First revealed during the Gamescom opening night in 2024,Secret Levelcomes from the creator of Love, Death & Robots and director of Deadpool, Tim Miller, and features 15 episodes inspired by video games. TheSecret Level reveal trailerdisplays at least 16 different games that will appear in its 15 episodes, some of which are mashed into one.
From the relatively few shots shown in the trailer, each episode will have a similar level of quality as Love, Death & Robots, with both triple-A and indie titles making the cut. However, the vagueness of ‘PlayStation’ could mean more than 16 on release, depending on the direction of the episode.
15Armored Core
A mecha game by the same developers of Elden Ring and Dark Souls, Armored Core centers on the efforts of mercenary pilots that control mechs known as Armored Cores. This episode seems to get the most love in the Secret Level teaser trailer, as many shots include Armored Cores and an unknown protagonist who pilots one.
With the release of Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon being the most recent Armored Core game, the story will most likely center around the same time period and location. Regardless, there will be plenty of giant mechs battling it out.
14Concord
With impressive cinematic shorts that matched it to earlier predecessors like Overwatch, Concord takes place in a science-fiction world of aliens, space travel, and a crew of freelancing mercenaries. In the Secret Level teaser trailer, there is a shot of Star Child, one of the Freegunners aboard the Northstar.
The Concord episode will likely follow the exploits of the Northstar as they travel across the galaxy, with a tone close to that of Guardians of the Galaxy if it stays faithful to theConcord cinematic trailer. With the few stylistic changes seen with Star Child, it might be far from canon.
13Crossfire
A long-standing series of tactical, first-person shooters and a real-time strategy title, Crossfire focuses on counter-terrorism and paramilitary factions in multiplayer arena formats. In the Secret Level trailer, there are a couple of quick shots following a squad of modern soldiers in an abandoned urban sprawl, which closely fits into the setting of Crossfire: Legion.
Love, Death & Robots had more than a few modern military stories but usually included fantasy or sci-fi elements, so it will be interesting to see how they attempt to match the scale and tension through a purely modern conflict.
12Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragonsis a tabletop role-playing game that has thousands of pages of lore inside its various realms. This world has been the inspiration for many hundreds of unique characters and stories. This makes it the perfect IP to include in an anthology series focusing on storytelling in gaming.
Although any number of potential characters and storylines could be the inspiration for the Dungeons & Dragons episode in Secret Level, the shot of the dragon god, Tiamat, in the teaser trailer likely puts it in the Forgotten Realms.
11Exodus
A yet-to-be-released, high-concept science-fiction RPG, Exodus takes place in the far future as humans travel across the galaxy in an attempt to colonize new worlds. In the Secret Level trailer, there are a handful of shots that line up with the visual style and technological aesthetic of theExodus cinematic trailer.
However, this doesn’t reveal much and leaves out the potential alien robotic antagonists, instead only showing a focus on starship travel. Either way, it likely won’t be canon, nor will the main story elements of the game be revealed for several more years.
10Honor Of Kings
One of the largest mobile MOBA games in the world, especially in China, Honor of Kings maintains a blend of fantasy and science-fiction reminiscent of League of Legends. While none of the shots in the Secret Level trailer reveal obvious connections to the Honor of Kings art style, a couple of shots potentially reveal a more realistic approach.
Although, this would stray pretty far from Honor of King’s own cinematic shorts, which focus on bouncy anime characters and fluid motion. Once the Secret Level episode is released, we can see whether the change was worth it.
9Mega Man
One of Capcom’s most iconic characters, Mega Man is an android outfitted to fight against rogue robots. The familiar blue-armored character is seen in multiple shots in the Secret Level trailer, with a focus on a modernized look that doesn’t stray too far from the familiar gauntlets and boots.
Despite this, we see no other characters, and the specific timeline of Mega Man’s episode is yet to be revealed. With the creative liberties taken with PAC-MAN and Honor of Kings, it’s safe to say the Mega Man episode can go in any direction.
8New World: Aeternum
WhereasNew Worldis an MMORPG,New World: Aeturnumisa soft relaunch, focusing on single-player and co-op RPG experiences in a fantasy world filled with unique locations and simulation elements.
Many shots in the Secret Level trailer feature the New World episode, which seems to focus on a blonde, bearded protagonist meeting with a ruler and spending time aboard a sailing ship, likely on the new island of Aeternum.
7The Outer Worlds 2
Without a release date or solid information on The Outer Worlds 2, the Outer Worlds episode will more or less be a mystery.What is knownof the plot of The Outer Worlds 2 is that it will be on a new star system, potentially away from the Halcyon colony and The Board’s cynical influence.
If the episode is consistent with the tone of the first game, it will focus heavily on anti-capitalist themes and humor with plenty of edge, potentially using characters you can meet in The Outer Worlds 2.
6PAC-MAN
PAC-MANis one of the more beloved retro game characters that has inspired many forms of media, including movies, TV shows, and countless games that stray from the memorable, pixelated circle. In the Secret Level teaser trailer, there is a glimpse in the final shot of the familiar character as a highly technological golden sphere.
One of the first shots reveals an alien-looking figure followed by a golden sphere, which likely represents a ghost. The PAC-MAN episode will probably be a very unique take on the character with little to connect it to the original arcade game.
