Polygon.com / 11.12.24

Secret Level exposes a side of the Armored Core series we rarely see

In trailers for Prime Videos Secret Level, were shown a glimpse of its Armored Core episode that evokes Michelangelos The Creation of Adam: With a massive, outstretched metal finger, a godlike mech gingerly reaches out to an injured human pilot, seemingly ready to rescue it from its broken machine. While watching those trailers, I rolled my eyes at what seemed like a tired visual cliche. (In my defense, said trailer is set to M83s highly played-out Outro, after all.) But after watching Secret Levels Armored Core episode, Asset Management, and seeing that creation scene in context, I feel like I owe the shows creators an apology. The shot I balked at is one of the best moments in Secret Level. Asset Management stars Keanu Reeves as an Armored Core pilot living on a hellish frozen world and who appears on the brink of a mental or physical collapse. Maybe both. But as core pilots go, hes still the best of the best, which Secret Levels animators showcase via some intense core-on-core actio...
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