Pathways Into Darkness Review

[@MandaloreGaming]

Pathways into Darkness FREE - simplici7y.com/items/aleph-one-pathways-into-darkness THE LIST - docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_K3ziSxT9zcUUGCddS4sF1uNJTWHSbOwB1CQX2Rx4Uo Big thanks to @tat2kid714 (Dakota Lee) for the thumbnail art. Guess we'll see where the paths go from here.

[@si2foo]

I still Wish and hope you will play Star Wolves. It was a Iconic game of my childhood.

[@jimmyjohnson501]

Touhou on the spreadsheet let's gooooo

[@DankSpoony]

Anonymous Agony FREE. More Haze. #Hazesweep

[@Nerak516]

Please add Thea the awakening to the list! It’s good. Astonishingly close to being a hidden gem.

[@kaidorade1317]

A new Mandalore video? Heck yes!

[@summonfish]

“The object that killed the dinosaurs is still alive” is such a cool and ominous sentence

[@jedgrahek1426]

I had no idea Chrono Trigger ripped off an American Mac shooter for its villain : D

[@DSFARGEG00]

Funnily enough, Stephen King used this idea in his novel 'It,' too. Where Pennywise's arrival on Earth caused a mass extinction event.

[@kellerharris2593]

What a fuckin lore dump, holy shit

[@toprope_]

Old games may sometimes look the same but the devs had some crazy ideas.

[@WTFisTingispingis]

"...fuck."

[@josgretf2800]

I can't tell you how heart broken I am to find out the skeletons don't actually say "i've got a bone to pick with you" in the actual game. My reality is crumbling around me

[@gord3588]

It all keeps tumbling down

[@kimbleangus7321]

tumbling down

[@mememan9061]

@@kimbleangus7321 tumbling down

[@sen3.14fi]

It all returns to nothing

[@DarkHunter047]

I just keep letting me down

[@yaroslavivanov9787]

The fact that W'rkncacnter himself ported the game is exciting and terrafying.

[@kyon813]

What timeline does that make this? 6? 7? Is Durandal dead again?

[@yaroslavivanov9787]

@@kyon813 perhaps we are the hero in this timeline.

[@notinspectorgadget]

@@yaroslavivanov9787 god i hope not

[@TheNapster153]

I lost my shit when I saw that. The Dreaming One has learned to lucid dream, and he is taking over our entertaiment!

[@NotALotOfColonial_SpaghettiToG]

it's like if the gravemind ported MCC to windows

[@Zues120]

Returning here after marathon infinity has been... Look if you are starting here. Just know. You arent actually prepared in any way that matters

[@MandaloreGaming]

The worst part is that it's not over yet.

[@MrTbomb52]

@@MandaloreGaming 👀

[@lionocyborg6030]

@@MandaloreGaming yes. There’s also Marathon Eternal & how it was based on Halo’s alpha, Halo itself, Marathon Redux and the rest of the mods, Oni and later Halo games and how they all (Bungie days at least) tie into Marathon, despite being its own thing now.

[@blightybog7207]

@@MandaloreGaming WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! IS MY SANITY NOT SHREDDED ENOUGH ALREADY? I'M ALREADY SEEING RECLAIMER GLYPHS IN MY SLEEP YOU WONDEROUS MADMAN WHAT MORE CAN YOU DO?! though more seriously I'm pretty happy with more. i like my brain being liquified by inter-universal translation.

[@WrightOnTarget]

@@blightybog7207 oh yeah, it's absolutely the most enjoyable form of brain damage, falling down this hole

[@shaefurlong1907]

Going back to this video and the Marathon 1 review feels like returning to earth after receiving some sort of revelation. God knows what the Marathon Infinity review is gonna reveal

[@MandaloreGaming]

It's all a circle, as Bungie intended.

[@TheBlazzer12]

So, how's it feel now?

[@shaefurlong1907]

@@TheBlazzer12 I either understand this perfectly or less than before and I can't tell which

[@spookmeyer970]

@@MandaloreGaming its sort of like poetry, it rhymes.

[@RubyRoks]

The EYE video plunged Mandalore into his cycles of guilt and the Bungie series has plunged us into ours

[@JoKad17]

I believe the dude who ported this game is actually a dwemer fortress in Vvardenfel.

[@Jakepearl13]

The fortress gained sapience

[@krayos13]

Ah yes, my favorite modder. Nchuleft

[@giordanogarduno9207]

Its the dude you send to sleep with a nuke. He got bored so he did the best thing he could and he ported the story of how he got to sleep five minutes more (5 minutes in eldritch time equals &&#&@_-€:&26*;?#9#1008-€;*)✓™¥π÷=$¶}°π¶∆¶¶%[%✓™®®✓%}¶)✓

[@jetex1911]

I was always partial to Korana's housing mods, especially exploring Solstheim Castle.

[@jasonfenton8250]

It's actually the name of a reality warping alien... thing in Marathon: Infinity.

[@GianniMatragrano]

Don't listen to the Truth Deniers, people. "I've got a bone to pick with you!" is totally real audio from this game. HATERS are trying to spread MISINFORMATION about this iconic piece of gaming history. Don't let them revise Gaming history!!!!!!

