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 - lighton
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- From: Fillory (first floor)
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Topic: Secret Level [Adventure, Fantasy, Animation]
https://next-episode.net/secret-level 
Adult-animated anthology series featuring original stories set within the worlds of some of the most beloved video games. From the creative minds behind LOVE, DEATH + ROBOTS, each of the 15 episodes is a celebration of games and gamers. Games that inspired the 15 epic stories include Armored Core, Concord, Crossfire, Dungeons & Dragons, Exodus, Honor of Kings, Mega Man, New World: Aeternum, PAC-MAN, various PlayStation Studios games, Sifu, Spelunky, The Outer Worlds, Unreal Tournament and Warhammer 40,000.
- lighton
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Re: Secret Level [Adventure, Fantasy, Animation]
I love the teaser trailer, looks like this will also be great for non-gamers. 
- lighton
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Re: Secret Level [Adventure, Fantasy, Animation]
New teaser: Secret Level - Official Armored Core Teaser Trailer (2024) Keanu Reeves
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo9rA047XwE Goosebumps! 
- lighton
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Re: Secret Level [Adventure, Fantasy, Animation]
Secret Level - Official Trailer | Prime Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvY9Uq7I30Y Damn... the visual quality is AMAZING! Less than 6 days and it's here.
- lighton
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Re: Secret Level [Adventure, Fantasy, Animation]
1x1 was pretty good, but 1x2 was amazing! <3
- Registered: 2016-06-10
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Re: Secret Level [Adventure, Fantasy, Animation]
lighton wrote:1x1 was pretty good, but 1x2 was amazing! <3
Love them all. I love the the most. Stupid is enhanced by that voice.
--== Warning. This message will self destruct in 24h. ==--
 - TeaAndApathy
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Re: Secret Level [Adventure, Fantasy, Animation]
I can honestly say one doesn't need to be familiar with the games to enjoy these!
 - graybags
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Re: Secret Level [Adventure, Fantasy, Animation]
I've seen the first two, and they were... ok. I'm waiting for the Jet Set Willy episode.
2020. Meh.
 - Wizard
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Re: Secret Level [Adventure, Fantasy, Animation]
The best episodes for me are:
4 - Unreal Tournament Xan
5 - Warhammer 40,000 And They Shall Know No Fear Quite Good ones are:
3 - New World The Once And Future King
7 - Crossfire Good Conflict The rest we just OK
DRM "manages access" in the same way that Prison "manages freedom". http://xkcd.com/488/
10 Reply by TheFizza 2024-12-12 07:35:02 (edited by TheFizza 2024-12-12 07:38:49)
 - TheFizza
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Re: Secret Level [Adventure, Fantasy, Animation]
Woah, that was crazy... In Order of Excellence:
1. Armored Core: Asset Management
2. Unreal Tournament: Xan
3. Sifu: It Takes a Life
4. Dungeons & Dragons: The Queen’s Cradle
5. PAC-MAN: Circle
6. Warhammer 40,000: And They Shall Know No Fear
7. New World: The Once and Future King
8. Crossfire: Good Conflict Just my opinion, no shade to any of y'alls
11 Reply by TheFizza 2024-12-18 10:39:17 (edited by TheFizza 2024-12-18 10:44:23)
- TheFizza
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Re: Secret Level [Adventure, Fantasy, Animation]
Part Two... ummm, over-all not as good as part one. Best to Worst:
1. Playtime: Fulfillment
2. Honor of Kings: The Way of All Things
3. Concord: Tale of the Implacable
4. Exodus: Odyssey
5. Spelunky: Tally
6. Mega Man: Start
7. The Outer Worlds: The Company We Keep Again, this is just my opinion, no shade to any of y'alls
- lighton
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Re: Secret Level [Adventure, Fantasy, Animation]
I'm not finished yet, but I find the overall quality a bit less than https://next-episode.net/love-death-and-robots. Technically brilliant, but something is missing. Still, I'll recommend this, too.
- Wizard
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Re: Secret Level [Adventure, Fantasy, Animation]
TheFizza wrote:Part Two... ummm, over-all not as good as part one.
