Warning: this article contains full spoilers for every episode of Secret Level.
Prime Video is once again championing the video game adaptation with its brand new animated TV show, Secret Level. Produced by Blur Studio, the company behind many fantastic video game cinematics and Netflix's Love, Death & Robots, this CGI anthology series dives into a brand new game universe each episode.
This first season is made up of 15 short stories set in the worlds of Unreal Tournament, Pac-Man, Dungeons & Dragons, and more. Each episode is a standalone tale that anyone can watch without prior knowledge of the games, but you’ll certainly have a richer experience if you have an understanding of the words they are drawn from. That’s why we’ve put together this explainer guide, which answers the biggest lore and background questions from each episode.
So if you’ve watched Secret Level and come away asking things like “Who is Xan?”, “What is the Cult of the Dragon?” or “What was in that box?”, then you’re in the right place for answers.
Of course, proceed with caution: this article contains spoilers for every episode of Secret Level available so far.
Episode 1 - Dungeons & Dragons: The Queen’s Cradle
The Queen’s Cradle is based on Dungeons & Dragons, the 50-year-old tabletop RPG that created the world in which Baldur’s Gate 3 is set. As is typical of D&D’s fantasy adventures, the story follows a questing party of diverse characters: Mora, a goliath (see: mini giant) paladin; Tally, a gnome wizard; Luzum, a dwarf monk; and Ahokal, an orc druid. Their mission is to save Solon, a young man covered in mysterious tattoos whom the party rescues from the Cult of the Dragon.
What is The Cult of the Dragon?
The Cult of the Dragon is a faction from the tabletop lore that believes undead dragons will one day rule the world. Some of its more grisly practices involve sacrificing people to the dragon gods, and that’s why Solon has been tattooed with those runes and symbols – the cult intends to sacrifice him to Tiamat, the five-headed queen of evil dragons. It is mentioned that Solon was intended to be sacrificed at the Well of Dragons, which is a temple of Tiamat hidden away inside a volcano.
Who is Oriel, the gold dragon?
Not all D&D dragons are evil. Tiamat’s brother and rival, Bahamut, is the leader of the noble metallic dragons. That’s why the party seeks out Oriel, a golden dragon, to help cure Solon of his affliction that causes him to see visions of Tiamat. Oriel is an original character for this story rather than an important dragon in the lore, which is a good thing considering he gets torn apart by Tiamat as she materialises inside him.
Tiamat’s respawn
It’s not exactly clear how Tiamat arrives in the way she does. The Well of Dragons has been used in prior D&D stories to coax Tiamat into the Material Plane (see: ‘normal’ reality) from her lair in the Nine Hells. That’s likely what’s happening here, and Tiamat’s journey from hell could be considered something of a ‘rebirth’ or, to use a video game term, a ‘respawn’. This concept is something explored across the entire Secret Level series.
Episode 2 - Sifu: It Takes a Life
It Takes a Life is based on Sifu, the 2022 action game from developer Sloclap. Set in China, the game follows the journey of a man seeking revenge for the death of his father. Unlike most episodes of Secret Level, It Takes a Life actually takes place within the storyline of its source material – the fight scenes are a recreation of Sifu’s second level, The Club.
Why can the MC respawn?
Throughout the episode we see our hero, known only as MC (main character), die repeatedly. Rather than rot in a puddle of his own blood, the MC is able to resurrect and continue fighting. This recreates a mechanic from the video game, in which the MC has a magical talisman that raises him from the dead. The ability comes with a price, though; each resurrection ages the MC by several years. By the end of the episode we see that the MC has become an old man due to the number of deaths he has respawned from.
Why does the talisman break?
The MC’s talisman is made up of a pendant with five charms. Occasionally those charms break when the MC resurrects. This is another recreation of the game’s mechanics, as in Sifu a charm shatters when the MC has aged past a decade milestone. Basically there’s only so many times the talisman can save him, as all the charms will have broken by the time he’s aged past 70 years old.
