Line #155 WebVideo/MandaloreGaming


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lordmandalore_5.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:300:The self-proclaimed King of Limbo.]]
3	->''Well it's nice to see Mandy safe and sound''\
4	''after all he's been around''\
5	''and in my view he should be crowned''\
6	''The King of Limbo!''
7
8	[[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClOGLGPOqlAiLmOvXW5lKbw MandaloreGaming]] is an American game {{review}}er who specializes in Slavic, older, more obscure games and how to optimize them on modern systems. He started his channel in late 2011 with a focus on internet humor and discussing both the creative decisions and communities of the games he reviews.
9
10	He also streams on [[https://www.twitch.tv/mandaloregaming Twitch]] (albeit rather infrequently) and has also made various appearances on the podcast ''Podcast/PleaseStopTalking''.
11
12	[[folder:List of games covered in alphabetical order]]
13	* ''VideoGame/AdventRising''
14	* ''Videogame/AlienIsolation''
15	* ''VideoGame/AliensVsPredatorExtinction''
16	* ''VideoGame/AliensDarkDescent''
17	* ''VideoGame/AmnesiaTheDarkDescent''
18	* ''VideoGame/AmnesiaAMachineForPigs''
19	* ''VideoGame/AnonymousAgony''
20	* ''VideoGame/ArcanumOfSteamworksAndMagickObscura''
21	* ''VideoGame/ArxFatalis''
22	* ''VideoGame/Aurora4X''
23	* ''VideoGame/Battlefield2142''
24	* ''VideoGame/BattleFleetGothicArmada2''
25	* ''VideoGame/BladeRunner''
26	* ''VideoGame/BloodOmenLegacyOfKain''
27	* ''VideoGame/{{Brigador}}''
28	* ''[[VideoGame/CabelasDangerousHunts Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013]]''
29	* ''VideoGame/CallOfCthulhuDarkCornersOfTheEarth''
30	* ''VideoGame/CallOfCthulhuTheOfficialVideoGame''
31	* ''VideoGame/TheCallistoProtocol''
32	* ''VideoGame/CultistSimulator''
33	* ''Damned''
34	* ''VideoGame/DarkMessiah''
35	* ''VideoGame/{{Darkwood}}''
36	* ''Franchise/DeadSpace''
37	** ''VideoGame/DeadSpace'' and ''VideoGame/DeadSpaceRemake''
38	** ''VideoGame/DeadSpace2''
39	** ''VideoGame/DeadSpace3''
40	** ''VideoGame/DeadSpaceExtraction''
41	* ''VideoGame/{{DUSK}}''
42	* ''VideoGame/{{Duskers}}''
43	* ''VideoGame/EliteDangerous''
44	* ''VideoGame/EmpireEarth''
45	* ''Videogame/EndlessLegend''
46	* ''Videogame/EVEOnline''
47	* ''Videogame/EYEDivineCybermancy''
48	* ''VideoGame/{{Factorio}}''
49	* ''VideoGame/FirstEncounterAssaultRecon'', and its sequel.
50	* ''VideoGame/TheForest''
51	* ''Genesis Rising: The Universal Crusade''
52	* ''VideoGame/GhostMaster''
53	* ''VideoGame/{{Homeworld}} Remastered Collection'', ''Cataclysm'', and ''[[VideoGame/HomeworldDesertsOfKharak Deserts of Kharak]]''
54	* ''VideoGame/KingdomUnderFireTheCrusaders''
55	* ''Legion: The Legend of Excalibur''
56	* ''VideoGame/LimboOfTheLost''
57	* ''VideoGame/TheLordOfTheRingsTheReturnOfTheKing''
58	* ''VideoGame/TheLordOfTheRingsWarOfTheRing''
59	* ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}} Trilogy''
60	* ''VideoGame/MechWarrior Online''
61	* ''VideoGame/MetalArmsGlitchInTheSystem''
62	* ''VideoGame/MetalFatigue''
63	* ''VideoGame/TheMysteryOfTheDruids''
64	* ''VideoGame/{{Myth}}'''': The Fallen Lords''
65	** ''Myth II: Soulblighter''
66	* ''VideoGame/NecroVisioN''
67	* ''VideoGame/NorthernJourney''
68	* ''VideoGame/NoOneLivesUnderTheLighthouse''
69	* ''VideoGame/{{Overlord}}''
70	* ''VideoGame/{{Paratopic}}''
71	* ''VideoGame/{{Pathologic}}'' and [[VideoGame/Pathologic2 its sequel]].
