One of the most intriguing projects unveiled at Gamescom 2024 isn’t a game at all, but an animated series. Prime Video’s Secret Level is an anthology series from the creators of Love, Death + Robots. Each episode is essentially a low film inspired by characters and worlds from iconic video games like God of War, Mega Man, Unreal Tournament, and Pac-Man.
The first trailer for the series gives us a quick look at these gorgeously animated shorts and the often surprising ways they reinvent familiar gaming icons. But what games are being shown in the series, and is that really Keanu Reeves piloting a mecha suit? Let’s take a closer look at what we see in the trailer.
Armored Core
Perhaps the biggest surprise in the Secret Level trailer is the reveal that Keanu Reeves himself is apparently involved. Reeves (or someone who looks a lot like the John Wick star) can be seen in footage from the Armored Core episode. Reeves’ character is shown entering an Armored Core mech and preparing for combat. Between that and his large role in Cyberpunk 2077, Reeves’ pedigree in games is pretty powerful right now.
Agreement
Concord is only just hitting PC and PS5, but it’s already getting an animated spin-off with Secret Level , giving us a glimpse of the steep, vertical city that was previously seen in Concord’s cinematic trailer.
Cross-fire
The tactical shooter series Crossfire is one of the games featured in Secret Level, which is fascinating considering these games aren’t typically known for their intricate stories. We see a few quick shots of SWAT team characters in action, promising a tense and brutal addition to the series.
Dungeons and Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons fans were treated to an entertaining live-action adaptation in 2023, and now, thanks to Secret Level, they’ll be able to enjoy a lavish, CG-animated D&D low film. There’s a brief glimpse of a massive dragon emerging from the shadows, as well as a shot of a sword-shaped bridge over a waterfall that leads to a keep. Based on these shots, it looks like Secret Level is opting for a more conventional and stern approach to the series than the 2023 film.
EXODUS
The upcoming sci-fi game EXODUS seems like a natural fit for Secret Level, as it explores the emotional toll of time dilation and the way time can pass in the blink of an eye for human heroes battling the Celestials. We see that emotion on full display in a scene involving two elderly characters tenderly reuniting in the trailer.
Honor of Kings
We never would have predicted that a MOBA like Honor of Kings would be one of those featured in Secret Level, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t interested in seeing how the series reinterprets the popular title. Based on the handful of quick shots seen in the trailer, it looks like Secret Level is opting for a relatively more realistic and detailed approach compared to the game’s anime aesthetic.
Mega Man
Capcom’s long-running Mega Man series is represented in Secret Level, though it’s not exactly the Mega Man fans know from the classic 8-bit games. The series clearly takes a much more realistic approach to the character. Well, as realistic as a story about a cyborg boy with a giant cannon for an arm can be. We see the character suit up to take on Dr. Wily’s Robot Masters.
New World: Eternal
It should come as no surprise that Amazon’s MMORPG New World would be among the games featured in the series. Much like the game, the low film appears to take place on the legendary island of Aeternum, where a lone hero prepares to prove himself and make his fortune. The brief glimpse in the trailer suggests that this will be one of the more detailed and realistically rendered episodes in the series.
The Outer Worlds 2
Secret Level will explore the world of Halcyon from Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds series. The low film promises to be one of the most distinctive visual styles in the series, as it combines live-action characters with computer-rendered environments. As you might expect, the games’ striking color palette is on full display here.
Pac Man
There’s perhaps no better example of how dramatically Secret Level will shake up some iconic gaming franchises than Pac-Man. You could be forgiven for not even realizing that Pac-Man is included in the trailer. Far from the simplistic source material, the trailer shows us a hooded, seemingly alien figure roaming a immense wasteland. The trailer also ends with a brief look at the razor-teethed Pac-Man robot entering the game. We have to wonder if Pac-Man is the villain in this odd but intriguing take on the series.
PlayStation Studios: God of War and Ghost of Tsushima
It looks like we’ll be getting an episode centered around Playstation Studios games, as the trailer shows off Kratos from God of War and Jin Sakai from Ghost of Tsushima.
Kratos’ image confirms that the series is taking inspiration from the newer God of War games, where Kratos is an axe-wielding killer of Norse gods, rather than the original games’ focus on Greek mythology. We have to assume that means his son Atreus will be along for the ride.
What’s really surprising is that Kratos appears to be walking through a state-of-the-art city. Will this low film involve time travel? What happens when you unleash ruthless assassins like Kratos and Jin-Sakai in the 21st century? And how many PlayStation Studios characters will appear in the episode? We can’t wait to find out.
Sifu
Popular 2022 fighting game Sloclap Sifu is featured in the trailer. We see a bloodied figure entering a dojo and preparing for another bloody fight. Later, we see some quick shots of a brutal brawl in a neon-drenched nightclub. Secret Level appears to be opting for a slightly more realistic animation style compared to the game’s relatively stylized, angular style. We’re curious to see how, if at all, this low takes on the game’s resurrection-based combat.
Cave
The trailer features a blink-and-you-miss-it shot of the Spelunky-themed episode. We briefly see treasure hunter Ana Spelunky stumbling through a lava-filled cave. It’s a treat to see a quirky indie series get such an ambitious visual makeover.
Unreal tournament
Also very briefly in the trailer is a quick shot from an episode of Unreal Tournament. We see an arena with the logo of Riordan Dynamics, the company at the heart of the Unreal Tournament games’ storyline. The arena is clearly set up for a bloody deathmatch, with two opposing towers that remind us of an interior version of the iconic Facing Worlds map.
Warhammer 40,000
There’s still some question as to whether Henry Cavill’s Warhammer 40,000 series will ever see the lightweight of day, but at least Secret Level has us in the palm of our hands with a low Warhammer-themed story. The trailer opens with a scene of Space Marines carving out a bloody swath of destruction, and then we see a Marine being attacked by a much larger monster. We also see a shot of a Marine running headlong into an oncoming vehicle. Basically, this low film promises to be the most action-packed and emotional chapter in the Secret Level series.
The Imitation Game
One of the most intriguing scenes in the trailer is also one of the most mysterious. At one point, we see an image of a man enveloped in flowing pink and blue energy, as if he were merging with a machine or another life form. Honestly, we’re not sure what game this is supposed to represent, but we do know that we definitely want to see this episode.
Let us know in the comments what game this scene is from and if we missed anything else in the trailer.
For more from gamescom, read the details about the decision to release Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on Playstation and check out all the information announced during Opening Night Live.
Jesse is a mild-mannered, staff writer for IGN. Let him borrow a machete for your intellectual thicket, I follow @jschedeen on Twitter.