Who is the boss?
After fighting his way through the club, the MC finally faces the man he has been searching for. This is Sean, the second boss from the video game. While we don’t see the fight itself in the episode, the area is identical to that seen in the game, and Sean wields the same bo staff that his game counterpart uses.
Episode 3 - New World: The Once and Future King
The Once and Future King is based on New World, the MMORPG from Amazon Game Studios. Specifically, it seems to be a prequel to Aeternum, the game’s recent update. Set on an island where nobody ever dies, it follows the journey of a buffoonish king dying over and over again in his attempt to claim rulership over the land.
Who is King Aelstrom?
In New World: Aeternum, Aelstrom is an NPC quest giver who provides tutorial objectives for new players. Little is known about him in the game, but he does explain that he’s a former king. This episode of Secret Level thus acts as something of an origin story for Aelstrom. We see how his younger self, voiced by none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger, attempts to lay claim to the island of Aeternum. He ultimately fails, which presumably is the starting point for his career as an NPC camped out on Aeternum’s beach in the starting area of Monarch’s Bluffs.
In the game, it is revealed that Aelstrom has been kicked out of the city of Prydwen. It seems likely that the castle depicted in this episode is Prydwen and the story’s events are the reason why Aelstrom has been exiled from the city.
Why can Aelstrom respawn?
This episode briefly explains that nobody dies on Aeternum (the island’s name is actually the Latin word for “eternal” or “forever”), hence why King Aelstrom is able to resurrect over and over, Edge of Tomorrow-style. Much like the Sifu episode, this ability is rooted in the original game. In New World, a mineral called Azoth grants the island its supernatural power and ensures that all living things can resurrect. Simply put, it’s the lore behind why your character can respawn in the game.
Episode 4 - Unreal Tournament: Xan
Xan is set in the Unreal Tournament universe and, much like the previous episode The Once and Future King, acts as a prequel to the events that take place in the video games. During this short we witness a retelling of the origins of the Unreal Tournament, which was designed to put a stop to an AI uprising.
Who is Xan?
The hero of this story is Xan Kriegor. While he looks very different in this episode compared to the Xan seen in the first Unreal Tournament game, Secret Level’s version of the character lives a life that largely matches the original lore. Xan was built by the Liandri Mining Corporation for dangerous mining operations. His notoriety began when he led a robotic uprising against his human masters on asteroid LBX-7683. The episode shows how Xan is the first to strike back against his human oppressors.
What is the Unreal Tournament?
In Secret Level, it is suggested that the Unreal Tournament death matches are something of a punishment for Xan and his team of robots for their role in the rebellion. Things are slightly different in the games’ original backstory. After quelling the rebellion, Liandri captured the rebels and reprogrammed them, turning them into a team of robotic warriors known as The Corrupt. They were then entered into the Liandri Grand Tournament, a legally-sanctioned bloodsport that was introduced to offer a violent outlet for an increasingly aggressive population.
Rather than attempting to help his fellow robots through a brutal punishment as he does in Secret Level’s version of events, the original Xan is an efficient soldier attempting to win victory for his employer. He quickly rises to become the tournament’s champion, becoming a mythological figure in the process.
Episode 5 - Warhammer 40,000: And They Shall Know No Fear
And They Shall Know No Fear is a story set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. This makes it the second Secret Level episode to be based on a tabletop game, but this short also acts as a companion piece to the recently released Space Marine 2 video game. Taking place after SM2’s campaign, this episode sees Lieutenant Titus working as part of an elite Bladeguard team on a mission to eliminate an agent of Chaos – daemons who pose the greatest threat to humanity. Continuing Secret Level’s ongoing theme of respawns and rebirth, the story explores how Space Marines are created by breaking down children and rebuilding them into fearless warriors.
What is in the box?
