Earning the title of pioneer is a mark of great honor, but the journey to get there is seldom easy.
It mainly demands a bold spirit to navigate untested waters, where the risk of failure looms large and the starting point offers little guidance. Even so, inspiration is always present to spark the way.
The risk of exploring new creative horizons proved highly successful for Netflix’s animated anthology Love, Death + Robots.
Directed by renowned Tim Miller (Deadpool, Terminator: Dark Fate), the series mainly features standalone episodes linked by one or more of its titular themes, spanning genres including fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and comedy.
After a good gap of 3 seasons, with a fourth underway, the animated anthology has undergone a transformation.
Secret Level redirects its attention to video games, reimagining popular franchises like Warhammer 40,000 and Dungeons & Dragons, while also delving into more niche games such as Sifu and Spelunky.
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The series, released in two installments, features voice work from Hollywood heavyweights such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Keanu Reeves, and Kevin Hart.
In line with Miller’s past work, each episode is marked by its own distinct art style and creative approach, setting them apart from conventional storytelling.
The 15-episode series encountered several challenges and limitations during its development.
With its compact narrative structure, the show functions best with shorter runtimes, varying from just over 5 minutes to just under 15, leaving little opportunity for content beyond the core storyline.
Further, the Mega Man takes a different direction, aiming to deepen a familiar world and evolve the initial concept.
Influenced by RoboCop, Wilson mainly expressed interest in revisiting this idea if the opportunity arises.
The anthology basically features a variety of visual approaches, with the Spelunky and Sifu episodes in quite distinct ways.
For example, the Sifu episode, with its cel-shading and tend to be true to the aesthetic of Sloclap’s beat-em-up, while the Spelunky episode incorporates hand-painted textures and keyframe animation to capture the game’s unique visual style.
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“We kicked off the episode right after Arcane actually premiered, mainly drew that we’re huge fans of,”
Wilson reveals, with Miller adding, “The game sets the tone for the art style, but there are moments when you instinctively know what it should be, and this particular style works perfectly for Spelunky.”