72	* ''VideoGame/PathfinderKingmaker'' and ''[[VideoGame/PathfinderWrathOfTheRighteous Wrath of the Righteous]]''
73	* ''VideoGame/PathwaysIntoDarkness''
74	* ''VideoGame/{{Penumbra}} Trilogy''
75	* ''VideoGame/PlanetSide 2''
76	* ''VideoGame/ProjectSnowblind''
77	* ''Ring: The Legend of the Nibelungen'' & ''Ring II: Twilight of the Gods''
78	* ''VideoGame/{{RUINER}}''
79	* ''VideoGame/{{Sacrifice}}''
80	* ''VideoGame/SidMeiersAlphaCentauri''
81	* ''VideoGame/SinsOfASolarEmpire: Rebellion''
82	* ''VideoGame/ShogoMobileArmorDivision''
83	* ''VideoGame/SpaceHulkDeathwing Enhanced Edition''
84	* ''VideoGame/SpaceRangers'' HD
85	* ''VideoGame/SpaceStation13''
86	* ''VideoGame/{{STALKER}} Shadow of Chernobyl''
87	* ''Star Forge''
88	* ''VideoGame/StarWarsRepublicCommando''
89	* ''VideoGame/{{Stronghold}}'' and ''Stronghold: Crusader HD''
90	* ''VideoGame/{{Stasis}}'' and ''VideoGame/StasisBoneTotem''
91	* ''VideoGame/SunlessSea'' and ''VideoGame/SunlessSkies''
92	* ''VideoGame/SystemShock'' and [[VideoGame/SystemShock2 its sequel]]
93	* ''VideoGame/{{Thief}}'' series:
94	** ''VideoGame/ThiefTheDarkProject''
95	** ''VideoGame/ThiefIITheMetalAge''
96	** ''VideoGame/ThiefDeadlyShadows''
97	** ''Thief: The Black Parade''
98	* ''VideoGame/TimeShift''
99	* ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammerII'' and the DLC released after the video game out.
100	* ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammerIII''
101	* ''VideoGame/{{Tyranny}}''
102	* ''VideoGame/UnrealWorld''
103	* ''VideoGame/UnfortunateSpacemen''
104	* ''VideoGame/{{Vangers}}''
105	* ''VideoGame/WarFrontTurningPoint''
106	* ''Franchise/Warhammer40000ExpandedUniverse'':
107	** ''VideoGame/BattlefleetGothicArmada2''
108	** ''VideoGame/ChapterMaster''
109	** ''VideoGame/FireWarrior''
110	** ''VideoGame/NecromundaHiredGun''
111	** ''VideoGame/SpaceHulkDeathwing''
112	** ''VideoGame/Warhammer40000Mechanicus''
113	** ''VideoGame/Warhammer40000SpaceMarine''
114	* ''VideoGame/WeirdWest''
115	[[/folder]]
116
117	----
118	!!Tropes:
119	* AddedAlliterativeAppeal: This bit from the ''Total War: Warhammer III'' review:
120	-->''Subsequently, synthesizing Sigvald's soldiers into Slaanesh's swarms seems sincerely sensible. Saving separation of such squads sustains scheduled schemes and strategies from [[Creator/CreativeAssembly CA]], but... fuck, it sure seems like he belongs there.''
121	* ArtShift:
122	** The video for ''VideoGame/UnrealWorld'' includes an animated segment of Mandalore's avatar walking through a forest while building up a shelter. He then points out that it is meant to convey the atmosphere of playing it and decidedly NOT what the actual game looks like.
123	** The same animator followed it up with an intro for the ''VideoGame/Warhammer40000Mechanicus'' video where Mandalore is taken in by the titular faction.
124	* AttackDrones: He discusses these as a gameplay option in ''VideoGame/{{Duskers}}'', then demonstrates the concept in real life by taping a shotgun to a Roomba.
125	* BileFascination:[[invoked]]
126	** Touched on in his ''VideoGame/LimboOfTheLost'' video. When it comes to video games, its hard to create a SoBadItsGood[[invoked]] game unlike movies or other media, because if a game plays badly or just is badly made, it doesn't become fun to play but rather annoying. The reason he was so captivated by ''Limbo of The Lost'' however was because it has signs of being an interesting game which when put together with the sheer amount of plagiarized assets from other games creates a product he genuinely finds interesting. In a sense, it was like playing someone's fever dream.
127	** For similar reasons (just no plagiarized elements), he legitimately found ''VideoGame/TheMysteryOfTheDruids'' to be an interesting game, because not only does it go in such random and weird directions, but it kept him and Shammy on their toes the entire time. His video on the game goes in depth on just how oddly charming he found it.
