Secret Level Hints At The Lost Potential Of Concord

The Harmony episode of Prime Video’s Secret Level confirmed the hidden potential of the ill-fated hero shooter, and it hinted at what may have been for the online game. Secret Level adapted 15 video games, each previous and new, to tv, however not all of them had been absolute icons of the business. One recreation specifically – Harmony – was an goal failure, and it was a bit stunning to see it in Secret Degree. Despite the fact that the sport was a failure, Secret Degree really ended up enhancing Harmony and exhibiting off the sport’s true potential.

Harmony was a hero shooter recreation, which means gamers managed particular characters that had their very own set of talents and powers. Like Overwatch 2 or Marvel Rivals, gamers would have shaped groups based mostly round every character’s talents, and they might struggle towards equally structured enemy groups. Sadly, Harmony additionally did not do sufficient to distinguish itself from different hero shooters, and it ended up being shut down simply weeks after it was launched. Whereas the sport is not playable anymore, Secret Degree did take a stab at Harmony, and it provides a glimpse of what may have been.

Harmony’s Secret Degree Episode, Defined

“Story Of The Implacable” Set Up Harmony’s Universe As Crammed With Outlaws & Pirates

Secret Degree episode 13, “Harmony: Story of the Implacable” follows a gaggle of Freegunners – Kai, Rade, Sladie, and Smokes – on the Implacable. The Freegunners of the Implacable got down to rescue their captain, Cassidy Taimak, who was captured after stealing one of many Guild’s maps. After a misguided rescue operation, the Implacable was captured by the Guild’s officer, and the crew determined to broadcast their map to all the opposite pirates within the galaxy, successfully liberating area journey.

Story of the Implacable is similar to one other science fiction collection: Firefly and its sequel film Serenity. Like Harmony, Firefly‘s galaxy is oppressed by an enormous group often called the Union of Allied Planets. Firefly‘s important solid can be a gaggle of outlaws who begin out being extra thinking about paychecks than morals, however wind up changing into revolutionary figures who encourage others. There’s additionally an overarching sense in each Harmony and Firefly that area could be very a lot a Western frontier, and a deal with the liberty that an outlaw’s life brings.

Harmony’s Opened-Ended Finale Set Up A Compelling Universe

Harmony’s Universe Had Some Attention-grabbing Components That Have been Value Exploring

Some of the fascinating facets of Story of the Implacable is that it did not really characteristic the principle characters of Harmony. It virtually serves as a prequel to the sport, and presents the setup for all of the battle and piracy that the sport’s important characters can be concerned in. As an introduction to Harmony, Secret Degree did an incredible job. It is maybe not the best episode of Secret Level, however Story of the Implacable nonetheless launched audiences to a few of the issues that made Harmony distinctive and price exploring.

Harmony might not have been as groundbreaking as science fiction legends like Star Wars or Firefly, but it surely nonetheless introduced some fascinating parts to the desk. The struggle between the Guild and the Freegunners was an fascinating asymmetrical dynamic, and it had room to inform a variety of compelling tales. Likewise, the pirate nature of the Freegunners appeared like the right approach to introduce colourful characters from all walks of life, and Harmony may have created a variety of large personalities inside the faction.

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Even the universe itself was fascinating. Area journey is never depicted as being as harmful as Harmony confirmed it, and it might have been a breath of recent air to see the precise logistic of spaceflight play out in a recreation or present. It additionally would have been endlessly fascinating to discover the Tempest and discover out about its origins, simply how harmful it was, and what the within of it’s like. Secret Degree‘s open-ended ending proved that Harmony was a clean web page that would have been stuffed with an countless variety of tales.