[@therasslintheatre2960]

Does Mandy also pays you in dog food like Civvie does ?

[@jamesmortimer4016]

And mystery of the droods IS the outro of mystery of the druids

[@nekromorg]

I 100% trust you on this, Gianni. I know you wouldn't lie to us.

[@fz7788]

Please do va PLEASSSEEE

[@dvdmuckle]

It wasn't until this comment that I had to seek out a playthrough of this game to confirm you are in fact the skeletons. You deceitful devil, you... It sounded so natural!

[@SylverHummingbird]

Alien translations: 1:32 8 Days 1:35 It’s pronounced Ryu in Japanese 1:36 This is a prequel to marathon 1:52 W’rkncacnter 1:59 Infinity Awaits

[@teecee1827]

Nice details, thank you for deciphering wingdings

[@WingMaster562]

Hadouken

[@MrTheta-lc8zy]

“Infinity awaits” I mean at least cover Marathon 2 first.

[@baransevim3969]

@@MrTheta-lc8zy He might cover them both in one video since they’re pretty similar

[@franz83]

As soon as I saw the 'alien language' I started scrolling to find this comment ;)

[@Alanisawesome]

The blue symbols that show up when the alien is dancing is the font "Wingdings." This is what it says: 8 Days It's pronounced Ryu in Japanese This is a prequel to marathon W'rkncacnter Infinity Awaits

[@jigglypuff3311]

Beautiful

[@aubreyjarvis4759]

W'rkncacnter my beloved

[@theatagamer90]

Why do you speak Wingdings?

[@Alanisawesome]

@@theatagamer90 I don't. I just translated it.

[@LocSec]

"John Wilkes Booth Marowak" is officially one of the few words strung together I never thought I would ever hear.

[@nikopaseman7147]

I laughed so hard at that, I was wheezing and crying. Unexpected, accurate, and hilarious

[@GuessWho7197]

Alright, I am now totally here for the Bungie connected universe. I want to know just how connected their games are and how deep this rabbit hole goes.

[@steve7745]

Ik during the early development stages, Halo was considered to be tied to the Marathon universe in some way, but they decided to drop it as the story went on. There's some batshit insane connections though if you look into things like the original Cortana Letters or the parallels between the logic of AI in both universes and the concept of rampancy being a key story element. I still believe somewhere that the connection actually exists and wasnt fully dropped, even if it's never been fully discovered or fleshed out yet

[@csabaweisz8791]

@@steve7745 the cortana name itself is a huge reference, that being the Curtana, the sword of Tristan in the chivalric legend. Durendal is the sword of Roland, another legendary chivalric figure

[@kainthewarlock]

If you look deep enough, one of the most wtf thing is that it seems like (from what I gathered) Cortana is the Darkness from Destiny.

[@steve7745]

@@csabaweisz8791 yesss! I just love the depth of Bungie's lore and world building, thanks for reminding me of those specifics!

[@86pp73]

@@kainthewarlock Huh? Please elaborate?

[@AquarialTV]

The reveal that this is a Marathon prequel and the uncompressed "It's quiet" at the end were major plot twists

[@Jakepearl13]

That imperium sound is enough to strike fear into anyone who’s been watching for a while

[@domagojgalekovic8507]

And Destiny is basically reverse Pathways into Darkness with Marathon and Halo sprinkled in. Truth is, Bungie made the same game ( story wise) a dozen or so times. The more you look into the insanely deep lore of their IPs the more sense it makes.

[@wearecoterminous]

i think he removed the it's quiet btw which bothers the shit out of me

[@AquarialTV]

@@wearecoterminous wtf I think you're right, rare mandy L

[@doctoradventure413]

Spoilers: Not knowing this was a bungie game and hearing that it’s a marathon prequel was a bigger plot twist then I was expecting

[@shaqman813]

I know, right?

[@ArthurHLI]

RIGHT? That some M Night Shyamalan level shit!

[@AleK0451]

it says bungie on the box though

[@dev32]

Now I wish Destiny and Marathon to be canon

[@thewisewolf768]

I audibly gasped lol

[@conlanmyers9759]

Just realized that the monsters at 3:29 are the Myrkridia from Soulblighter. Their animations are even Identical

[@joeyberg5765]

No NO

[@notinspectorgadget]

*THEY JUST DON'T STOP!!!*

[@daanstrik4293]

WHAT?!

[@SakuraKurosaki10]

I didn't need this cursed knowledge.

[@TheSacredBlade]

They look very similar

[@Goat-on-a-Stick]

I love deep dives into obscure retro titles, and your special effects really add to it

[@drago939393]

@bssni touir Primordial aliens, if you will.

[@McWelly]

"I've got a bone to pick with you" is the new "It's quiet"

[@LehySnek]

In case you're wondering, they don't actually say that. That's just Mandy screwing with you.

[@ganii1804]

@@LehySnek i cant believe it. its the only thing that sold me on this game

[@HouseLyrander]

What's "It's quiet" from again? EDIT: Nevermind, it's Fire Warrior

[@yacabo111]

It's quite

[@talesofgore9424]

Where did you learn to fly?