128	** His video on ''VideoGame/AnonymousAgony'' is more of a cutscene clip show that showcases its overly edgy and ridiculous writing that sounds like something created by an angsty teen. As Mandalore calls it, it's a "nuclear trainwreck", but he does say as much of a technical and literary mess of a game it is, he does think there is at least a level of coherence to its insanity.
129	** His review of ''Ring'' and its sequel make it clear how bizarre and painful he found both the story and gameplay. He's left baffled by how the game tries to adapt ''Theatre/TheRingOfTheNibelung'' into a sci-fi setting, and describes the disjointed meta-narrative layered on top as "brain poison" that at times made him feel genuinely insane. He's not without some praise for the game, though, such as its unique art direction and, especially, Alberich's character.
130	--->'''Mandalore:''' ''Ring'' is so fascinating, but so painful. The more I look at it, the less I understand.
131	** This is discussed in his review of ''Legion: The Legend of Excalibur'' video, as the concept of {{Narm}} that comes off from trying to be "overly cool" can be ironically appealing and instantly memorable if done right — [[SoundtrackDissonance as is case with the Marilyn Manson trailer for]] ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins''. But this is explicitly '''''[[SubvertedTrope not]]''''' the case for the actual game in the review as, despite it's hilariously cringey dialogue, overly edgy designs, and promising ideas of blending action RPG and strategy; the actual execution is so immensely painful and grindy that any potential fun that could have been had for Mandy is sapped from him by end and he's glad it's over, with him saying that this game is his limit for how enjoyably bad a game can be before it becomes just plain bad. Unlike other games he's played where he at least can find things to praise, mid-way through he stops trying to dodge the topic and just admits it is terrible.
132	** Although he likes some things about ''Genesis Rising'', such as its use of {{Living Ship}}s, on the whole Mandalore found the game tedious and [[FakeDifficulty hard in all the wrong ways]] (it being the only game to date that was so frustrating he considered scrapping the video entirely), to say nothing about the ridiculously bizarre and convoluted story. At one point during his plot synopsis, the video briefly cuts away to some footage of ''Homeworld'' because, as he put it, he just needed a break. Mandy ultimately laments the fact the game has genuine promise, but the WhatCouldHaveBeen is not enough to salvage the experience to be beyond an infuriating acid trip of a game.
133	** Mandy's fascination with ''Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013'' stemmed from seeing the culmination of the series' slow descent into wanting to be like ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' and the comically absurd lengths the game went to achieve that. What contributed to this is how he played a [[GameplayAndStorySegregation conservationist who also happened to be a]] OneManArmy (in a ''hunting game'') going up against animals that he believed were intelligent enough to set up traps and ambushes, jam radio signals and take people hostage in a bizarre story that feels like something straight out of the mind of a serial killer.
134	* BreadEggsMilkSquick:
135	** An offhand observation about the levels of historical inaccuracy in ''VideoGame/{{Necrovision}}'s'' portrayal of [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarI the Battle of the Somne]]:
136	-->''In ''Necrovision'' some things are off, like the date is far too late, [[OurDragonsAreDifferent and there's a dragon]].''
137	** Also when discussing the side missions for ''VideoGame/NecromundaHiredGun''. Lampshaded a moment later:
138	-->''...It can be destroying ammo, hunting people down, poisoning the air-supply, [[FaceFullOfAlienWingWong releasing]] [[HordeOfAlienLocusts genestealers]], the usual special mission shenanigans. Actually, that last one is a bad [[PrecisionFStrike fucking]] idea!'''
139	* BrokenAesop:[[invoked]] Mandy thinks this for the story of ''Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013''. Throughout the game, he's been led to believe that the message of the game was to shoot everything in sight because, from a story perspective, Luke saving Jacob instead of getting a clear shot on the bear about to attack the latter resulted in their father's death and, from a gameplay perspective, [[EverythingIsTryingToKillYou every animal in the game]] [[AnimalsHateHim tries to specifically kill Jacob]]. So you could imagine his surprise when the game led to the message of "always help before hurting" by having Jacob save Luke ''and'' kill the black lion and treating the two continuing their safari after this point as a good thing, completely ignoring that the entire region of Africa (and parts of Alaska) went through a mass-extinction event [[OneManArmy courtesey of Jacob]] to get to this point.
140	* CallBack:
141	** His ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammerII'' video has a brief one to the animated intro of his ''VideoGame/Warhammer40000Mechanicus'' review. When he covers the Tomb Kings, he mentions their Black Pyramids, which look oddly high tech, and quips "I think we know what's in there!" Cue a brief animated bit of Mandy having been dragged on ''another'' Mechanicus expedition.