Agreed, first half was much better. I did like "12 - Spelunky Tally" "9 - The Outer Worlds The Company We Keep" was good, but slightly depressing
DRM "manages access" in the same way that Prison "manages freedom". http://xkcd.com/488/
14 Reply by TheFizza 2024-12-19 04:51:38 (edited by TheFizza 2025-01-04 13:36:44)
- TheFizza
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Re: Secret Level [Adventure, Fantasy, Animation]
That's a good comparison, I'd also agree that this series was missing something... it felt more Star Wars: VISIONS than Love, Death + Robots. Like, there was no overall theme or guiding force, just some random [though often cool] stuff. Secret Level also had some real misses for me whereas LD+R is pretty solid all the way through. Wizard wrote:"9 - The Outer Worlds The Company We Keep" was good, but slightly depressing
I would dare say that the disheartening aspects of that episode was one of the reasons what I gave it such a low score. That and how it felt pointless... like dude you have to let your children stand or fail on their own, have you read a single book?! It just felt like a waste to take us on this emo space cautionary tale... thematically similar to that SNW ep with the doctor and his daughter [arguably done waaaaay better, that is true] but how does this entertain when we just met these characters? It's not like we've got any investment in them and-really the story just doesn't have time for that. Annnd I honestly hated the dad... let your daughter live, even if it means she eventually dies... hell, she lived the life she wanted [more than some can say].
- lighton
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Re: Secret Level [Adventure, Fantasy, Animation]
‘Secret Level’ Renewed for Season 2 at Amazon Prime Video: https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/secret … 236251726/
- lighton
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Re: Secret Level [Adventure, Fantasy, Animation]
TheFizza wrote:Wizard wrote:"9 - The Outer Worlds The Company We Keep" was good, but slightly depressing
I would dare say that the disheartening aspects of that episode was one of the reasons what I gave it such a low score. That and how it felt pointless... like dude you have to let your children stand or fail on their own, have you read a single book?! It just felt like a waste to take us on this emo space cautionary tale...
I watched it as a modern fable... Could have been named "The fable of the idiotic* simpleton and his insane long-distance crush"... Loved his 'acting' and the dark humor though!  *(Although, thinking about the level of workplace safety on the planet he's from, his life expectancy there wasn't stellar to begin with...) TheFizza wrote:thematically similar to that SNW ep with the doctor and his daughter [arguably done waaaaay better, that is true] but how does entertain when we just met these characters? It's not like we've got any investment in them and-really the story just doesn't have time for that. Annnd I honestly hated the dad... let your daughter live, even if it means she eventually dies... hell, she lived the life she wanted [more than some can say].
Are you talking about a https://next-episode.net/star-trek-strange-new-worlds episode? That description doesn't ring a bell...
 - WilliamDrakeMcGregor
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Re: Secret Level [Adventure, Fantasy, Animation]
I finally have time to start watching this. Halfway through and loving it I would call myself a casual gamer, which is almost embarrassing to say, considering I haven't played most of the games featured in here. The comparison to Love, Death and Robots and Star Wars Visions is well deserved, although this one lacks a bit of diversity in animation styles. Most episodes so far were done with super-realistic CGI which is fine, could've just as easily been done with the actual actors and actresses though....to me personally that is less impressive.
Having a more abstract animation style just shows the imaginative range of the creators....which is imho a part of the purpose for such a show.
This, at the least, was better done in Love, Death and Robots as well as Star Wars Visions. I would rank the Episodes 01-08 as followed: 01. Episode 06 - PAC-MAN, Circle
▼Spoiler Considering the "story" of Pac-Man you can see how much imagination went into this. The entire episode I wondered if we ever gonna see it open it's mouth. And when it transformed into big bad Pac-Man it was everything you could've wanted from this, nicely done.
02. Episode 08 - Armored Core, Asset Management
▼Spoiler Apart from Keanu Reeves, who is ever good to see on screen, I think this was the best directed episode.
I've never been a big fan of the Mecha-genre (normal sized robots are better ), otherwise this would've gotten the number one spot.
When he crushed that other guys head with his mecha-finger, most shocking moment so far.
03. Episode 03 - New World, The Once and Future King
▼Spoiler Arni's voice is absolutely perfect for that character. Loved how stupidly overconfident the character is and the "And yet, Aelstrom lives" everytime he resurrected.
I also thought that the lighting in this episode was particularly good.
04. Episode 05 - Warhammer 40.000, And They Shall Know No Fear
▼Spoiler I don't know much about Warhammer, but I know Space Marines and Ultramarines are the best of the best.
Up until the moment when 3/4 died due to that arachnide thingy this was my favorite episode. In my opinion it would've been better if the guy who survived would've been the first one the arachnide tried to do his thing with. Make the struggle a bit more intense and have everyone survive.
This way you could imagine that every single one of them packs the heat and experience that guy did.
05. Episode 02 - Sifu, It Takes a Life
▼Spoiler Great animation
I can imagine the concept is great for a video game, getting older with every "life" you loose.
06. Episode 04 - Unreal Tournament, Xan
▼Spoiler It all came down to tech-guy pulling the Firewall Module...if that hadn't happened, Xan would be toast...kinda disappointing.
07. Episode 01 - Dungeons & Dragons, The Queen's Cradle
▼Spoiler This one was too soft for me. Everyone was way too nice and compassionate. Even the dragon just helped without asking for anything...
