We've seen some big tech and game announcements at Gamescom in Cologne this week, from a showcase of Nvidia ACE-powered interactions in Mecha BREAK to the stunning look of the new Half-Life 2 RTX trailer. But perhaps the biggest surprise has been the announcement of a major new TV series from Amazon Prime Video that will bring together some serious gaming IPs.
From executive producer Tim Miller and the team behind Netflix's Love Death + Robots, Amazon MGM Studios' Secret Level is an animated anthology series for adults. It will feature original stories set in the worlds of games as varied as PAC-MAN and Warhammer 40,000. There will be 15 episodes in all, in what Amazon Prime describes as a "celebration of games and gamers".
Prime Video says that each episode of Secret Level will serve as a "gateway to a new adventure, unlocking exciting worlds from beloved gaming classics and highly anticipated new titles". The games inspiring the 15 stories? They're a diverse collection: Armored Core, Concord, Crossfire, Dungeons & Dragons, Exodus, Honor of Kings, Mega Man, New World: Aeternum, PAC-MAN, PlayStation (various PlayStation Studios entities), Sifu, Spelunky, The Outer Worlds, Unreal Tournament and Warhammer 40,000.
We've seen plenty of movie adaptations of video games over the years, and many of them have been pretty disappointing. But it looks like Prime Video good get this right: the animation in the trailer looks like it works really well. Judging by the trailer, it also appears that the Armored Core episode may feature an appearance from Keanu Reeves, which seems likely to make it a hit.
It will be interesting to see if Secret Level paves the way for more series to be made in a game art style, perhaps using Unreal Engine. Many gamers will surely have a favourite they wish had been included in the series, but who knows? Maybe we'll get another season if it's a success.
Secret Level will premiere on 10 December on Prime Video.