142	** His ''VideoGame/PathfinderWrathOfTheRighteous'' has several to the ''VideoGame/PathfinderKingmaker'' review (understandable, as they are games in the same series). Including Mandalore bringing up Darven... And adding that he's ''not'' in this game.
143	** There's a clip in his ''Northern Journey'' video where he falls to his death, which triggers the audio and musical string that plays whenever Siegfried dies in ''Ring II: Twilight of the Gods''.
144	** The Myrkridian who appears during the final segment of the ''Myth II'' video is named Dark Haze and given a visual novel illustration of a teenaged Myrkridian with a biohazard necklace.
145	** During the "Legion: The Legend of Excalibur" video, the infamous audio bit of the Guardsmen saying "[[WelcomeToCorneria It's quiet]]" is mixed in with the standard repeated battle cries during his review of the audio.
146	** At the start of Brunhilde's section of ''Ring: The Legend of the Nibelungen'', Mandy says that he has to "throw the ending forward", which is played over a clip from ''VideoGame/TimeShift''. When he did a video on ''[=TimeShift=]'' a year and a half later he also says that he has to "throw the ending forward" near the end of the video, which is also done over the same clip of the game he used in ''Ring''.
147	* TheCameo:
148	** Cameos in Mandy's videos:
149	*** The review for the ''VideoGame/TheLordOfTheRingsTheReturnOfTheKing'' game includes a live-action segment from Creator/SeanAstin, the actor who played Samwise in the movies.
150	*** Exaggerated with his ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammerII'' video, where he has many other content creators cameo across the video, ranging from [[WebVideo/SsethTzeentach Sseth]] summing up Dark Elves, to WebVideo/JosephAnderson giving his signature style opening monologue after zooming in on a Dragon. The amount of cameos is enough to where there is at least five people, and who some of them are isn't clear to fans.
151	*** In his ''VideoGame/AnonymousAgony'' video, he had popular true crime youtuber JCS: Criminal Psychology give out bits of information on the main character's strange psyche.
152	** Mandy being a cameo:
153	*** He was [[WebVideo/JosephAnderson Joseph Anderson's]] partner in crime for the latter's video cataloging of ''Fallout 76's'' many, many bugs and glitches.
154	*** He also helped fellow Youtuber Raycevick review the DLC chapters for ''VideoGame/MetroLastLight'' during [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3BmubIQklU the latter's video]] on the first two games.
155	*** He's also been making a few of these in several of [[WebVideo/SsethTzeentach Sseth's]] more recent reviews, usually voicing bit part characters.
156	*** He and Shammy appeared as a secret boss duo in ''VideoGame/{{Ultrakill}}'' as the "Mysterious [[VideoGame/TheMysteryOfTheDruids Druid]] Knight ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and Owl]])". He also reprised the role for [[WebVideo/Max0r Max0r's]] second Ultrakill video (despite [=Max0r=] claiming otherwise).
157	*** In Sul Matul's retrospective of ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'', Mandalore voices Mandalore, aka Canderous Ordo. He lampshades it before the video goes back to using the character's actual voicelines. He also shows up near the end, panicking over the video's eight hour length.
158	* CaptainObviousReveal:[[invoked]] Discussed in his ''VideoGame/SystemShock2'' video. He points out that the twist with SHODAN is really well done thanks to some subtle pieces of foreshadowing found in the game, only for it to be undermined by the fact that SHODAN has to be in the game because the [[SpoilerCover games cover shows her on it]], and also how XERXES outright drops a huge hint almost right at the start of the game. As a result, the reveal is basically a foregone conclusion since you know she has to be in the game someway, which he feels hurts the reveal a bit. He comments that had the games cover been anything but SHODAN, the twist would have been better.
159	* CausticCritic: {{Downplayed\|Trope}}. Mandalore is not afraid to be critical of games -- sometimes brutally so -- but not for the sake of [[AccentuateTheNegative being sensationalist]]. Even when talking about games he doesn't like, if there's something worthy of praise, however small, he'll mention it.
160	* ChekhovsGun: Quite literally. When Mandy and Joy were streaming ''The Moment of Silence'', he cocks an unloaded shotgun it in front of his mic for comedic effect when Joy basically tells the chat to "lock and load".
161	* ConversationalTroping: Though he has never mentioned Website/TVTropes in his videos, Mandy has called out enough tropes by name to infer that he has some degree of familiarity with it.