08. Episode 07 - Crossfire, Good Conflict
▼Spoiler It was good, but apart from the super-realistic CGI you could see something like this in almost every action movie nowadays....
Shows that deserved more runtime:
Abbys | Dead Like Me | Devs | Firefly | Gangsta. | Jack of all Trades | Kevin (probably) saves the World | Lodge 49 | Mrs. Davis | NYC 22 | Powerless | Roadkill | Special Unit 2 | Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi | Stumptown | Surface | The Brave | The Company You Keep | The Crazy Ones | The Finder | The Middleman | Truth Seekers | Two Weeks to Live | Whiskey Cavalier
18 Reply by WilliamDrakeMcGregor 2024-12-25 16:35:28 (edited by WilliamDrakeMcGregor 2024-12-25 16:35:36)
- WilliamDrakeMcGregor
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Re: Secret Level [Adventure, Fantasy, Animation]
I also agree with the others who've said the second half was not as good as the first half. Nevertheless here my ranking and opinion: 01. Episode 10 - Mega Man, Start
I actually know Mega Man more for the cartoon from the 90s than for the video game, although all I remember is that I enjoyed it.
▼Spoiler It was the only episode of the second half where I was wanting for more after it was over.
The only thing to complain about here is the runtime, with 4mins is the shortest one. But nevertheless it 02. Episode 12 - Seplunky, Tally
I love and hate these kind of games. I love them for the challenge and hate them for the frustration they bring with them. Currently playing Dead Cells which is of a similar concept, slowly overcoming the challenge but the frustration is still on the same level as when I started
▼Spoiler The story is simple but very much understandable. Even though it was also very short, it finished of nicely.
This one probably comes closest to being a cinematic trailer for the game
03. Episode 14 - Honor of Kings, The Way of All Things
▼Spoiler From the second half this had the best animation imho. The story was ok-ish, but the storytelling was relally good.
04. Episode 09 - The Outer Worlds, The Company We Keep
▼Spoiler The slightly oversized heads made this kinda uncomfortable to watch for me. They just looked weird.
I usually like overly positive characters, but not if they are that naive.
05. Episode 15 - Playtime, Fulfillment
▼Spoiler The world-building didn't make sense to me. It started off with her being a delivery cycler, accompanied by a little drone. With such advanced drones, is there even a place for a job like hers anymore?
I mean even IRL delivery robots and drones are in their experimental phase. Why can only she deliver the package? Would've liked an answer to that. All the drones attacking her because she broke the contract?... because this is the first time that happened? In what world... And the end...i didn't get it...what was the big revelation and what was accomplished? Really too bad cause I liked the character, action and the animation, but everything else just meh.
06. Episode 13 - Concord, Tale of the Implacable
Very surprising to me to see this game got an episode. It was apparently so disliked that it was taken down only a few weeks after it was released.
▼Spoiler It was good until the end. Where can you go wrong with a funky space pirate crew type of story? Oh yeah, make them "martyrs" for no reason whatsoever...
07. Episode 11 - Exodus, Odyseey
▼Spoiler I just thought the story was...meh. And also...did the timeline really make sense? Once he got that ship from that one guy or joined that group he must have been traveling at the same speed as her, right? So after that point, shouldn't the years for both of them haven been the same?
Shows that deserved more runtime:
Abbys | Dead Like Me | Devs | Firefly | Gangsta. | Jack of all Trades | Kevin (probably) saves the World | Lodge 49 | Mrs. Davis | NYC 22 | Powerless | Roadkill | Special Unit 2 | Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi | Stumptown | Surface | The Brave | The Company You Keep | The Crazy Ones | The Finder | The Middleman | Truth Seekers | Two Weeks to Live | Whiskey Cavalier
19 Reply by TheFizza 2025-01-04 13:46:48 (edited by TheFizza 2025-01-04 13:51:47)
- TheFizza
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Re: Secret Level [Adventure, Fantasy, Animation]
lighton wrote:TheFizza wrote:thematically similar to that SNW ep with the doctor and his daughter [arguably done waaaaay better, that is true] but how does entertain when we just met these characters? It's not like we've got any investment in them and-really the story just doesn't have time for that. Annnd I honestly hated the dad... let your daughter live, even if it means she eventually dies... hell, she lived the life she wanted [more than some can say].
Are you talking about a https://next-episode.net/star-trek-strange-new-worlds episode? That description doesn't ring a bell...
You are correct, I was thinking of the Exodus story at that point... My bad. I was comparing it to the SNW Ep where Doctor M'Benga has a similar issue with regards to letting go of a child. Yes, you are correct The Outer Worlds was a Cautionary Tale of the Foolhardy... also, it felt like that story might've also been a low-key indictment of abuse perpetrated on the mentally handicapped but again they had no time for that, so who's to say?!?!
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