[@01What10]

I'm so glad you showcased this game. I played this back in the nineties on my friend's old Mac. That was when I was like 12 or something. I am 38 now and have been looking for a version of this game that will play on Windows all this time. Thank you for hooking us up with the Aleph One port - You granted a very old, nearly forgotten wish. Finally, after all these years I got my windows copy. Good things sometimes do come to those who wait.

[@MandaloreGaming]

I'm really glad to read things like this. Just make sure to check out the included port readme thoroughly since even some of the control labels in the main menu aren't quite right. Still pretty amazing someone took all the time to port it over so well at all.

[@burge117]

That's awesome man. Hope you have a blast :)

[@bennettcarlson3974]

Thats really nice man, I hope you havea fun time.

[@ohmygoditisspider7953]

You remind me of trying to reconnect with my cousin over a DOS game called Diggers, which I only recently found

[@DepressedDiego]

same thing happened with me and Empire Earth. have fun man!

[@FlintLostsoul]

The phrase 'Shock and Ball Torture' will live in my head forever now. Thanks.

[@ianr7014]

“John Wilkes Booth Marrowhak” is definitely a close second lmao

[@liczkos]

And the Marv scream right afterwards, gotta love it to live it

[@Jakepearl13]

SECTION ONE,BALL STRETCHER-

[@endig4501]

I swear I've heard that before on another mandy video.

[@casualbear6295]

@@endig4501 It shows up in the system shock 1 review IIRC.

[@BossEvasion]

I like that the aliens don’t try to provide the humans with a proper weapon, it just like: “Yeah, your nukes are good enough, you’ve reached the god-killer tech tier for a while.”

[@AndreLuis-gw5ox]

He literally says that the aliens inform that the nukes will burry the god deeper and make him sleep for longer, and that the aliens will tske 2 years to arrive and actually dispose of the god. Were you paying attention to the video?

[@Jsay18]

Alien Frens are still Fren Shaped.

[@K3end0]

@@AndreLuis-gw5ox boss is saying that he's confused about how the aliens didn't like give humans some blueprints or give them an explaination as to how to make alien weaponry

[@ПервоеИмяПоследнееИмя-у3з]

I mean, we're talking alien tech here, it may be extremely complicated or earth may lack resources to produce it, and the humans have limited time to produce and use it. Also, giving away blueprints for a god-killing devices to random races of space barbarians does sound like not the most wise of decisions.

[@Al-rh3tn]

@@AndreLuis-gw5ox Bit hostile there

[@xeldon]

"the tides" are likely the same as marathon's "waves"; as mentioned in one of the more odd terminals in the first marathon not to mention oryx from destiny quoting "the waves" from that terminal too and the "you are Destiny" from marathon infinity's end screen there's a lot to be found for those who want to look for these things in bungie's games

[@DuelaDent52]

There’s an old Grimoire card from the first game that pretty much quotes “I am hero” passage verbatim.

[@kellerharris2593]

Not to mention that this game's pitch has a strange pyramid appearing that warps reality

[@FlyingNinjaish]

@IntrepidTit Probably not, except for the MIDA Mult-Tool and MIDA Mini-Tool implying that interdimensional detritus from Marathon can end up in Destiny somehow.

[@suetyhercules7717]

@IntrepidTit If it's all connected I'd be amazed. It's probably just the fact that Bungie found a badass thematic element for scifi and are using it in everything noe

[@xeldon]

@IntrepidTit read the Gheritt White terminal from the first Marathon really funky stuff

[@Summersong2262]

There's actually a very coherent reason why the Marathon terminal text is written the way it is; it's a callback to the ORIGINAL storyline of Pathways into Darkness. Originally, you were from a little mountain village in, I want to say Denmark? And everyone in the village was immortal, and had powers. And this was because they drank the magical water from a magic spring deep within the mountain. And once a generation, a youth was sent into the mountain cave network to drew a new supply of ambrosia for the villiage. But something had gone wrong, the year you went in. I don't recall the specifics but there was magic and monsters involved. And the Elder God that wiped out the dinosaurs is a sort of herald for the concept of the W’rkncacnter entity from Marathon, I think. That's as much as I remember, something I learned during my slightly deranged 'learn everything about Marathon days'.

[@Beans300]

I’ve definitely went through a “learn everything about marathon” time as well, and yes, by the end I was slightly deranged as well 😂

[@Ciretako]

That's very akin to part of the plot of Jorge Luis Borges' story *The Immortal*, which also touches on the sorts of themes of hyperstition (and of "an eternal hero") that you see explored throughout Marathon.

[@javkiller]

@@Ciretako It's crazy how much of Borges' writing ended up in games that seem to seed the FPS genre. Valve's first two games were based on his writing as well.

[@Ciretako]

@@javkiller Absolutely. I'm glad to see someone else picking up on that. I'm used to getting funny looks when I tell Half-Life fans about how "The Aleph" is the name of a Borges story.

[@javkiller]

@@Ciretako then again both are games written by smart, well learned authors and it's not uncommon for people like that to count Borges as a strong influence. It's certainly too much of a coincidence though.