162	* CrackIsCheaper: Discussed in his ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammerII'' video. He points out that one of the largest reasons people are deterred from getting into the game is the huge amount of DLC released, and how expensive it is getting them for both games. While he agrees with that issue, he does feel it isn't as bad as other games like ''VideoGame/{{Stellaris}}'', because other games of the same genre tend to bundle up important updates into their DLC. By comparison, the ''Warhammer'' DLC is more free to pick because of the amount of free content.
163	* DamnedByFaintPraise: During his review of ''Legion: The Legend of Excalibur'', Mandalore noted that while the audio wasn't great, it was still much better than dealing with the violently disorienting camera.
164	-->'''Mandalore:''' That's where the bar is now.
165	* DeadpanSnarker: Arguably downplayed compared to his fellow reviewers like Sseth or Joseph, but most of Mandy's videos consist of him speaking in one tone of voice throughout, even when something happens that surprises, upsets, or excites him.
166	* DejaVu: {{Invoked\|Trope}} in his review of ''Pathways into Darkness'', where he uses identical language in his conclusion about its playworthiness as in his preceding ''Marathon'' video. Likely another nod to the latter being a StealthSequel to the former.
167	-->'''Mandalore:''' ''(In both videos)'' It's great to see how much an FPS could be, even this early on, but a lot of the good gameplay ideas it has were expanded on, and a lot of them not too late after this game came out. You could point to any gameplay element, and someone else has done it better. [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment Some of them being done not too long after Marathon came out]], and some of them being done by Bungie themselves. ''(In just the Pathways video)'' When similar things came after, I ca- [[LampshadeHanging Sorry, I think I was repeating myself a little.]]
168	* TheDeterminator: Many of the games he reviews can't run on modern systems so he'll sometimes go to great lengths to make them work. Often it requires hunting down patches and mods, but if he has to dig into his PC's guts and make physical alterations, he will.
169	* DigitalAvatar: His profile picture and digital avatar is that of an armored knight sporting a CoolHelmet. Some depictions of his avatar also has him sporting a red cape.
170	%%* DramaticGunCock: PlayedForLaughs in his ''The Moment of Silence'' streams.
171	%%-->(Gun cock) Thank you gamer.
172	* TheDogWasTheMastermind: In ''VideoGame/CabelasDangerousHunts 2013'', Mandalore speculates the scarred bear from the intro is in charge of an anti-human coalition of wolves, hyenas, and other animals. [[spoiler:Though he eventually concludes that the Black Lion Alpha is the true leader]]. He also thinks the lions built the various stone ruins in Africa, on the basis that the doors automatically open for them.
173	* DrinkingGame: Mandalore has done this (formerly with Shammy) when streaming games like ''VideoGame/TheMysteryOfTheDruids'', ''VideoGame/AnonymousAgony'' and ''VideoGame/GartenOfBanban''. Because of the rules he sets up, he'll usually end up being completely hammered by the end of the current stream and will usually fail to grasp certain things that happen during those games.
174	* DroneOfDread: A staple of his video-editing, usually used to emphasize tedious elements he's reviewing.
175	* EarlyBirdCameo:
176	** Snippets of ''Ring'' were teased at numerous times in Mandalore's past videos ''two'' whole years before he officially covered it, ranging from screenshots of puzzles here and there, to Glug appearing during TheStinger of the ''VideoGame/TheMysteryOfTheDruids'' review.
177	** Songs from the ''VideoGame/GhostMaster'' soundtrack were frequently used in the background of his videos before it got a review in 2023.
178	** When he mentions a "haze" in his ''VideoGame/{{Pathologic}}'' video (uploaded 2018) he briefly shows the character Haze from ''VideoGame/AnonymousAgony'', a game he would review three years later.
179	* EveryoneHasStandards: During his review of ''Ring: The Legend of the Nibelungen'', Mandy's increasingly fascinated and stupefied describing all the insanity unfolding, except during the section covering the [[BrotherSisterIncest story of Siegmund]] and [[{{Squick}} how the epilogue piece after ends up supporting incest]], at which point Mandy [[RageBreakingPoint immediately uproars in rage]] and demands a cut away from it before launching into a rant.
180	-->'''Mandalore:''' The only thing we saw for sure happen was a real estate deal and incest. You don't get to give me your essay on the "real story" after seeing that, and then try to tie it into the [[VideoGame/{{Marathon}} Pfhor at Tau Ceti]] and Thetans and whatever else you saw in your episode that day.
181	* ExplainExplainOhCrap: At the end of his ''Myth II'' video, Mandalore is explaining the various connections between the later Bungie games and ''Myth'' only to [[spoiler:fall into the Pathways]].
