It’s genuinely surprising how much enjoyment the episode “Concord” from Secret Level provides. The characters are incredibly endearing, and thinking about it, if this episode had debuted well before the game’s release—instead of two months after its untimely demise—it might have given the sci-fi shooter a fighting chance.
“Tale of the Implacable,” an episode crafted by sci-fi and fantasy scribe Rachael K. Jones, truly has a lot going for it. It delivers a straightforward heist tale that’s peppered with unexpected turns, centering on the Freegunners—a daring group of mercenaries that, interestingly enough, never made it into the actual game. The episode serves as a prologue, laying out the possibilities of space travel, the hurdles of faster-than-light journeys, and how this ragtag crew managed to swipe a highly coveted map of the universe from the powers in charge. This map is a crucial narrative element in Concord, yet in the episode, it merely acts as a catalyst for their antics and ambitions.
Positioned as a prequel to Concord, “Tale of the Implacable” does a remarkable job introducing its sci-fi setting and the eccentric characters within, doing what the game struggled to. While players had to wait for occasional animated scenes or sift through a detailed map to piece together the lore, this Secret Level episode lays the groundwork perfectly for Firewalk’s game. It’s unfortunate we didn’t get to see it sooner.
Concord faced numerous hurdles, from its pricing to its lackluster mechanics and character designs that failed to connect with many players. In contrast, the Freegunners in “Tale of the Implacable” are far more charming than their playable game counterparts. They offer less of the snark and are not as easily compared to characters like those from Guardians of the Galaxy—unlike what players encountered in the game.
Still, “Tale of the Implacable” highlights perhaps a deeper issue with Concord. The cleverness, the chemistry, the light-hearted humor, and the excitement of the heist by the Implacable crew—none of that was actually a part of the gaming experience. Concord ended up being a standard shooter trying out a few innovative elements that didn’t quite catch on with gamers. The thrilling, cinematic action presented in “Tale of the Implacable” was never truly realized in the game itself.
Concord might have missed the mark as a game, yet at least it was able to give us a delightful slice of TV entertainment.
You can stream all the episodes of Secret Level now on Prime Video.
