Secret Levelepisode 8 features Keanu Reeves as a mysterious pilot, but by the end of the episode, the plot appears to thicken with even more mystery. Prime Video’s video game adapted anthology series takes a deep dive into a number of video games as it creates unique and profound stories that tie into the individual video games that inspire each episode. And in the final episode of the first half, there is an explosive ending and an enormous star stepping up to play therole of the protagonist, Keanu Reeves.
However, the episode does feature a story that will likely connect on a far deeper level with people who have had the pleasure of playing theArmored Coregames. Initially, the episode establishes that Reeves' nameless character appears to be an outcast, who is not accepted by other humans. However, he does appear to find some release through his life’s calling as an operator for an incredibly powerful mechanical suit. Who is delivering the orders is ambiguous, who is occupying the other suits is irrelevant, and ultimately, thepilot is determined to succeed in his role as the ultimate fighting machine, whatever the cost.
Why Does The Pilot Voiced By Keanu Reeves Kill The Other Pilot?
The Pilot Is The Last Man Standing At The End Of Secret Level Episode 8
Throughout the episode, the pilot,voiced by Keanu Reeves, appears to communicate with a disembodied voice that offers advice and insight. However, the pilot appears to fly solo, doing things without support or a team. As he sets off on his next mission,taking down whatever targets lie in his path, both he and the voice admire and acknowledge the synchronicity of the enemies, but this pilot has something to prove. While they present a challenge, the pilot dispatches and swiftly eliminates each target, declaring himself as the ultimate victor.
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And then, after taking down a number of these machines, he finds himself in what appears to be an old-abandoned factory. The voice points out that this is like the place where he was reborn, and moments later, the other mechanical suit in the room opens up to reveal a person. However, they are not strictly human, as the body has augmented upgrades that appear to make them some sort of human plus. Though they look to be suffering, and they call out to the pilot for help, the pilot slowly reaches out with a mechanical finger, and continues to push their finger forward until theycrush the skull of this creature.
What Is The Pilot In Secret Level Episode 8?
The Origins Of The Pilot Might Be Answered In Armored Core
Whether the pilot believed killing the other augmented human was genuinely helping them, or if they simply wanted to ensure they had no rival is unclear, though the latter seems more likely from his reaction. It appears thatReeves is playing a character that is an augmented or enhanced human, though that does not appear to have made them any more strong or capable in their limited flesh and bone body. Instead, the pilot is highly skilled at controlling amech suit, or Armored Core, to fight, eliminate targets, and complete missions.
Going by the games, this AC completes these tasks for a number of clients, and it leads to them earning money, which is replicated here as shown by the pilot shouting “Let’s make some money!” However, in the games, they are a silent protagonist whosetrue identity is always obscured. So, their identity in the games is generally vague, and the earlier games revealed very little. Despite this, the most recent game did reveal that the pilot appears to be a reanimated mass of cells which has incredibly limited functionality, and is specifically being granted life in order to power the AC. Something similar appears to be true for the pilot inSecret Levelepisode 8.
What Is The Voice In The Pilot’s Head?
Armored Core VI: Fires Of Rubicon Has The Answer
In addition to being an augmented human, the pilot has another voice that exists inside their head. This voice is never given a name, and its origin is unclear, but the pilot does theorize that it exists as a damaged neuron inside his brain. Thiswould imply that it is actually a part of himself, and thus a figment of his imagination that keeps him company and verbalizes thoughts which he has. However, the game lore also provides more insight into exactly what this mystery voice could be.
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Several of the early games examine Earth under the influence of a wild and viral disease. The disease appears to influence, change, and infect the people of Earth, and leads to an unruly state of society where mercenaries with AC’s are hired to complete missions and clean the streets. On top of this, thelatest release in the franchise,Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, sees the game take to a very different setting in deep space where another kind of infectious presence plays a pivotal role. This is referred to asCoral, and it is made up of sentient life, which includes many more individual sentient beings within the expansive Coral.
How Closely Does Secret Level Episode 8 Resemble Armored Core Video Games
Secret Level Faithfully Adapts Armored Core In Many Ways
As referenced above, there are actually a lot of details that line up with the games and expand on the lore ofArmored Core. The episode features machines that resemble closely those found in the games, they are manned by pilots, which are actuallyreferred to as Ravens in the games, and there is a dystopian setting which includes augmented humans and human plus enhancements. Despite this, the most obvious departure from the source material is the fact that Keanu Reeves' character, the pilot, is actively communicating throughout. The games only ever have silent protagonists who are incapable of speech.
The games only ever have silent protagonists who are incapable of speech.
Despite this, it appears almost as though this episode serves as some sort of prequel toArmored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. The pilot is infected with a sentient voice that has bound itself to him, he fights against other augmented humans, and he appears to be on a fast track to getting killed. If this is the case, this could end up being the body that is eventually reanimated in order to become the silent protagonist inArmored Core VI, which would honestly be a tragic fate for the character featured inSecret Levelepisode 8, but it would make sense narratively.
Secret Level
Cast
Secret Level is an adult animated series exploring original short stories set within the worlds of popular video games. Each episode introduces new adventures, delving into iconic gaming classics and forthcoming titles to unlock captivating narratives and immersive experiences. Created by Tim Miller, the series celebrates gaming culture.