[@MorteTheSkull]

Fun fact, the Headless enemy sound is taken from a sample of an albatross, a large sea bird. I've read stories about people freaking out when they take trips to the beach and hear and albatross for the first time because they've only ever heard that distinctive cry in this game, lol.

[@brettgillespie7089]

I knew it sounded familiar!

[@mellow_mallow]

Thought it sounded birdlike!! Never seen an albatross myself. Good to know

[@sinsir9114]

I transcribed the Wingdings text so you don't have to: 1:31 8 Days 1:33 It's pronounced Ryu in Japanese 1:36 This is a prequel to marathon 1:52 W'rkncacnter 2:00 Infinity Awaits

[@ilucasz]

Oh god oh fuck... Oh fuck oh god...

[@weeb_dweeb]

@@ilucasz what?

[@ilucasz]

@@weeb_dweeb He will review Marathon 2 and Infinity.

[@DragonWinter36]

IT'S ALMOST BEEN 8 DAYS!

[@ilucasz]

Wait, I was watching the review again and noticed that Mandy probably was implying that the W'rkncacnter was the god in the pyramid. But it's impossible since that being was trapped in Lh'owon for milions of years before Infinity.

[@crouchinglibcrab9527]

"A John Wilkes Booth Marowak" is a 2 layer reference in the video and if I bring it out of the video, it's going to be practically inscrutable. This is peak level writing

[@niallreid7664]

Could you explain that please? I'm afraid that went over my head.

[@crouchinglibcrab9527]

@@niallreid7664 John Wilkes Booth is the actor who assassinated Lincoln, the US president. Marowak is a Pokémon that is known for throwing bones as an attack.

[@niallreid7664]

@@crouchinglibcrab9527 Ah. I feel embarrassed for not recognising the name. Thank you.

[@leetorry]

"Ive got a bone to pick with you" - Eldritch Skeleton Demon

[@QuintessentialWalrus]

I never knew the story of Pathways into Darkness until now -- I'd only heard the name -- but this sounds like a game that desperately needs a remake. A horror shooter with this same premise could be something really special in the modern age.

[@flat-seventh]

Nightdive remake officially backed by Bungie would be insane

[@ilucasz]

A Immersive Sim remake of Pathways Into Darkness would be fantastic. And a Marathon remake too!

[@MagpieDynamics]

I just imagined a remake of this in the System Shock 1 engine, all those mechanics and systems recontextualized in a more supernatural setting instead of sci-fi, I want it.

[@ilucasz]

@@MagpieDynamics Which System Shock 1? The original or the remake?

[@MagpieDynamics]

@@ilucasz I was thinking the original.

[@sethappleton7628]

* Spoilers * "Command! Command! Come in ! We never left the marathon review! I REPEAT! WE NEVER LEFT THE MARATHON REVIEW!!!"

[@jtlego1]

*THE RIDE NEVER ENDS*

[@notinspectorgadget]

@@jtlego1 *No, NO! NOT THE BONE ZONE!!*

[@CoratMcRed]

@@notinspectorgadget"You hear a sudden "I GOT A BONE TO PICK WITH YOU" from somewhere in the dark"

[@MichaelB-jw5po]

I absolutely love the 1930's pulpy adventure feel of this game, but it seems like it might have a few too many old-school quirks for me.

[@bobdrooples]

Weird Tales Magazine

[@babagoogie6231]

Fun fact, the crystals also give you confidence at work, home, social situations, etc.

[@jumahn]

You sound like a good bud

[@babagoogie6231]

@@jumahn you could say I’ve participated in a circle or two

[@StrikeWarlock]

@@jumahn so the crystal is made of Adderall?

[@zombieoutbreakprod]

They also glow but only when you're doing stuff with your pal :)

[@Dapstart]

We should charge crystals sometime

[@Duskets]

“Wait, it’s all Marathon?” “Always has been.”

[@TsunamiWombat]

holy shit, the plot is actually a good set up, and the mechanics are super ambitious for a game of it's time.

[@talesofgore9424]

I like the monster designs too. for 1993 they're great.

[@TitanDarwin]

That plot actually sounds like it'd make a good pen and paper campaign.

[@adenowirus]

@@TitanDarwin Probably for something like Delta Green. With some modifications like moving the action few centuries back and replacing Germans with Spaniards it could also fit Lamentations of the Flame Princess.

[@topsecret2232]

I feel like im being dragged deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole of early bungie game lore.

[@bobbyhill1110]

I welcome it completely 😃

[@sharodnowshadabdullah3598]

The connections are still here, in Destiny. The ambition of it all still blows my mind.

[@wearecoterminous]

Just general bungie game lore really

[@niallreid7664]

@@sharodnowshadabdullah3598 I thought those were just Easter eggs. Did they confirm it's Canon?

[@adenowirus]

Just wait for Saddam's head.

[@TheJaga]

one thing that mandy didn't mention in the video the "master of all tides" god thing fits PERFECTLY with the current antagonist in destiny, The Witness, since its "powers of darkness" are often called "The Deep" and that some "Drown in it" and also it commands different pyramid ships AND in witch queen, there's even structures very similar to the pyramid in PID with the whole Aztec aesthetic. there are so many links on bungie games leading to destiny that almost feel like they planned all of this... or that they are just reusing ideas and being creative, which is also nice

[@ilucasz]

Not only that, but when Oryx summons the entity that he names The Darkness, he says that is the "waves and the battles", which is also referenced in Marathon.

