I am a giant fan of Netflix‘s Love, Dying and Robots. I am additionally a giant fan of videogames. So, when a brand new Prime Video anthology sequence, based mostly on among the world’s most well-known gaming franchises, was introduced at gamescom final night time (August 20), it not solely had my curiosity, but in addition my consideration.
Step ahead Secret Degree, the newest grownup animated anthology present from Tim Miller and his manufacturing firm Blur Studio that is set to debut on Amazon’s main streaming service on December 10. It will comprise 15 episodes, with every installment telling an authentic brief story set in a wide range of iconic videogame universes, together with God of Warfare and Pac-Man. Oh, and we had been additionally handled to a primary take a look at the varied artwork and animation kinds that’ll be on show within the sequence by way of Secret Degree‘s official trailer, which premiered eventually night time’s gamescom Opening Evening Reside occasion.
Miller, who co-created Love, Dying and Robots with famed movie auteur David Fincher, and Blur Studio have led improvement on the sequence alongside supervising director Dave Wilson. In a Prime Video press launch, Amazon MGM Studios’ Head of Tv Vernon Sanders defined why Prime Video’s artistic workforce had been so desirous to work with Miller, Wilson, and Blur to create a present impressed by a few of gaming’s most noteworthy franchises.
“Secret Degree weaves a tapestry of iconic video games throughout a number of mediums, to inform a sequence of distinctive and charming tales,” he gushed. “Created and led by Tim Miller, Blur Studio, and Supervising Director Dave Wilson, every episode will take our world Prime Video clients on a model new journey with breath-taking animation and imaginative storytelling.”
Secret Degree will not focus solely on legendary videogame sequence, thoughts you. Certainly, it’s going to additionally comprise tales that happen in comparatively new recreation franchises, such because the brand-new team-based shooter Harmony, which is out there on PlayStation 5 and PC. Here is the complete listing of video games that’ll be a part of Secret Degree’s 15-strong haul:
- Armored Core
- Harmony
- Crossfire
- Dungeons and Dragons
- Exodus
- God of Warfare
- Honor of Kings
- Mega Man
- New World: Aeternum
- The Outer Worlds 2
- Pac-Man
- Sifu
- Spelunky
- Unreal Event
- Warhammer 40K
Pushing the proper buttons
Within the wake of Secret Degree‘s announcement, I’ve seen every kind of reactions to the R-rated animated anthology sequence’ reveal throughout social media. Certainly, some persons are clearly excited to look at new tales set of their favourite recreation universes, whereas different bemused observers have questioned why Prime Video, aka one of many world’s greatest streaming providers, has created what’s primarily a present based mostly round glorified videogame cutscenes.
The latter opinion is actually a legitimate one, however this is not the primary time that the leisure business has regarded to its gaming cousin for narrative and artistic inspiration. It hasn’t shied away from adapting among the world’s hottest recreation franchises for the massive and small screens, both. Simply take a look at the latest explosion of critically-acclaimed and/or money-spinning film and TV diversifications, together with The Final of Us, The Tremendous Mario Bros. Film, Fallout, and Sonic the Hedgehog for proof of that.
Heck, videogame studios, resembling Riot Video games, have even created their very own animated brief tales that happen in their very own franchises. Certainly, its most profitable videogame property League of Legends has not solely obtained quite a few animated tie-ins – music movies and shorts centered round a few of its most well-known characters – but in addition spawned its personal authentic sequence Arcane, whose first season is out there on Netflix. Arcane season 2 can be set to land on the streamer in November, too.
Why, then, ought to eyebrows be raised at Amazon for creating an anthology sequence influenced by different common video games? So long as they do not contradict the narratives, franchise canon, and/or particular lore of their supply materials, I do not see the issue. And, frankly, if all or any of Secret Degree‘s episodes introduce their recreation sequence to a wider viewers, that may solely be an excellent factor. We have already seen Amazon’s Fallout TV present considerably improve curiosity in Bethesda’s role-playing first-person shooter video games of the identical title. I, for one, count on Secret Degree to do likewise with a few of its lesser-known titles sooner or later.