182	-->'''Mandalore:''' ''Halo'' is full of all kinds of mysteries like that.\
183	'''Cortana:''' ''[as Mandy kills Keyes]'' The Master Chief has gone rampant!\
184	'''Mandalore:''' Wait, "gone Rampant"? But I thought only... uh-oh. Oh for Christ's sake, is ''Gnop'' safe? It's actually just a ball right, it doesn't mean any-- ''[realizes the ball is part of the Bungie logo]'' ''Oh g--''
185	* FalseCause: ''VideoGame/AnonymousAgony'' has {{Loading Screen}}s, despite the game being a light UsefulNotes/RPGMaker project that loads nigh-instantly; in fact, you can sometimes spot the game loading the map ''before'' transitioning to the loading screen. Mandalore brings up that the game's creator specifically added ''fake load times'' into his game because "all the best games have loading screens", a reasoning that elicits nothing but utter confusion.
186	* FalseFlagOperation: [[WebVideo/SsethTzeentach Sseth]] recounts playing with Mandy in ''VideoGame/SupremeCommander'', and how he ''loves'' to pull tactics like this in multiplayer games alongside a healthy dose of {{Gaslighting}}, primarily because [[{{Troll}} it pisses everyone the hell off]]. It actually is so bad that free-for-all game modes are ''banned'' when playing with Mandy because it simply gets ''too'' stressful.
187	* FlatWhat: In his review of ''War Front: Turning Point'' he lets out one of these when [[MoodWhiplash a scene of Americans and Germans being all buddy-buddy post-WWII cuts suddenly to one of the main characters being shot dead by an enemy agent]]. He lets out another only a few minutes later when the hero [[PistolWhipping pistol whips]] the sexy Russian villainess unconscious in the ending cinematic before it cuts to the victory parade.
188	-->'''Mandalore:''' OK, who made this game? Digital Reality based in ''Hungary...'' OK, this is making more sense. ''<BANG>'' What?
189	* {{Foreshadowing}}:
190	** During his ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}}'' review, he mentions that thinking too hard about certain things would lead you on "pathways into darkness", and while talking about the changes to the minimap in Aelph One he mentions that there's "plenty of other pathways into darkness to follow". Cue his next video being a review of ''VideoGame/PathwaysIntoDarkness'', [[spoiler:with this also foreshadowing his discussion of the fact that Marathon may be a StealthSequel to Pathways]].
191	** He concludes his review of ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}} Infinity'' with the words "''Infinity'' ends, and the story passes into myth", both referring the game series fully ending with this game [[spoiler:and the connections it may have with the ''VideoGame/{{Myth}}'' series]].
192	** During his ''VideoGame/{{Myth}}'' review, he makes the same mention that analyzing some of the unexplained lore would lead to "pathways into darkness". His next video on ''Myth II'' uses the sequel's added context to explore the [[spoiler:potential connections between the ''Myth'', ''Pathways'', and ''Marathon'' series]].
193	* FreezeFrameBonus: In his ''The Mystery of the Druids'' video, there is a brief one before TheStinger that shows a screenshot of ''VideoGame/AnonymousAgony'' with Lowry placed into the image. This could also be an EarlyBirdCameo as Mandy would make an ''Anonymous Agony'' video a year later.
194	** Similarly, when he's discussing the visuals of ''VideoGame/{{Pathologic}}'', he brings up that the drab coloration and foggy draw distance make it feel like "you're living in a haze." When he says 'haze', an opaque image of Haze Stratos, the PlayerCharacter of ''VideoGame/AnonymousAgony'', briefly appears in the corner of the screen. He brings this up at the end of the ''Anonymous Agony'' video.
195	* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: He generally likes it when games go out of their way to try and tie the story and gameplay together, though it really depends on the context. For example, he gives praise to the big twist of ''VideoGame/ArxFatalis'', because it incorporates the main characters DullSurprise and leveling mechanics into the story by revealing [[spoiler:he was essentially a god-like being designed to help save the world, and was given amnesia and the ability to grow fast to make sure he did his job,]] which is why him sounding bored and detached fits. On the flip side, he complains about the Drakken race from ''VideoGame/EndlessLegend'', because they're supposed to be focused on keeping the peace between the other factions, but the game's attempt to stay true to this makes them frustrating to play with since it punishes you for more or less playing the game due to the fact that other factions will essentially bully you for trying to do anything.
196	* GoMadFromTheRevelation: To say that the game ''Ring'' broke him during his stream of it is a bit of an understatement. In his defense, it probably wouldn't have had the effect on him that it did if he was allowed to save the game in a game where you have to start over from the very beginning every time you die. In an adventure game where it's very easy to do so and has incredibly obtuse puzzles, after a certain point, he just starts losing it.
