Secret Level ep. 1-4 review: a love letter to video games

When my fiancée suggested we watch Secret Level this evening, I wasn’t expecting to find the level of joy I haven’t felt since Netflix’s original series Love, Death, and Robots third season was released in 2022.

Secret Level treats us with 15 violent, creative, refreshing, and entertaining short episodes that grab you by the balls and buckle you tightly for what is an incredible adventure through the realm of video games.

As of this moment, I’ve only seen the first four episodes, but I could not contain my need to write about how fantastic the show is so far. Now, before you proceed, BEWARE OF SPOILERS BELOW. I will be reviewing the first four episodes and, though I won’t spoil bit by bit, I may touch on things.

Episode 1 - Dungeons and Dragons: The Queen’s Cradle

I wish I could find the words to describe what my face looked like as I sat on the couch and witnessed this masterpiece.

Dear Prime Video, this is how you know you did it right: the graphics, combined with my previous play-throughs of Baldur’s Gate 3 and Diablo IV, had me so immersed that I fully believed I had a controller in my hand and was watching a video game cinematic, waiting to continue playing. My brain went on autopilot, and I giggled when I realized it. This pilot episode stuns with graphics that mimic our beloved video games like the ones I mentioned above and with a story that could have been played over a table with friends, drinks, and analog character sheets.

Incredible homage to one of my favorite hobbies (and one of the longest ones, too - going on 24 years as a player. DO NOT ASK ME TO DM) and what an excellent introduction to a type of show that’s as rare as it is S Tier.

Episode ranking: 10/10

I’m going to need this video game, please.

Episode 2 - Sifu: It Takes a Life

I had to look Sifu up because I’ve never played it before and, as I read about it, I came to love the episode even more.

This episode takes us on a revenge-fueled killing spree as Sifu goes after the men responsible for killing his father. The video game’s death mechanic is beautifully translated into what becomes a story that will sit with you for the rest of your life. As we see Sifu die in different fights, his soul trains and overcomes the moves he didn’t before, and he comes back to life and opens cans of whoop-ass, but at a steep price - each resurrection takes years off his life, aging him more and more with each respawn. But is revenge worth it?

A powerful episode with a deep message, one that resonates with us all.

Episode rating: 9.5/10

Episode 3 - New World: The Once and Future King

The definition of “rollercoaster of emotions”.

The one and only Arnold Schagzzneggar brings King Aelstrom to life in an episode that isn’t just the main course, but the entire fucking meal.

This idiotic Cinnamon Roll of chaos, King Aelstrom, quickly goes from most lovable himbo I have ever seen on-screen to infuriating to slightly terrifying to an absolute gem in just 15 minutes and works New Worlds: Aeternum’s resurrection system and a sneak peak of Corruption into an episode that literally takes you through every single emotion in the book. The end is a deep lesson in second chances and the desire to actually change and become a better person, and how it’s truly never too late to do that.

Goddamn it, I love video games.

Episode score: 9/10

Episode 4 - Unreal Tournament: Xan

Not this is my jam.

Yes, I’m very much into high fantasy and all, but it was science fiction that my dad introduced me to at the age of 5 (Stargate, 1994, was my first sci-fi flick). I love me a good sci-fi story, there’s just something so… scarily foreboding about tales of insane technology and space.

I was 10 years old when Unreal Tournament came out, but I didn’t start playing it until I was in high school, and I hadn’t heard those words put together in… I don’t know how many years. But I was so excited and I just knew this episode would not disappoint. The classic tale of robots rebelling against humans is spun in a fun way, with the rebellious robots being forced to partake in a lethal tournament as punishment.

Xan, the main robot, kicks an insane amount of ass in so many different ways, and it becomes incredibly satisfying to watch the robots as they defeat wave after wave of fighters.

Such a wonderfully executed episode with gorgeous fights that entertain and awe.

Episode rating: 10/10

As I mentioned above, I’ve only seen the first four episodes as of the writing of this post. Make sure to come back later this week for a review on the 11 remaining episodes of Prime Video’s refreshingly original series Secret Level.

Which one is your favorite so far?