Unreal Tournament: Xan

I have reviewed each episode of "Love, Death + Robots" and am a big video games guy, so thought I'd do the same process for Amazon's "Secret Level".

After a couple of games that I've never played before, we finally come back to one that I do have some experience off - though I haven't played "Unreal Tournament" in years, probably since "Call of Duty" swallowed up a lot of the FPS market.

Having gained sentience, a robot becomes angry with the abusive treatment that it and its fellow worker receive. It takes remote control of its colleagues and kills their human supervisors, before being defeated by an overwhelming retaliatory force. The punishment is that the robot, XAN, and its fellow robots are forced to enter a gladiatorial style battle to the death, in a purpose-built environment. Though initial losses are high, XAN learns the tactics quickly and begins to inspire an uprising in the general population.

Blur Studios put together this one themselves, and it's another that leans into the realistic look. It's easier with the robot characters obviously, but there are humanoids in this too, including a Gamesmaster voiced by Elodie Yung and they look great too. The best touch is the use of Fred Tatasciore's arena announcements whenever the characters in this do anything that would have generated the same reward in the game, such as a "Double Kill". The weapons and some (though not all, from my recollection) of the tactics are also lifted from the actual game's gameplay.

The story is a familiar one from any sort of gladiatorial film - "Gladiator" for example but it works within the relatively short story format here and the story is really about how the Gamesmaster is going to balance entertainment, with not allowing XAN to get too popular. They're also trying to work out exactly where its sentience is coming from by experimenting on the remains of a robot previously under Xan's control.

I enjoyed this one too and so far, the series has proved to be more consistent than "Love, Death and Robots". We'll see if it lasts.

Machine rebellion leads to sentient contestants onto an Unreal Tournament against a myriad of combatants.

Oh my, how unexpected.

Out of all episodes I've seen so far.. this is by far the most exciting and better written. Not only does it take such an old and beloved property and spins into something new and original (even giving an overhaul and modern look to popular maps), it delivers exciting actions scenes, beautiful visuals, and a great new character in "X4N"! You can't help but cheer for the little toaster after being given a really brief but excellent introduction.

I don't know about you, but I would like to see more.

The Secret Level episode about Unreal Tournament and its iconic boss, Xan, is a must-watch for both nostalgic gamers and fans of competitive first-person shooters. The episode dives deep into the cultural and historical significance of the game, showcasing its revolutionary gameplay mechanics and the lasting impact it has had on the FPS genre.

What stands out most is the segment on Xan Kriegor, the enigmatic and intimidating final boss. The detailed exploration of his role as both a challenge and a symbol of the game's competitive spirit was fascinating. It's clear the creators love this game, and their enthusiasm is infectious. The blend of interviews, gameplay footage, and thoughtful commentary keeps the pacing lively and engaging.

While the episode delivers plenty of great insights, it occasionally skims over some technical aspects and community contributions that could have added more depth. A closer look at the mods and the online scene that Unreal Tournament fostered would have elevated the episode further.

Still, this is a fantastic tribute to a legendary game and its unforgettable antagonist. If you're a fan of Unreal Tournament or gaming history in general, this episode will leave you both entertained and inspired.

This episode dives into the legendary world of Unreal Tournament with a smokey cocktail of I, Robot and Gladiator vibes. The story, though predictable, is well-executed with a solid intro and a great ending, perfect for a short format. It also evokes the feel of one Clone Wars episode, following a team of clones working together trough a series of practice mission until the final one. The visuals are once more photorealistic, and the action is dynamic. With minimal dialogue, the focus on the robot protagonist's journey adds a unique touch. While it lacks depth and surprises which reminds me of a cinematic trailer once again, it's an enjoyable revenge story with great pacing, amazing action and adapted uptempo electro music.

Xan was the most dangerous opponent you could ever face in the original Unreal Tournament, the most reactive enemy and more or less the final obstacle to your title on top of the Liandri ladder.

Seeing a nod to the superstars of the tournaments like Malcolm is a nice touch, though it would have been nice if the Necris captain was some of the named Phayder assassins like Kragoth. Either way, this covered most of the major players, even the Skaarj, impressive.

Excellent work at bringing it to life with the entire backstory attached and making it so epic. This is less of a review and more of a nod to the creators for understanding the source material and doing it justice. This is a rare thing nowadays, well done.