Throughout the first half of the episode Titus drags a coffin-like box through the battlefield. It is eventually revealed to contain an astropath, a slave with psychic powers. Astropaths are essentially the Warhammer 40k version of a telephone, as their abilities allow them to send and receive messages across interstellar distances. They are also capable of communicating with aliens and daemons, which is likely one of the reasons why this astropath was brought along for the mission. The main reason Titus has the astropath, though, is for its defensive capabilities – a skill known as Psychic Barrier. We see this being used to protect the squad from the spectral grasp of Chaos.
Who is Titus’ foe?
The Space Marines are once again fighting servants of the Chaos god Tzeentch, and fans of the game will recognise both the blue-skinned Tzaangors and the statue of the huge, bird-like Lord of Change. Slumbering within the statue’s staff, though, is a new enemy: a Sorcerer of Tzeentch. There is not a model of this creature in the tabletop game, but it has all the hallmarks of a servant of Tzeentch: tentacle-like appendages, weird eyes, and the ability to poison minds with terrifying illusions.
What is happening in Metaurus’ vision?
Much of this episode is seen from the perspective of Metaurus, the squad's sergeant. He’s an original character for this story, but an important one: it is revealed that he was the person to recruit Titus. Rather than break Titus as a child and rebuild him into a fearless soldier, Metarurus explains that Titus was completely fearless even as a young boy.
When the Tzeentch sorcerer torments Metaurus with visions, he begins to imagine what Titus’ complete lack of fear could mean. We see the image of Titus transform into a spike-adorned disciple of Chaos before stabbing his old mentor. The implication is that Titus’ complete lack of fear could mean he’s not fearful enough of Chaos, and thus may be tempted to join them. This links to the story of the first Space Marine game, in which Titus is believed to have colluded with Chaos and is subsequently convicted of heresy.
Thankfully Titus’ inability to feel fear saves the day. Within his own vision he’s able to strike back against the sorcerer, allowing his physical self to cleave the creature in two. In the aftermath, Metaurus asks “what could a soul like that be capable of?” Based on the events of this story, as well as the two Space Marine games, it seems like Titus is the ultimate defender of humanity, incapable of falling to Chaos.
Episode 6 - Pac-Man: Circle
Circle is perhaps Secret Level’s most out-there episode, based on the arcade game Pac-Man. Considering the 1980s classic doesn’t have much in the way of story or setting, this short acts as something of a wild reimaging of what the mazes, dots, and ghosts of Pac-Man could represent.
Pac-Man easter eggs
Because Circle is a complete reimagining of the game, the Pac-Man elements are almost more like easter eggs than direct recreations. The Puck is, of course, this episode’s most direct version of Pac-Man – a floating yellow orb that travels through a jungle-like maze. But the classic role of Pac-Man is actually fulfilled by the Swordsman, a confused humanoid attempting to survive the maze at the behest of the Puck. The two characters are united by the Swordsman’s blade, which features the open mouthed design of Pac-Man on its crossguard.
The Puck spurs the Swordsman on by saying “You must be hungry”, a reference to how players eat their way through the maze in the original game. While the Swordsman doesn’t eat anything resembling the game’s pill-like dots, he does chow down on a variety of beasts, as well as the iconic cherries. The Puck also suggests the Swordsman should eat the maze’s hungry ghosts, a reference to how players are able to eat the ghosts who haunt them in the game.
There’s strength in repetition
The episode’s name, Circle, refers to the cycle that the Puck constantly goes through in search of a Swordsman who will defeat the maze. It turns out that seemingly infinite Swordsmen are being held in stasis, each one destined to be bullied by the Puck into travelling through the maze. The Puck tells the Swordsman that there is “strength in repetition”, a commentary on both the Swordsman’s need to eat over and over again to reach his goal, and the Puck’s compulsion to try over and over again to force a Swordsman to complete the maze.
This commentary links into Secret Level’s wider exploration of how death and respawning is a key part of video games. There’s a recognition here that the act of playing Pac-Man is a relentlessly repetitive process, destined to frequently end in Game Over, but that it is only through repetition that players improve their skills and are able to master the games’ mazes.
