Why Secret Level's Concord Episode is Bittersweet

Gaming adaptations have been like a box of chocolates over the years that have left players wary of what exactly they’re going to get each time a new one is announced. Secret Level, a new anthology series created by Tim Miller with Executive Producer Dave Wilson, sweetens the deal by inviting players into the worlds of multiple video games through one anthology collection. The Amazon Prime Video series has 15 episodes scheduled to release in pairs every week after December 10, which means many viewers will have to wait and see when their favorite game will have its turn in the spotlight. Many of the titles featured in Secret Level are adapted very faithfully to their source material, albeit with some artistic liberties, which means they’re most certainly worth viewing for die-hard fans. Even if players tune in for one or two of their favorite games, all the episodes are self-contained as best as they can be – including the one featuring Sony’s Concord.

Sony has three episodes in Secret Level dedicated to its IPs, two of which being God of War and Concord, and the third being a more general “PlayStation” episode. All three of these pieces of the anthology have been anticipated by gamers for one reason or another, but Concord‘s episode has sadly found itself in a bittersweet situation. What was likely designed to be a great advertisement for the hero shooter now serves as one of the pieces of evidence that it even existed at all.

Secret Level Makes It So Concord Ends Just As It Began

The Story of the Implacable Comes Alive in Secret Level

When it comes to picking a way to make a standalone story set in the Concord universe, Secret Level most certainly hits a sweet spot by telling the story of the crew of the Implacable. The story of the Implacable is a centerpiece in Concord‘s impressive lore, serving as the backstory for the entire game at large as it takes place before the Hero Shooter even gets to begin. None of the events were shown in-game, which gave Secret Level a fresh canvas to tell an adventurous story of smugglers out in space that will make any fan of Concord‘s storytelling elements happy.

Even viewers who haven’t heard of Concord before will enjoy the episode titled “Tale of the Implacable” as it uses new characters, important worldbuilding that isn’t hard to understand, and other important tidbits that tie the Secret Level episode back to the game without confusing viewers. It serves as a great way to introduce people to Concord, as it’s eye candy from start to finish with tons of action and emotional moments despite its short runtime, which is very reminiscent of how Overwatch typically advertises itself with animated shorts. It’s honestly a victory in and of itself that Secret Level managed to find a perfect way to adapt Concord without alienating newer viewers, and it makes one wonder how different things might have been if the episode came out just a few months sooner.

Secret Level‘s “Tale of the Implacable” was intended to be great supplementary material for fans and a gateway to getting into the game for newcomers, but sadly, Concord was shut down on September 6. Concord‘s trouble at launch was blamed for its sudden removal from storefronts, but it’s rather strange that Sony only gave the title two weeks to try and find its audience when important ventures like its Secret Level tie-in were waiting in the wings. Amazon has made it clear that it’s releasing this episode with all the rest regardless of the game’s unfortunate end, which instead makes what would have been a delightful beginning for Concord a reminder of what once was.

Secret Level premieres on Amazon Prime Video on December 10.

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Amazon Prime Video’s Secret Level is an animated series that explores different gaming worlds, telling short stories within them. Some of the featured games include Armored Core, Sifu, Unreal Tournament, Concord, Ghost of Tsushima, Pac-Man, and The Outer Worlds.

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