197	* GuideDangIt: He criticizes the opening of ''System Shock 2'' for doing a poor job helping guide the player through the character build system, which tries to build it into the setting by having the player make choices on the characters military background, but doesn't communicate how that will impact the player's skills and build. He comments that the game doesn't have any "best" builds, but it is easy to start with a terrible one, to the point the player can't even use a simple pistol at the start.
198	* HalloweenEpisode: Starting in 2020, around Halloween, Mandy will upload a review of a game that is bound to make people feel like they were sent through a bizarre fever dream, because according to him, "a cosmic horror hiding under something innocuous is perfect for Halloween." So far, this applies to his videos on ''VideoGame/TheMysteryOfTheDruids'', ''VideoGame/AnonymousAgony'', both ''Ring'' games and ''[[VideoGame/CabelasDangerousHunts Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013]]''.
199	* HiddenDepths: Aside from his video game reviews, Mandalore [[https://twitter.com/GOGcom/status/1315735763204689921 is also a rather skilled jam-maker.]] Also, that {{Ear Worm}}y end credits song to his ''VideoGame/TheMysteryOfTheDruids'' review? He wrote it.
200	* HurricaneOfPuns: Mandalore makes two brief ones about a character who looks like ''Music/EltonJohn'' in his ''VideoGame/DeadSpace3'' review.
201	-->There was a Runaway Train, and I guess you could call Isaac a Rocketman... The necromorphs do fall under the Circle of Life, just... not very well.\
202	(later in the review) So, Issac tells Ellie that Buzz Lightyear will never fly again, because he's sold them out to the Pinball Wizard, and she's still upset.
203	* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy: The player character in ''VideoGame/FireWarrior'' seems to suffer from this despite Mandalore pointing out that in the actual tabletop game, Tau weapons are designed to be particularly accurate compared to most other factions. As he put it, the only way to explain the game's poor aim is, "the gun is drunk."
204	* ItsHardSoItSucks:[[invoked]] Discussed during his ''VideoGame/Pathologic2'' video. Mandalore points out that despite how good he felt the game is, game journalists gave it negative reviews because it was "too hard", despite the game being both [[IntendedAudienceReaction designed that way]][[invoked]] and having plenty of options to adjust it if you get stuck. He comments how odd he finds it that the critics take away only the difficulty and not the story, characters, or setting, and recommends players give it a try to see what they think.
205	* {{Japandering}}: Discussed in the ''Shogo: Mobile Armor Division'' review. While Mandalore does enjoy mecha shows like ''Franchise/{{Patlabor}}'', he can't wrap his head around how anyone could enjoy moe SliceOfLife series like ''Anime/KOn''. He also notes how the in-game models are a crude imitation of the anime art-style which clash heavily with the more realistic level design.
206	* JerkassHasAPoint:
207	** One of his favorite aspects of the writing in ''VideoGame/SidMeiersAlphaCentauri'', citing his agreement with [[ChurchMilitant Sister Miriam's]] stance on AIIsACrapshoot despite otherwise treating her as a SitcomArchNemesis throughout the video.
208	** After seeing what Halligan is like in ''VideoGame/TheMysteryOfTheDruids'', Mandy notes that all the hostility he received from his co-workers at the start of the game was entirely warranted. They're used to Halligan's crazed antics and justifiably hold him at arms length.
209	* LaughingMad:
210	** In his ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}}'' review when mentioning the assumption that the game is a "masterpiece of pacing and consistency" he starts slowly chuckling before cackling and explains the [[ThatOneLevel problems with several of the game's levels]].
211	** He also does this upon finishing ''Ring II: Twilight of Gods'' as that game's credits roll in his video covering both ''Ring'' games. Considering that Mandalore went through what can be best described as [[MoonLogicPuzzle Moon Logic]]-flavored [[MindScrew brain poison]], it's more than understandable.
212	* MadnessMantra: "At least it's not another maze." said due to both the literal winding corridors of the first ''Marathon'' game, and the metaphorical labyrinth that is its plot.
213	-->'''Mandy''': Maybe ''i'm'' the minotaur.
214	* MindScrew: Fittingly, the ending of his review of ''Marathon Infinity'' is this, [[spoiler:cutting him off mid-sentence as he is about to start talking about the various references and influences the trilogy had on ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' to present a compilation of strange, BodyHorror filled animations of the Security Officer, clips from other Youtubers videos on the trilogy, random lines from Durandal's point-of-view discussing the game, and other things, ending with a clip of [[WebVideo/RosssGameDungeon Ross Scott]] saying "There is no escape", to which Mandalore responds "Yeah, that's fair"]].