[@SpecterVonBaren]

Bungie is the answer to the question: What if HP Lovecraft was a video game company?

[@jbr1255]

Mandy's videos are like stories from my Dad. Funny, long winded and enrapturing. Riddled with false information to either see if I'm paying attention or just to fuck with me, leading to no real useful information to me directly. And once he's gone I'm never sure whether or not he'll come back.

[@bryce9025]

I've never seen a more succinct, accurate, and appealing way to describe his works. Yeah, this is how I'm pitching his stuff to my buddies

[@thebluesuit8239]

I’m full of unyielding anguish at learning that the skeletons don’t actually “I’ve got a bone to pick with you!” I don’t know what to do. My reality is falling apart.

[@Tigran2142]

Now I REALLY want an Oni review. It's a really fun Bungie game and deserves to be talked more about!

[@Razgriz_01]

Yeah. When people think of Bungie they think of either Halo or Destiny. Nobody remembers ONI, Marathon, or Myth. Hell, Halo was originally gonna be a sci-fi version of Myth during its development before it became a third-person shooter, then an FPS at the end. ONI was in development at the same time as Halo. Would be cool if Mandalore talked about ONI. Its also the closest thing we'll get to a proper Ghost in the Shell game.

[@PoolNoodleGundam]

Coming back to this one after having binged the marathon episodes has revealed so much

[@Jeoku]

Pathways Into Darkness was the first game that made Bungie some money and got them going. Technically it was not their first game, but this was the first game that got them on the board and earned them some fans. If it wasn't for PID then that most likely there would be no Marathon and no Halo. It is fun to experience the humble beginnings.

[@Drax69420]

Makes sense why Bungie has secretly referenced the game so much. Without it, they wouldn't be such a legendary dev team.

[@bruinwinters7085]

Watching this again after all the Marathon Reviews really hits different. I keep smiling at the small nods and gestures to the future of the franchise.

[@olivercharles2930]

Eww that pfp zoophiliac moment.

[@estefencosta1835]

It warms my fucking heart that Marathon is getting shine. Loved that game as a kid, continued loving it after I grew up. Criminally underrated series and a masterpiece of a story. Those and Myth are probably overlooked so much because Bungie was originally a mac only company and windows absolutely dominated the market. Most people growing up then had probably never even heard of Bungie until Halo came out.

[@sammosaurusrex]

"W'rkncacnter - phew, hope I don't have to say that again" You cheeky

[@QuartzRoolz]

the marathon plot twist actually made my head spin and I hate it. the fact that bungie has been at this for years... it scares me a little.

[@domagojgalekovic8507]

@@Feroce One of the biggest meta ideas in these games is a world inside of a world inside of a world. There's always a character trying to escape the world they are in to achieve a higher state of being. Durandal tried it, Two villains in Destiny tried it etc. Etc. In nearly every game there's mention of higher states controlling the main character, gee i wonder what that could be. They're really trying hard with all this meta bullshit.

[@TheWintersoldier45]

Being a longtime Destiny player, this and the Marathon video really opened my eyes up to all the references littered throughout Destiny

[@StrikeWarlock]

Now you're brain is infected with the Tau visions Beware any circle

[@kellerharris2593]

We're finally going to find out what happened when Oryx communed with the Deep and it's only going to be because Mandy went on a Marathon deep-dive

[@PositivelyPlaying]

The spirit of the J.O Crystal Man flashing before my eyes during the talk about the energy meter being refilled by mysterious means caught me off guard and I wasn't sure if I was going insane or not. Good show

[@ParxDerJaeger]

Rewatching after the Maraton announcement, not even 2 minutes in and the dread sets in.

[@gonnsolo8506]

"The Box that magically prints you ammo", the Cedar Box, that item got a skin themed after it on Destiny 2, it's got the Witherhoard, a weapon that will reload itself when stowed.

[@4T3hM4kr0n]

stowed*

[@gonnsolo8506]

@@4T3hM4kr0n Thanks, English isn't my first language

[@jonathanbrowning4]

@@gonnsolo8506 You've got a good diction however. Good job.

[@gonnsolo8506]

@@jonathanbrowning4 THANKS DUDE :)

[@jonathanbrowning4]

@@gonnsolo8506 Np man, you earned it.

[@BigNerdSam]

"Oh this is another Aleph One port. I don't know anything about them so I guess they do a lot of Mac games. Kinda wholesome." >One twist ending later "NEVERMIND THIS IS THE ABYSS AND I JUST SAW IT WINK AT ME"

[@StrikeWarlock]

You're in it now

[@TheJaranuJanic]

Now that Marathon 2 vid is out, I now get the joke about hoping to not say the creator of the port's name. Damnit Mandalore, I love your content so much! You're writing is fucking top-teir

[@timhorton8085]

The foreshadowing in this video is wonderful. Coming back to this after watching the infinity video makes it even better.

