Secret Level's Tribute To PlayStation Quietly Calls Out Modern Gaming Trends

One of Secret Level's episodes is a tribute to PlayStation, which subtly calls out negative trends in modern gaming. Secret Level's episode rankings may be different for everyone, but the messages each one tells are difficult to lose in translation. For example, Secret Level episode 12's ending took the video game Spelunky and conveyed the message that its audience should live every day to the full. Focusing on monotony and futility will rob people of the wonders they can experience, proving just how thematically resonant Secret Level can be.

Secret Level episode 15 is no different, though its messaging comes across uniquely in comparison to the preceding 14 installments. The reason for this is that the episode is not based on any one individual game remake like Secret Level's other stories, instead being an original tale that is a tribute to PlayStation. Via this tribute, Secret Level includes some commentary on the state of modern gaming, likely resonating with anyone who is well-versed in the realm of video games.

Secret Level's PlayStation Tribute Calls Out Mobile Gaming

The Negative Trends That Permeate Gaming Of Late Are Addressed

Secret Level episode 15 tells the story of O, a courier who is tasked with delivering inconsequential things to clients, having limited time and risking her life to do so. With every delivery, O gets an upgrade that she hopes will make her job easier. However, her first delivery in Secret Level episode 15 sees her dangerous route rewarded with a slightly more orange coloring for her bike. This is a commentary on the status of many modern games, specifically in the world of mobile gaming.

Modern mobile games often require a great deal of "grinding," in which players have to dedicate hours upon hours of their time to something in order to get little reward. This has been a criticism that is often levied against games in recent years, as they are time-consuming and difficult, and do not reward the player in any meaningful way. Overall, this creates a disconnect between the player and the game, making the latter feel like a monotonous, joyless occupation for the former just as O discovers in Secret Level episode 15.

Secret Level's Love Letter To PlayStation Is About Gaming With Imagination

Secret Level episode 15 takes a turning point after showing O in this state, with the character receiving a package that contains "a conduit." The Conduit is described as incredibly valuable for those who have a strong imagination, allowing O to dream up incredibly fast motorbikes, planes, and vehicles to help her reach a new destination. This destination is blocked by iconic PlayStation characters like God of War's Kratos or the titular kaiju from Shadow of the Colossus until O reaches her childhood home.

After doing so, she steps back outside to see the world has changed to one of unlimited imagination and freedom. Gone are the constrains of her old life, with this change being Secret Level's allegory for gaming a different way. The episode is directly going against the negativity of modern gaming and proving how freeing and rewarding the medium can be if done correctly with imagination and with others to play with. In a world that continues to create media akin to O's original job in Secret Level, episode 15's message is a timely one.