The digitally-animated collection of video game shorts – Secret Level – will return, hopefully this time with a proper spin on Pac-Man.
For a series that some have written off as little more than a glorified bunch of game adverts, Amazon’s Secret Level series so far has been an interesting show to follow in the news cycle. There was Deadpool director Tim Miller’s tearful announcement at last year’s Gamescom that the show was coming, betraying some of the genuine feeling that goes into projects such as these (despite criticisms to the contrary from some quarters that the show is little more than a by-the-numbers PR exercise).
Then there was the inclusion of Concord in the anthology show’s first season, Sony’s massively-expensive hero shooter that the company then pulled from sale before Secret Level even aired. Oh, and there was the show’s take on PAC-MAN, which has to rank as the strangest adaptation we’ve seen in 2024. Or perhaps ever.
While the show itself would be something of a mixed bag, there’s definitely enough talent, weirdness and passion on display to merit a second season and it looks like Amazon Studios has agreed. Secret Level has been officially confirmed by the company as its most-watched animated series debut of all time for the streamer within its first week.
No, viewership numbers were not provided and yes, holding such a specific record is a little bit like being the person in the Guinness Book Of World Records who can balance the most teaspoons on their body, but it’s still something, right? And while I wasn’t quite on board with that utterly strange spin on Pac-Man, I did appreciate that the creators really tried to do something incredibly different with such a revered character.
The final six episodes of Secret Level’s first series release today and include that Concord episode, not to mention a new Mega Man adventure. There’s no word as to which games will feature in the show’s second series but given its huge success this year (and undoubted cinematic potential), surely Arrowhead’s Helldivers 2 will be a shoe-in. We’ll bring you more on this one as we hear it.
