Secret Leveltakes 15 video games and tells an animated story about each, with some working more effectively than others.Secret Levelseason 2was recently renewed at Prime Video, proving the first 15 stories to be a success with viewers. While some are considered better than others, resulting inSecret Level’s middling Rotten Tomatoes score, it seems that all episodes were watched by hordes of audiences, resulting in a second level of video game exploration via an animated lens.
The manyvideo game remakes ofSecret Levelare iconic, from the new take on the likes ofPAC-Manto the familiar world of Capcom’sMega Man.Interestingly, there are some that tell a story known from the games, while others - likeSecret Levelepisode 15- are original stories inspired by the world of gaming. As is the case with every season of television, some of these installments work better than others, meaning rankings of the episodes will be commonplace as the wait forSecret Levelseason 2 begins.
15Crossfire: Good Conflict
Secret Level Episode 7
On the whole,Secret Levelepisode 7 is the weakest of the bunch. Unlike the episodes based onSifuorSpelunky,Secret Levelepisode 7 focuses on a story that befits realistic animation given it is based on the grounded video game franchise ofCrossfire. This robs the episode of any real visual flair, instead playing out like a cutscene fromCrossfireor a game of that ilk likeCall of Duty.
Secret Level Episode 7 Ending & Crossfire Connections Explained
Secret Level episode 7 takes a leaf out of Crossfire’s book in an intense and emotional episode that sees two factions at war, but for whom?
Other episodes that have weaker or shorter stories have more artistic animation styles, making the uncanny-valley-realism of “Crossfire: Good Conflict” less appealing. The voice actors do well with what they are given, but the message of “Are we the bad guys?” at the episode’s core is not compelling enough and is made only less so by the number of times it is raised. As one ofSecret Level’s longest installments, “Crossfire: Good Conflict” drags on, playing out more like an extended promotional piece for its source material than a story with any real worth.
14Mega Man: Start
Secret Level Episode 10
Firstly, it is worth noting that from here on out, no episodes ofSecret Levelcan be counted as bad, includingSecret Levelepisode 10: “Mega Man: Start.” Obviously, the focus of this episode isMega Man, and it only ranks as low as it does due to the lack of screen time. In comparison to the almost 20-minute runtime of “Crossfire: Good Conflict,“Secret Levelepisode 10 clocks in at less than five minutes when removing the opening and closing credits. This is without a doubt the biggest drawback to an otherwise enjoyable episode.
The Mega Man episode ofSecret Levelis officially the shortest in the entire show.
Secret Levelepisode 10’s story is simple enough as a retelling of Mega Man’s origins. The animation used to bring Rock/Mega Man to life is much more appealing than that of the “Crossfire” episode, emulating the Japanese roots in whichMega Manis versed. The action is impressive too, and the hints to the source material via mentions of Dr. Wily and his minions like Metal Man are neat Easter eggs for game fans. Overall, the episode falls short of greatness due to its short length.
13Playtime: Fulfillment
Secret Level Episode 15
The finale ofSecret Levelseason 1 - episode 15, “Playtime: Fulfillment” - is the closest thing to an original story the show gets. It tells the story of a courier named O who commits daring deliveries for pittance rewards. When she is tasked with delivering a strange organism, her imagination comes to life as she maneuvers a changing world.
The animation is fun, the Easter eggs to PlayStation’s history are cool to see, and the commentary on the pay-to-play and grind style of gaming is timely…
On the whole, this episode is simply fine. The animation is fun, the Easter eggs to PlayStation’s history are cool to see, and the commentary on the pay-to-play and grind style of gaming is timely. There is little to dislike here, but little worthy enough to rank it above too many of its predecessors.
12Concord: Tale of the Implacable
Secret Level Episode 13
Secret Levelepisode 13 is intriguing given that it is based on a game that no longer exists.Concordwas released in 2024 yet opened to poor critical and commercial reception, eventually being taken offline only a month later. As such, many eyes were onSecret Levelepisode 13, “Concord: Tale of the Implacable,” as it is now one of the only ways the game universe can be experiences.
Secret Levelepisode 13 is enjoyable and has some fun action sequences and some of the more well-rounded characters featured in the show. That said, it falls flat thanks to an uninspiring story that does little to proveConcord’s downfall was anything other than a smart choice. It is derivative of other, more successful sci-fi video game universes, andSecret Levelepisode 13 fails to break free of this despite being enjoyable enough on a surface level.
