Notice! This article contains spoilers for episode 14 of Secret Level.
Secret level
episode 14 explores the world of the popular MOBA game, Honor of Kingswith incredible attention to detail. Prime Video has expanded into the world of video game adaptations with Secret levelan anthology TV series that features several short episodes, each inspired by video games. While the episodes draw inspiration from the game's source material, they also expand and explore the games' wider world, examining hidden aspects that could be seen as “hidden levels” within the games.
In Secret level episode 14, the game Honor of Kings is the central focus, but deeper than that, the episode focuses on an adventure experienced by a character, Yi Xing (Yixing in the game). Yi Xing seeks to challenge the tyrannical machine that rules the city of Chang'a, Tiangong. This machine brings the city to life and should help those who live there to move freely and without problems. However, due to the deterioration of the machine, the city begins to suffer, and Yi Xing wants answers about why things are going wrongand what happened to his parents when he was a boy.
Yi Xing defeated Tiangong
With a skillful game of Weiqi
Yi Xing lived in Chang'an with his parents when he was a child. Although this should have been a happy and positive experience, an intense earthquake allowed demons to ascend into the city. His parents desperately tried to fight them and protect their son, but they became overwhelmed and ended up sacrificing themselves to protect their son. Yi Xing grew up to become a skilled Weiqi playerand when he was old enough, he decided to challenge the powerful Tiangong to get the answers he was looking for. And despite Tiangong's powerful mechanical mind, Yi Xing won.
Initially, Tiangong seemed to have the upper hand in the strategy game, but once Yi Xing understood that the game was not the same version of Weiqi that he was familiar with and instead led to major changes in the city, he refined his tactics. . Yi Xing adapted, learned, and responded in a way that led Tiangong to admit defeat. And as seen in the episode, this had major implications for the city, as Tiangong relinquished control and Yi Xing took over his lost powers to make the city stronger and more agile than before.
Freeing Chang'an City from Tiangong's iron grip
Chang'an was rejuvenated thanks to Yi Xing
Tiangong is not a character in the Honor of Kings video game, although most of the surrounding details in Secret level episode 14 has a gaming base. In terms of timeline, it's also unclear whether there is any precise placement of these events in the context of the game. Instead, it appears to be an alternate history for the character Yi Xing, with his powers and position in the game altered to fit the episode's story. THE the battle that takes place between Yi Xing and Tiangong is also very different of games, but it is attractive and visually interesting.
After this conflict, Yi Xing frees the city of Chang'an from Tiangong's tyranny, with the machine choosing to give up and hand over its power to Yi Xing. However, by the end of the episode, it also becomes clear that Tiangong continues to operate in much the same way, with his hillside fortress and players approaching to challenge him. This may be indicative of a game format in which players face a rival and try to win by destroying the crystal at its base. In the context of Secret Level, it's just a fun and intriguing story mechanic.
What is Tiangong and where did it come from?
Tiangong is an original character from Secret Level Episode 14
There are two ways of looking at Tiangong in the context of Secret level episode 14. First, they could be a representation of the computer that players can fight against, providing a challenge and encouraging them to refine their skills. Secondly, it could be a unique character used to give Yi Xing more backstory. In both cases, they are a creative and unique way of conveying the story. Tiangong is a supercomputer that can change shapecontrols an entire city and alters the reality and perception of those within its circle of power. In this way, the people of Chang'an trust him to protect and preserve them.
However, when Yi Xing enters Tiangong temple, he is warned by other people in the city that he will go crazy like them. This seems to indicate that none of them were able to defeat the machineand that the loss drove them to utter despair. Despite all this, when Yi Xing wins, he appears to gain control of the city and strengthen it with his new powers. But, another player challenges the computer shortly after, showing that the game simply repeats itself and that each game is unique and separate.
How Secret Level Episode 14 Connects to Honor of Kings
The MOBA game is unique and episode 14 highlights this
The connections between Secret level episode 14 and Honor of Kings are more subtle than many of the other episodes and their links. The MOBA game features a large roster of characters, arena-style battles, and a simple replayable format with strategic play at the center. As players progress through each match, their characters level up, allowing them to access new abilities and gain an advantage in the fight. However, the representation in Secret level It's a much bigger and more ambitious undertakingfocusing on the story of just one character in the game, Yi Xing.
The connections between Secret level episode 14 and Honor of Kings are more subtle than many of the other episodes and their links.
The city of Chang'an appears in the games, but there is no reference to Tiangong. Likewise, the lore expanding each character's backstory states that Yixing is a masterful Weiqi player who quickly learns to defeat grandmasters, but the actual characters he is tied to do not appear in the series. Overall, the episode is a great homage to the game, but it takes liberties with the narrative and may be completely unfamiliar to those familiar with the games, despite using the game as inspiration for Secret level episode 14.