[@DaussPlays]

What a fantastic premise, I love it. Bungie truly are (or at least were) the masters of making you question reality in what at first appears to be a pretty simple game.

[@Luckydave123]

Bungie still tells great Storys.. the lore of destiny alone is the best i read in a while, and its fucking massive. And their whole Deal with the darkness and the pyramids in destiny is also great. Some of the best enviomental designs and sfx in gaming.

[@jaywingate187]

Destiny 2 has genuine mechanical problems but the last 2 and 1/2 years of story? Honestly no complaints...destiny narrative has actually gotten very good

[@dm9910]

For a game that's older than I am, the art style is really nice. If you told me it was made in 2022 by an indie dev as a love letter to the DOS era I would've believed you.

[@themachineeatsitself]

That last crack at Retail at the end was too real. I was never disrespectful to retail workers, but now I understand their vacant stares and dead spirits, and this even with just a comparatively cushy retail job with a somewhat selective audience. Mandatory retail service sounds like my kind of satirical dystopian science fiction story.

[@Self-replicating_whatnot]

This port actually looks dope. I wonder how many other old games are out there right now that recieved a similar kind of facelift and usability update?

[@TippyHippy]

Sometimes I play with my willy and the white stuff comes out

[@ajishnu]

The Elder Scrolls II - Daggerfall comes to mind.

[@KopperNeoman]

X-Com UFO Defence and Terror from the Deep, Quest for Glory II and Worms Armageddon for four.

[@adenowirus]

This might have been fixed since, but I've once heard that the port might have incomplete dialogues since they couldn't decrypt the relevant game file and had to just write the conversations down.

[@singularityraptor4022]

Claw

[@MelangeToastCrunch]

Man’s been on a Bungie streak and I am here for it

[@DrunkenCoward1]

Of course you're here for it. You can check out any time you want, but you can never leave.

[@MelangeToastCrunch]

@@DrunkenCoward1 It’s how they get ya my man. That, or leaving canned air and doritos on a glue trap. Works more often than not

[@ocm6382]

Hey Mandalore, I wanted to say that I love your uploads - you always do a fantastic job covering everything, and you add just the right amount of humor to make it entertaining. I hope you keep covering games for a long time

[@thejoker9322]

Oh gosh anything but the labyrinth of shocking ball torture

[@jamesrobsonza7752]

Mandalore: Glad I wont have to say W'rkncacnter again. Me: That man just lied. Great content as always Mandalore, lets see how deep we go down Bungies insane rabbit hole.

[@lafayettefrancois178]

I watched the Marathon reviews first because I got intrigued by the announcement of the new("new"?) one Bungie is making, then watched this one. I've been playing Destiny 2 since the PC launch, but never been big into Bungie's older games. Feels like I've woken up in the back half of the third act of an opera, and have been informed that even though I missed a lot of backstory, everything happening now is a repeat of past events, and it's all essentially the same thing while also being intrinsically completely different, and when the current opera ends it's gonna start over again, and at the same time another of the same but different operas is gonna be happening on a stage on the ceiling.

[@VsevolodKhusid]

Somewhere on the ceiling… they are singing.

[@NovaBat92]

I remember playing a custom map in starcraft 1 called pathways into darkness. It had mission dialog, custom sounds, triggers, it was nuts. You could have up to 8 players if I remember right. You'd start as a civ in the first section avoiding traps and looking for terminals to give you lore and solve a puzzle to open a gate leading to a boss fight. You had to figure out how to activate defenses in this little arena to kill a renamed ultralisk chasing you down. After that, you were dropped in a new area where you could pick a 'weapon,' a rifle (ghost), machine gun (marine), shotgun (firebat), or a chainsaw (zealot) and continue on to the next mission. Don't remember what the goal was for this part, never really got past it, I just remember it being difficult. I remember it taking forever and a day to download so it was hard finding anyone to stick around for a game to start. It was definitely inspired by this and probably more so Marathon the more I think about it, it was pretty great.

[@isaacsalume6287]

I... actually remember that one. I can't for the life of me find a download of it but I was half convinced it was a fever dream childhood me had.

[@FeelingShred]

THAT deserves a video, holy shit

[@renegadeguy2340]

That premise actually sounds awesome

[@hunn20004]

15:52 "Ow, my shoulder!" He's fucking with me...

[@evieoverride]

Almost a year and a half later, “Wow I hope I don’t have to say that again” is one of the best setup/payoffs of all time

[@Spectralhyena]

“The Chrystal charges through methods unknown.” We all know that when he rests he J/O s it replenish his mana pools as well as leaving a sticky white pool where he rests.

[@RustyDroid]

4:31 "John Wilkes Booth Marowak" jesus fucking christ, Mandalore, there's an amazing phrase

[@wesleybcrowen]

I am so glad to report that this game is available on Steam as part of Marathon Infinity's workshop now and is perfectly playable on Steam Deck with gamepad and trackpads.

[@lildonkabonka]

" 'W'rkncacnter' Hope I don't have to say that again.." but he did.. He did have to say it again. Several dozen miserable times

[@RatTalisman]

So glad Mandalore knows of Capcom vs SNK 2's soundtrack. Hearing This is True Love Makin' in a Mandalore video blew my mind.