Why Harmony Has Already Been Shut Down (And What Secret Degree Thinks About It)

Harmony Merely Did not Have Sufficient Gamers Or Curiosity, Which Tim Miller Empathized With

Sadly, Harmony won’t ever get the possibility to capitalize on Secret Degree‘s professional set-up. Harmony was taken offline on September 6, 2024 – simply two weeks after it was launched – and Sony completely shut down Concord and the studio behind it, Firewalk Studios. In response to Sony, Harmony was shut down resulting from low playership – the sport had just below 700 concurrent gamers on Steam at its all-time peak. There have been quite a lot of causes Harmony merely didn’t garner consideration from avid gamers, from its $40 worth level in comparison with free-to-play video games like Overwatch 2 and Marvel Rivals to its “uninteresting” character designs that drew criticism.

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Solely 12 says since its launch on August 23, 2024, Firewalk Studios has introduced it is going to be shutting down Harmony.

Harmony‘s shutdown signifies that Secret Degree is now the one remaining vestige of the sport that buyers can immediately work together with. Sadly, it was solely in a position to present Harmony‘s potential, and it wasn’t sufficient to get the sport continued in any method. It was really considerably stunning that Secret Degree did not pull its Harmony episode after the sport’s cancelation, and collection creator Tim Miller really had some feedback in regards to the state of affairs (through Variety).

“My first thought after we heard it was not, ‘Oh, woe is us’ for our present — we actually felt dangerous for these individuals, as a result of they’re mates and fellow artists and people who find themselves keen to take some dangers. And we each know what it’s prefer to not have these dangers succeed, and so they’re actually good people who find themselves simply making an attempt to make an incredible recreation.”

Miller clearly had a variety of empathy for fellow creators, and because the Harmony episode of Secret Degree was already accomplished when the sport was shut down, he stored it within the present out of respect for his staff (through Collider).

“Initially, we’ve different episodes that don’t have present video games on the market, both as a result of they haven’t come out but, or as a result of they got here out previously and aren’t at the moment revealed. So I didn’t really feel bizarre about that. But additionally, why? Tons of of artists and animators and lighters and modelers labored on this episode, and it’s nice. The characters are cool. It’s humorous. It’s a very fascinating episode. So why add insult to damage and never have all that arduous work be proven to the world? It’s an incredible episode, no matter no matter occurred.”

Primarily based on Miller’s feedback, it appears Secret Degree was each a prequel and farewell to Harmony. Apparently, the present additionally works as a surprisingly becoming approach to say goodbye to the ill-fated recreation.

Secret Degree Offers Harmony A Quietly Excellent Ship-Off

Secret Degree’s Ending Is A Surprisingly Becoming & Bittersweet Farewell To Harmony

Whereas it was by no means supposed to be the very last thing normal audiences would ever get out of the world of Harmony, Secret Degree does a surprisingly good job of claiming goodbye to the sport and its universe. The ending of Tale of the Implacable sees the Freegunners broadcast their map to the whole universe after which dive headfirst into the Tempest, and seemingly their doom. It then cuts ahead an indeterminate period of time to the narrator spreading the legend of the Implacable in a bar and saying that it does not matter whether or not they lived or died, it issues that they by no means acquired caught.

The ending of Story of the Implacable conjures up a variety of parallels to Harmony in the actual world. Although Harmony functionally not exists, the story and universe that Firewalk Studios created nonetheless had an impact, and Secret Degree has helped it reside on. Harmony‘s universe was nonetheless able to telling a compelling story, and the artists who labored on it nonetheless poured their hearts into their creations. Very similar to the crew of the Implacable, it does not matter how the story ended, solely that it occurred within the first place. In that method, Secret Degree is a candy and becoming approach to say goodbye to Harmony.

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  Secret Degree is an grownup animated collection exploring unique brief tales set inside the worlds of fashionable video video games. Every episode introduces new adventures, delving into iconic gaming classics and forthcoming titles to unlock fascinating narratives and immersive experiences. Created by Tim Miller, the collection celebrates gaming tradition.

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  Firewalk Studios presents Harmony, a first-person multiplayer sci-fi shared-world shooter. The sport was introduced throughout the Could 2023 PlayStation Showcase, with little particulars divulged on the product. The sport is anticipated to make its debut someday in 2024.