Secret Level – Episode 5 “Warhammer 40,000” Recap & Review

Warhammer 40,000

In the muddy, desolate wasteland, raindrops spatter on the ground. Welcome to the world of Warhammer 40k. Episode 5 of Secret Level throws us in to Metaurus’ story, as he gives some context around the Imperium, and how humans are born to fight and try to survive.

Centuries ago, Metaurus picked a child to mould into one of his own, someone capable of making big changes to the world. This is Titus, and he leads the Space Marines on their latest mission. They’re to secure an objective and find a place to strike. 

They crash-land on the planet, ready for their next big fight. The small taskforce are soon confronted by waves of enemies, who come riding in on bikes and a tank. The Marines make short work of their foes, but this is not the only enemy out there. As they proceed, the group find a large chasm, forcing them to descend down to its depths.

In the grim darkness, there’s a beautifully shot action sequence, as the neon-blue blood of foes slowly illuminates the screen. The Marines kill as many as they can, bathing in blood, all whilst proceeding forward. Eventually they reach an enormous set of double doors in a huge chamber. The tiny figures are dwarfed by pillars on either side, and eventually they all stand before a huge, monstrous statue, which paves way for a nasty foe to proceed forth.

With the ability to stop time, the Marines are frozen by this Sorcerer, unable to move as this entity steps ever-closer. Unfortunately, the Marines end up oozing black goo, and one by one, succumb to the creature and end up killed. However, there is one who does not. This happens to be Metaurus’ child, Titus. He manages to withstand the sorcerer’s magic, unfreeze time and destroy the creature.

With the briefcase open, the mission is a successful one, and the ordnance strike coordinates locked in. However, this also means all the Marines will be killed for their sacrifice. Titus pulls Metaurus out from the wreckage and walks away, ready to inflict more damage. Could this man be the turning point in the war?

The Episode Review

War, war never changes. And when it comes to the bleak world of Warhammer 40k, that certainly couldn’t be truer. The animation and worldbuilding here is absolutely top notch and out of all the episodes in this season, this is arguably the best of the bunch. There’s so much to admire with this and even the little computer monitors and tiny details like the tanks and machinery, are all true to the world.

This is definitely one of the best episodes this season, and the ending hints that we could see a follow-up in the future. Even if we don’t though, if Henry Cavill’s Warhammer series adopts the same tone and style as this, we could be in for a proper treat!