[@ParappatheRapper]

This is tuna with bacon.

[@GT-dv8gh]

Holy crap! I actually played this on my parents' Mac back in the day. This was one of the only games we had. Lol Any plans do other classic Mac only games, like Escape Velocity, or its sequels?

[@reallylionbastard]

Escape velocity was the shit!

[@GT-dv8gh]

@@reallylionbastard Especially with the plug-in (mod) system! It's a shame that the scene never really took off for EV Nova though.

[@reallylionbastard]

@@GT-dv8gh i never really played that, preferred override and the original. I couldn't run that plugin, my mac didn't have the memory 🤣

[@jonkerrmusic]

I loved this, EV, and the Marathon trilogy - N O S T A L G I A

[@chrisball3778]

Me too. I think new Macs came with the demo pre-installed for a couple years. There was also a demo for a combination flight sim/ RTS game called Flying Nightmares where you had to liberate East Timor (several years before East Timor actually became an independent country). The Escape Velocity games were awesome.

[@fntthesmth423]

4:44 My dog was staring in utter bafflement at my phone for a solid thirty seconds trying to determine what the fuck was making that loud squeaky noise

[@hisshame]

First marathon, then this. Mandalore, you’re playing the hits of my childhood and I can’t say thank you enough

[@GastlyGibus]

I just noticed something after doing a second viewing of all the bungie/marathon games. ...In the art of the thumbnail, the symbol is there. In the soldier's clothing.

[@derekboogaard3378]

NOOO

[@PineappleAndStuff]

I keep coming back to this series to find new details that fit into Destiny

[@flat-seventh]

Can’t wait for new marathon to come out and be revealed to be actually a direct sequel to pathways

[@dayman3602]

It's probably a stretch, but I wonder if the bottle ghost in this game has any relation to Nezarec in Destiny? It seems like the Nightmares are something unique to his pyramid ship and he is very deliberately described as not being a demon in the lore tab of Nezarec's Sin.

[@g-rated3514]

The idea of mandatory retail or food service is genius! Would help with the need for folks serving in those industries and also help that job more enjoyable with everyone having a shared experience in it. Good right of passage

[@mnakai1]

Jesse what the fuck are you talking about

[@GrinningHalcyon]

@3:30 Got that Bungie brain trying to convince me that's a myrkridia

[@1_1bman]

mandalore i hope you're one of those youtubers that reads every comment no matter how old the video is cuz i need you to understand what just happened to my brain. i put on the video and then paused it at around 1:20. came back after a few moments to unpause the video and kinda half-forgot what the video was about. i forgot the format of the video, and i started listening as if what you were describing was not the premise of the game, but instead was an actual historical anecdote to give context to the game. then you hit me with the dancing metal alien and it felt like my train of thought had just smashed through a brick wall erected on the tracks.

[@BroAnarchy]

"W'rkncacnter ..... Oof i hope i don't have to say that again" I haven't seen your Marathon review yet, but I'm already smiling because I know you WILL say that again!!

[@solarwind3656]

Hey, here's a quick tip for those installing Aleph One: If it won't let you set it to 1080p, try going into the compatibility settings and overriding the High DPI Scaling!

[@-Raylight]

*"So Bill sends a spec ops team to kill god."* That does sound like Persona game lol 3:57 Found Home Alone's "shocking" scene. 8:10 Another one xD Really cool how it all tied into Marathon

[@AdisonTeixeira]

It's more akin to SMT Strange Journey than a persona game

[@noukan42]

Less persona and more Strange Journey tho

[@DicFlair]

This has always been at the top of my list of games that could really use a modern remake. Conceptually its absolutly amazing and if a dev team could make something faithful to its spirit i think it would be something really special.

[@Dave2713]

I literally listen to your videos to bring down my anxiety. Please don't ever stop posting 🙏

[@TheMagnumDon]

22:31 Since the elder god created skeleton creatures based off the humans who entered the temple the other creatures in the temple could be based off the enemies you fight in Marathon as the elder god could be aware of their existence which would explain why said god is dreaming about similar looking creatures

[@JoshSweetvale]

21:45 Oh, that's priceless. Exaspiration isn't the emotion you'd expect on first viewing. But the rabbithole goes _much_ deeper. EDIT: One of the monster types are Myrkridia!

[@vincenttorrijos9680]

Recently in the Destiny lore community, a fairly unknown but greatly feared character known as Nezarec has come to light slightly more, as the third ever occurrence of their name appeared on a weapon. Ngl, this may be a good path to look down on what they are.

[@Girvo747]

"Hope I don't have to say that again"... Oh, oh dear...

[@brunocar02]

I really hope you get to cover at least marathon 2, its probably the most straight forward of the classic bungie shooters and the most consistently fun, infinity is a whole different can of worms.

