Secret Level: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

Many games provide secret levels that [[Unlockable Content|aren't necessary to finish the game.]] Sometimes they are based around [[Gimmick Level|gimmicks]] or themes that aren't in the "actual" game. Sometimes they are [[Brutal Bonus Level|much more difficult than the main game's and are essentially a secret challenge]], or they feel like they could fit right in the game and were seemingly left out of the main game simply because there was no way to fit them into the progression (and making them secret was better than leaving them out or [[Dummied Out|dummying them]]). Will also be necessary for [[One Hundred Percent Completion]].

 

== [[Action Adventure]] ==

*** ''[[Tomb Raider]]: Anniversary'' has the "style units" gained after finding most of the secrets. Not really a level as it is just an explorable visual demonstration, but it shows off various experimentations with the art-style of the game and locations.

 

* Pretty much every early 2.5D FPS (and 3D, with ''[[Quake (Video Game)|Quake]]'') has a secret level at some point or other, whether it's once an episode or just one or two in the whole game. They are usually accessed by using a hidden, secret exit on a level rather than the regular exit.

** ''[[Doom (Video Game)|Doom]] II'' had two secret levels set in levels taken from ''[[Wolfenstein 3D (Video Game)|Wolfenstein 3D]]'', with one accessed from a secret exit found in the other. The second one required you to kill four clones {{spoiler|of [[Commander Keen (Video Game)|Commander Keen]] hanging from a noose}} to access the exit.

* [[Dark Souls]] has The Painted World of Ariamas, the Great Hollow, and the Ash Lake. For the most part, they're difficult to find [[Breather Level|Breather Levels]] with lots of really good loot.

 

* The [[Sharp X 68000]] port of ''[[Fantasy Zone]]'' has a secret eighth stage, "Dragon Land," based on ''[[Space Harrier (Video Game)|Space Harrier]]''.

* ''[[Rez]]'' has the Lost Area, unlocked by completing all the normal areas. [[Brutal Bonus Level|It is quite difficult]]. Same for ''[[Child of Eden]]'''s Hope level.

* ''[[Rolling Thunder]] 3'' for the Genesis has Rounds A-C (one of them being a [[Nostalgia Level]]) that serves to substitute the two vehicle stages (Round 3 and 6), as well as the Hijack stage (Round 9) while keeping all of their current weapons and ammo.

 

* The secret levels in ''[[Perfect Dark]]'' are markedly different from those in ''[[Golden Eye 1997 (Video Game)|Goldeneye]]'' mentioned above. Instead of brand new levels with no plot significance, they're retreads of previous levels from a different point of view, which reveal different parts of the story. The first one shows how an alien [[Mook]] {{spoiler|kidnapped the CEO of dataDyne (she was later killed aboard the ship) and imploded the building, effectively destroying the company}}. The other two missions let you play as the grey aliens, one where Elvis alerts the Institute of being captured by Area51 and you play through the entire level with diminished health, and the other has you play as a soldier among a platoon who landed on the planet after Joanna dropped the shields. Both missions are ''insanely'' difficult.

* ''[[Marathon (Video Game)|Marathon]] Infinity: Blood Tides of Lh'owon'' has several of theses, which are either alternate endings where the W'rkncacnter destroy the universe, or "co-op carnage break" levels that can (or are supposed to) only be accessed in multiplayer mode. Then there's the three Vidmaster's Challenge levels, found via a secret exit on the final stage. Taken to impossible levels with "Hats off to Eight Nineteen," a map that can be compiled using hexadecimal code present in game.

** Then, in Megaman X6, there 's a secret "Nightmare Stage" for every normal level, where you can find secret upgrades and bosses.

 

* ''[[Tyrian]]'' is absolutely chock-full of secret levels. As a rule, they're accessed by destroying a specific target in a level so that a big glowy sphere appears. When you grab it, you'll move on to the corresponding secret level after finishing the current one. Some of these are tough to get, requiring you to leave certain enemies alone or stay on a certain path. There's even secrets 'within' secret levels, so you can go through a bunch of secret levels in a row before returning to the normal ones.