Prime Video's new video game-oriented TV show just leveled up.
Yesterday (Dec 17), we learned that "Secret Level", Blur Studio and Amazon MGM Studios' animated video game anthology TV show, had been renewed for a second season.
The show tells short stories set within the worlds of a variety of video game and entertainment franchises and has dropped its second and final batch of episodes.
From the sounds of things, "Secret Level" has been a solid hit for the streamer. It's consistently been sitting high up in Prime Video's overall Top 10, has been the streamer's most-watched animated series debut of all time (per Variety), and, even if it hasn't performed too well with critics, audiences are into it; it's landed an 82% score from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.
Despite initially being billed as a "mind-bending" experience, the first season of "Secret Level" ended up feeling, to me, mostly like a glossy, well-animated series of adverts for video games. Most of the episodes lean too heavily on action, without telling an interesting story in their own right.
The announcement of that new spin on Pac-Man, Shadow Labyrinth, at The Game Awards 2024 has only reinforced my take on the show; that's why Pac-Man went all grimdark.
Despite my reaction, though, I feel like the concept of "Secret Level" offers a lot of potential — video game adaptations are, after all, getting pretty good — and I think one change could turn "Secret Level" season 2 into a better series.
My big hope for 'Secret Level' season 2
The most obvious way to improve "Secret Level", to me, would be to move away from the anthology format and focus on diving deeper into a smaller subset of games. If Tim Miller and co. did that, I think they could craft more engaging stories that could keep you coming back for more beyond the initial excitement of "Hey, look, they made X into a TV show!"
Think about how many side-stories you'd like to explore further, or worlds or characters you'd like to know a little more about from all the games you've played over the years; "Secret Level" is the perfect place to do exactly that.
My mind wanders back to how HBO's "The Last Of Us" expanded Bill and Frank's story, turning it into one of the best episodes of the entire season.
"Secret Level" could do the same thing for characters or games that are harder to bring to life in live-action, games that are too futuristic or alien, or otherwise impossible to realize with real props or set design, zooming in on corners of the video game world that couldn't or wouldn't get the "Fallout" treatment. Then, give that new story space to draw us in; stretch it across a couple of episodes, or even a full season.
You could still keep the core idea; future seasons could each turn to a different title or handful of games, but this seems like the best route forward for the show.
Without a format shake-up, I can't shake the feeling that "Secret Level" season 2 will continue to have that unshakeable "sizzle reel" sheen. By narrowing its focus and giving its stories room to breathe, there's every chance "Secret Level" could go on to be one of the best Prime Video shows you can stream.
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