[@SmithyProductions101]

Earliest I've been to a Mandy video

[@paulshimkin2713]

Yup

[@Redakteurs]

let's go

[@Paredes_Maybe_Probably]

Same.. its glorious

[@tevorpyrope8386]

yehawp

[@charleschamp9826]

I wonder if back during the time shortly before WWII if those aliens also had the means to "Deal with the God properly" or if it's a much more recent development in their technology. Assuming they even have the ability like they claim. Since we just see a stats screen after the nuclear weapon goes off we don't really know what happens after that. For all we know it could have put it to sleep as the aliens said it would, or it wasn't really waking up but the nuke going off so close like that acts as an alarm clock. Have the aliens been traveling to Earth since between WWII? If so how are they able to make observations about human technology? If not so and they've just been to Earth before, why not take care of this sleeping God then, did they not have the means back then? Weird how a little dungeon crawler from 1993 made by 3 people can make ya think so much.

[@zombieoutbreakprod]

- The narrator on the history channel at 3am

[@1337penguinman]

I think it has to do with the level of nuclear weapons development. Specifically, fusion weapons. Originally the Nazis were experimenting with "heavy water" bombs but never got it working. It wasn't until I believe the 50s that the US developed a working hydrogen bomb. And the Cuban expedition would make sense if they were also making overtures to the Russians.

[@TheGrumbliestPuppy]

THIS is the kind of fun thinking people gotta apply to this game. I'd like to add: We don't have any way of knowing it aliens *did* contact the government. Maybe whatever it was lied. Maybe those aliens don't exist, and it was part of the God's subconscious reaching out, or the demon, who sent you there to help wake it up. Or it was a competing god-entity, trying to eliminate competition.

[@LutraLovegood]

Even at light speed it takes years to travel in and out of the solar system, much more to other systems.

[@void-creature]

0:58 that is some brilliant foreshadowing

[@cybermang878]

10:17 Oh god, are those things myrkridia? How deep does it go?

[@Mooke_Maykr]

After going through the marathon series and coming back to this it really makes me think... and dread

[@Word46]

"What is your Destiny?" MANDY YOU SNEAKY GREMLIN

[@quackmasterson5128]

something of note about the weapon skill mechanic is that the player character, who i will now refer to as "pathway person", starts out with expert level in the colt m1911 and m16, which you start the game with, the irony of this is that your m1911 works but there are no .45 ACP rounds in the entirety of the pyramid and you start with none, and your m16 is completely broken. so, y'know, cool

[@katanatsunami]

I like how you nickname the protagonist only to never reference the name in the rest of the post

[@quackmasterson5128]

@@katanatsunami i thought of the nickname on the spot, just thought the world should know even if i'll never actually use it apparently

[@awkwardcultism]

This the Megami Tensei squad reporting in to remind you that every time people refer to the Megami Tensei series as "Persona" a small part of our soul dies. Thanks once again for tuning in to the Megami Tensei squad, every day the things we cherish seem more and more like a distant dream, over and out.

[@SlumpDrunko]

yep

[@gueton5200]

what's the diference? Why do people think it's the same? My knowledge of these two games are restricted to a meme where it says "you will never see a cum man" and a blender animation of a white liquid in the form of a person

[@Henskelion]

@@gueton5200 I never played either series but I always got the impression that Persona was the more "casual" spinoff series that eclipsed SMT in popularity. It's not a great comparison but I get the impression it'd be like calling Marathon Halo.

[@SlumpDrunko]

@@Henskelion more or less, yeah

[@niallreid7664]

@@Henskelion I think a better comparison is Heroes of Might and Magic and Might and Magic. Persona is a Megami Tensei game but a spinoff. Megami Tensei is the main series but has been eclipsed in popularity by the Personal spinoff series. Just like Might and Magic. And obviously referring to the franchise by the spinoff game name upsets purists. I know you know that I'm just explaining my rationale.

[@MrToasterPro]

Some of the audios are the same as Marathon as well as the slime enemy.

[@hacooray525]

You're so close since atlus did made "spec ops went to eldritch location, hilarity ensues" game. It's Strange Journey Also afaik has bullshit labyrinth too

[@cowboytv7903]

Now I want a classic bungie game attempting to be Strange Journey, with demon negotiation and talking to the dead

[@hacooray525]

@@cowboytv7903 pretty much the same game but the ending tied to who do you want to side with. The spooky, alien, or government There's also a paid DLC that only added like 1 extra dungeon and extra boss fight with magical stephen hawking

[@kyon813]

@@hacooray525 Everybody gangsta until Stephen Hawking stands up.

[@Lobito-shi]

I watched your entire stream of Ring, and im being completely honest here, the music looping is still in my head TO THIS DAY. The game never left my subcounscious even after all this time. I need a review of Ring. I need closure.

[@zimniok7602]

Agreed. Glug demands the mineral in my head every day I need to get ride of him

[@fietehermans9903]

I love how the skeletons sound like Skeletor... Funny how that has become the 'default skeleton voice'

[@MaddTheSane]

The skeletons don't speak in the actual game.

[@fietehermans9903]

@@MaddTheSane Really? Now I’m sad… 😢

[@rofflesvanwagon]

Omg thank you so much. I pestered on here and twitter and I doubt it had anything to do with your selection but I've always wanted to see you review this. Gonna be the best episode yet.

[@galemus86]

Doom has camels sounds, Pathway has...seagulls? Lovely review as always, Mandy.