Since the announcement, there has been some confusion as to exactly what Secret level it actually is. The video game-themed anthology is streaming on Prime Video – directed by Love, death and robots Creator Tim Miller – is a collection of animated shorts, each based on a different gaming property. So there is one Mega man Episode that explores the character’s origin and a Caving Episode that attempts to create a meta-narrative around the concept of a roguelike.

It’s an interesting idea let down by the lack of interesting ideas. The 15 short films are almost entirely boring and neither manage to make their source material seem convincing nor to provide new insights for existing fans. The real confusion is who this is actually intended for.

The main problem is homogeneity Secret level Is. Working directly with game publishers, the series draws on a strange but impressively global roster, with titles like the Chinese megahit Honor of kings and Korean shooter Crossfire. But even though there is a wide variety of video games, the episodes all seem very similar. It’s kind of the opposite of Love, death and robotswhich featured a range of different styles and tones while dabbling in horror and science fiction. This is how beautiful episodes like the trippy “The Very Pulse of the Machine” were created.

Secret levelon the other hand, mostly uses a dark, hyper-realistic style that makes almost all episodes look identical. It’s like watching a non-stop barrage of cutscenes at E3 and not being able to tell one game apart.

This works for some stories. The Warhammer 40,000 The episode is suitably dark. But I can’t say I really needed a hyper-violent version of Pac-Man. I’m not kidding: The Pac-Man episode is probably the most bloodthirsty of the entire series, turning a classic arcade game into a brutal survival story with plenty of blood and death. (The episode’s big twist is also the dumbest thing I’ve seen all year, and I sat through the entire episode Megalopolis.) There are a handful of variations that try to add some color and vibrancy, but in the end they all look like this Arcane. The worst offender is this Mega man episode that tries to combine a realistic style with an anime aesthetic and just comes across as an unpleasant, ugly mix of the two.

It’s about more than just how Secret level but looks. Also, the series is terribly boring. Most episodes feel like the opening scene of a much larger story and end right when things seem to be getting interesting. Ideas are often repeated. There are no less than three episodes – based on Caving, New worldAnd Sifu – all of which attempt to tell a meta-story about the concept of dying in a video game. And when the series actually tries some creative liberties, like with Pac-Man, it devolves into a dull attempt at edgy violence.

Two of the strangest episodes are based on games that you can’t actually play at the moment. One takes place in the world of the now infamous multiplayer shooter Concordthe most disastrous launch in PlayStation history, leading to the abrupt closure of the game and its development studio. The other episode is based on Exodusan upcoming role-playing game published by Magic: the gathering Company Wizards of the Coast. In another timeline, this one Secret level Episodes would be the ideal opportunity to showcase what makes these futuristic worlds unique and worth exploring further in a game. In reality, they do both Concord And Exodus seem to be the most generic science fiction stories imaginable. It’s difficult for me to make a clear statement about both.

Really, Secret level is best summed up in the final episode. Titled “Playtime,” it’s about a bike courier in a near-future world that looks like an AR-infested hellscape. Very quickly she is presented with a mysterious package that draws her into what can only be described as a PlayStation commercial. She is being followed Hell diver Soldiers, dodge attacks from Kratos and spend a nice moment with Sackboy. There is no story. It is a collection of Easter eggs linked to a brand and offers the opportunity to discover things you know from the games.

In the 15 episodes Secret level doesn’t explain why any of these worlds are worth exploring, while at the same time offering nothing new for those who already know. It sits in an awkward, empty middle. After watching all of this, I’m somehow more confused than before.

Secret level begins streaming on Prime Video on December 10th.