11Spelunky: Tally
Secret Level Episode 12
Secret Levelepisode 12 tells a story based on the gameSpelunky,a platform game that procedurally generates each level so that every playthrough is different. The adaptation of this game centers on Ana, a young Spelunker who is revived every time she dies while searching caves for treasure. “Spelunky: Tally” has a similar runtime toSecret Levelepisode 10, but it packs in a more meaningful message than those ranked below it in this list and does so with a more visually stunning style, making it a short but sweet installment.
Secret Level Episode 12 Ending & Spelunky Connections Explained
Secret Level episode 12 is one of the show’s shortest, but its ending proves it to be no less meaningful thanks to its Spelunky connections.
The overall message of looking beyond the futility and monotonousness of living day after day and picking out what makes every day unique is incredibly timely. With so many people in the modern-day struggling with mental health issues that stem from repetition, the reminder to focus on the beauty, wonder, and uniqueness of every day is incredibly meaningful. Tying this to a game that has different levels every playthrough is nothing short of genius, makingSecret Levelepisode 12 hard-hitting in its themes while retaining a visually stunning animation style.
10Pac-Man: Circle
Secret Level Episode 6
“Pac-Man: Circle” is proving to be the most divisive episode ofSecret Leveldue to its radical update on its source material, but this is one of the episode’s biggest strengths. AdaptingPac-Maninto any kind of story with meaningful characters would be difficult without change, andSecret Levelepisode 6 proves why these updates were needed. TurningPac-Maninto a dark, dreary, trippy world where the only rule is to eat or be eaten was endlessly compelling.
This allowed the episode to be simultaneously dark but still includePac-Manelements. From the ghosts haunting Pac-Man’s every step to the need ot eat to get stronger than them,Secret Levelepisode 6 does not forget its roots. Unlike other episodes that do less with more regarding story and character,Secret Levelepisode 6 does more with less and turns the source material into a compelling, stunningly animated, dark, epic saga that thrives on its differences and is only relatively low-ranked due to the simple fact of there not being more of it to feast on.
9Sifu: It Takes a Life
Secret Level Episode 2
Another ofSecret Level’s shorter installments is episode 2, but it does its job and does it well. Firstly, the animation is beautiful here and is often reminiscent of anotheranimated video game adaptation,Arcane. Moreover, the animation does not lose any of its quality during the excellently choreographed hand-to-hand sequences of “Sifu: It Takes a Life.”
The originalSifugame is one that rewards repetition and grinding to become familiar with the challenges that lie ahead via ressurection, and must be replayed once all talisman uses are gone.
The story ofSecret Levelepisode 2 is as simple as its source material: the main character seeks revenge against those who have wronged him and uses a magical talisman to revive himself. Each time he is revived, he grows in age yet learns more about how to defeat his enemies. The simplicity of this story works, allowing the brilliant fight choreography and fantastic animation to stand out/
8Honor of Kings: The Way Of All Things
Secret Level Episode 14
Secret Levelepisode 14 is undoubtedly the most confusing of the bunch, but the fact it works regardless is a testament to its quality. The episode focuses on destiny or predetermination, as the lead character explores whether he is making choices or whether a path is being laid before him. Portraying this as a game of Go only made the episode more compelling.While it cannot be understood as simply as “Mega Man” or “Spelunky,” “Honor of Kings: The Way of All Things” is undoubtedly one that sticks in the brainlong after watching.
7Dungeons & Dragons: The Queen’s Cradle
Secret Level Episode 1
For lovers of pure, high fantasy,Secret Levelepisode 1 will be highly ranked. While the characters fall short of some of the other episodes, seeing aDungeons and Dragonsparty come to life with beautiful animation is always going to be compelling. While the story is sadly not all that strong like its characters, “Dungeons & Dragons: The Queen’s Cradle” is better than other episodes as an adrenaline-fuelled, fantasy kick that will only make clamors forDungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' 2to be greenlit all the more prevalent.
6New World: The Once And Future King
Secret Level Episode 3
“New World: The Once And Future King” shines brightest asSecret Level’s funniest episode. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s voice work as Aelstrom is fantastic and imbues a great deal of ironic humor into the episode, tying with theGroundhog Day-like story brilliantly.Secret Levelepisode 3is also bright and vibrant in its colorful animation, even ending on an unexpectedly emotional note as a once hilarious buffoon of a fake king becomes a humble friend to those who have long served him.
