.

Execution: 80

I'm surprised they actually pulled this off!

Looks: 78

I dig the animation style.

Plot: 65

Tells a somewhat good story.

Soundtrack: 60

Good not great.

Overall: 77⭐

This episode never should have worked. I'm impressed by how they pulled it off.

2: Unreal Tournament: XAN

Picking a winner between the last 2 was HARD. But UT comes in second. I've already reviewed this one. You can read that Here. That was written before I had played UT. but now that I have completed most of the Single Player mode, I like this episode even more. My main reason is just how faithful this is to the game. It has an original story. But all the weapons are here, and Xan can even give orders to the Bots! Just like in UT99! The maps and guns are portrayed so faithfully it's amazing! This episode has almost anything a UT fan could ask for. UT and FPS fans. Watch this NOW. There are so many easter eggs for the UT fan! This episode fulfilled my need for an Animated FPS show. (Now if only we could get Half Life in season 2...)

Execution: 93

Incredible. Great execution.

Soundtrack: 89

Sounds awesome. Probably the best one in the series!

Looks: 100

Literally couldn't be better.

Story: 67

I've seen this done better before.

Overall: 90🌟

These scores are my "UT fan" scores. For my "UT noob" check out my other scores in my old review. This episode is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.

1: Warhammer 40,000: And They Shall Know No Fear

It was pretty close. But 40K has to come out on top. The animation, story and fights are amazing. The episode opens up with a lore drop for Space Marine 2 fans. This episode is 100% canon. The story follows Sgt Metaurus, the space marine who trained Titus who is the main character in Warhammer 40K Space Marine 1 and 2. The mission follows an elite bladeguard team dispatched to eliminate an agent of chaos. The episode has plenty of epic scenes. The Ultramarines slice their way through multiple waves of foes in epic fight scenes. The final battle is a master class in animation. The visions are extremely impressive, and the episode has hardly any weak points. If any at all! If you only watch one episode. Make it this or UT. It was very close. But the opening fight in this episode is just too good to end up anywhere other than first. I've never played a Warhammer game. Tabletop or otherwise. But I sure as heck will now.

Execution: 90

I've never played Space Marine, but this was good.

Soundtrack: 80

Sports some of the best tracks in the series.

Looks: 98

The animation is stunning! I wonder why no one really uses UE for animated shows.

Plot: 78

While not blowing anyone's minds, this episode does tell a good story.

Overall: 91🌟

Warhammer 40k: And they shall know no fear, is an incredible short film and possibly the best video game adaptation I've ever seen. This is a must watch.

There is my take on all 15 episodes of Prime Video's great animated anthology. Overall, there are much less bad episodes than good or fine episodes. As I said before, it's not fair to judge the series as a whole. It's not UT's fault that Spelunky is so bad. Nor 40K's that Playtime sucks. If I had to score the whole series as a whole though I would probably give it a 78. Each episode is a hit or miss. Some you may like, others... not so much. It's definitely worth a watch though. And season 2 is already on the way.