Episode 7 - CrossFire: Good Conflict
Good Conflict is inspired by CrossFire, a PvP shooter developed by Smilegate Entertainment that’s hugely popular in China and South Korea. The game pits members of two mercenary teams against each other – the Global Risk counter-terrorist organisation and the Black List group. Both of these factions feature in this episode.
Who is Global Risk and who is Black List?
Due to the lore-light, multiplayer nature of CrossFire, there’s little that needs explaining about this episode. It is worth establishing who is who, though, since the script does a relatively poor job of establishing sides for those unfamiliar with CrossFire. The episode begins from the perspective of Black List, who has been contracted to escort a man called Mahler to a drop-off point where he will be collected by “freedom fighters”. The Black List team are intercepted by Global Risk, who can be identified by the blue badges on their helmets. Confusingly, Global Risk are outfitted in black and drive black vehicles, while Black List wear tan-coloured tactical gear and drive white vehicles.
What is in the package?
The members of Global Risk are not actually hunting Black List. Instead their mission is to retrieve the package Mahler carries. It is not explicitly revealed what is in the package (aside from the dummy package, which is full of hot water bottles), but it’s considered very valuable. Global Risk wants it for security purposes, noting that if it were to end up in the wrong hands “there wouldn’t be anywhere left that isn’t a warzone.” Meanwhile, Mahler believes the freedom fighters will kill him if he arrives without the package. The implication is that the case contains either information that could cause global insecurity, or a nuclear/chemical weapon.
Episode 8 - Armored Core: Asset Management
Asset Management is the final story in Secret Level’s first batch of episodes. Based on FromSoftware’s mecha combat series, Armored Core, it features Keanu Reeves as an unnamed mercenary mech pilot. What seems like a routine job becomes increasingly complex when the pilot realises that his targets may be connected to his past.
Why is the pilot special?
During the episode’s opening, two men in a bar discuss the pilot. The older guy explains that “they made him to do one thing” and that “they don’t make them like that anymore.” It’s soon revealed that the pilot is an augmented human, outfitted with systems that allow him to directly interface with his mech. There have been many variations of augmented humans across the Armored Core series, but this short as a whole fairly closely resembles the most recent entry, AC6: Fires of Rubicon, and so we’ll use that as the source for our explainer.
In Fires of Rubicon, there have been several generations of the Human PLUS program. Each new iteration of human augmentation was designed to refine and increase pilot aptitude, enabling a higher skill ceiling and thus deadlier warriors. The first four generations used an unusual substance called Coral to manufacture enhancements, and a side effect of this is at least one pilot – C4-621, the protagonist of Armored Core 6 – is able to hear disembodied voices in their head. Keanu Reeves’ pilot is also able to hear a voice in his head, and so he may either be a fourth generation augmented human akin to the protagonist of AC6, or the result of Secret Level’s own version of the Human PLUS program (it’s unclear if this episode is set in the same universe as Fires of Rubicon or its own version of the Armored Core fiction).
The last of his kind
While the pilot initially claims that “everybody like me is dead”, it turns out that’s far from the truth. It is eventually revealed that the pilot’s current contract is to hunt down and eliminate other augmented pilots. This is reflective of the game’s approach to missions, in which the true nature of contracts is often kept concealed from the assigned pilot. The ‘enemy’ pilots have seemingly been assigned the same contract in the hope that the augmented humans will wipe each other out, but they pull their punches in battle – a sign that they don’t want to kill the pilot. But, despite them being something akin to his ‘siblings’, the pilot carries out his orders and crushes the target’s skull .
There are many possibilities as to why the pilot would willingly murder other augmented humans, but perhaps the most likely is that in Armored Core’s ruthless corporate future, it’s a valuable thing to be the only person with a particular skill set. Perhaps this is the pilot’s way of ensuring he’s the number one pick for future contracts. Survival of the fittest, indeed.
The final seven episodes of Secret Level will release on December 17.
Matt Purslow is IGN's Senior Features Editor.