215	* MoodWhiplash: Seen is most of his videos, but it's observed the best in his ''[[{{VideoGame/Pathologic2}} Pathologic 2]]'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7uKUgire7Y review.]]
216	* MoonLogicPuzzle: One of the most recurring things he mentions in reviews of adventure games. In reviews such as ''Ring'', ''Mystery of the Druids'', and ''Limbo of the Lost'' he often has to stop and point out the sheer illogical choices he had to make just to beat the game.
217	* MoreDakka: According to the VideoGame/EYEDivineCybermancy review, every gun would benefit from having two firing modes: full auto and fuller auto.
218	* NightmareRetardant[[invoked]]: Discussed in ''Myth II'' with regards to the Myrkridian. The original game framed them as a race so horrific that a mere reminder of their existence drives the villain into a blind rage. The gangly bat people introduced in the second game are so goofy looking that Mandalaore simply cannot take them seriously as a threat. Mandalaore also notes that he gets what the developers were ''trying'' to go for and that having them show up was kind of inevitable, but making the Myrkridian appear at all while still making them live up to how they're built up in the first game would've been a challenge even for the best of developers.
219	* NoJustNoReaction: Has this response to "Legion: The Legend of Excalibur" and its gameplay as, while usually a supporter of SoBadItsGood games, he points out that the aforementioned game is his ''well'' past his limit and doesn't even humor the possibility of there being anything redeeming about the gameplay with how buggy, torturous, and grindy it is.
220	* NormalFishInATinyPond: He was at one point the world record holder for a Limbo of the Lost speedrun, simply because no one else had attempted it. The second someone else did, they had a PC setup designed specifically to avoid the game's many crashes and beat his record by ''45 minutes''.
221	* NothingIsScarier:
222	** A commonly discussed idea in his horror game videos is the strength of using silence and darkness to make things scarier. While he likes ''VideoGame/DeadSpace'', he cites its opening as being disappointing because instead of building up the appearance of the Necromorphs, they appear in an over the top and loud way that hurts the tension.
223	** Discussed in his ''Myth II'' video with regards to the Myrkridia. They don't appear in the original game, but the lore builds them up to be nightmarish abominations so evil and cruel that even the Darkness refuses them. Mandalore found their appearance in the sequel to be underwhelming as the gangly bat-people couldn't live up to the hype.
224	* NotSoStoic: Sometimes his general affect, usually rather detached, breaks. In his ''Legion'' review it's just for a moment, to exclaim that the game is terrible. ''Cabela's Dangerous Hunts'' has him audibly incredulous for about half the video.
225	* OminousVisualGlitch: Happens a couple times in his ''[[VideoGame/{{Marathon}} Marathon 1 and 2]]'' reviews when he hints at plot points that would be shown in ''Infinity''.
226	* PetPeeveTrope: He hates games with [[FifteenPuzzle slide puzzles]], among other things.
227	* RecycledSoundtrack: Reviews released in October (and sometimes a day or so before) will use the opening theme from ''Series/Goosebumps1995'' during the intro.
228	* ReviewIronicEcho: The ColdOpen for his review of ''VideoGame/TheCallistoProtocol'' focuses on an in-game sign that reads "Midtown," which if anything is slightly nicer than his final opinion of the game.
229	* RunningGag:
230	** Whenever someone is electrocuted in a game he's reviewing, expect the scream of Marv being shocked in ''Film/HomeAlone2LostInNewYork'' to play.
231	** For ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' related games, the Inquisition tends to interrupt Mandalore while accompanied by [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io0zFbQqAUg the theme of]] [[VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII the Soul of Cinder]]. Heck, in his ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammerII'' video, he brings it back again when discussing the Skaven and how the Empire refuses to acknowledge them.
232	** When an older game he covers is listed on [=GoG=], there's a chance he's had some input in either having it listed or getting a patch put out for it, and each time he mentions it he includes lavish artwork of his avatar bartering with them, with [=GoG=] represented as a cabal of purple-robed mages using dark magic to resurrect long-dead games.
233	** Related is a running joke about how bad Chaos is gameplay wise in any ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' or ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'' game, ranging from poorly designed, to being not fun to fight. Expect something along the lines of him saying he wasted his time with Chaos as a recurring joke.
234	** Mandy has a cheeky running gag of inserting subtle sound clips from Gachi meme videos into his videos. Popular ones include: "Fuckin' slaaaves! Get your ass back here!", "Huh? You like that?", "Oh my shoulder!", "I ripped my fucking pants!" and Eric Michaels/Gay Makaay's scream.
235	** If a squad-based RPG allows the player to rename their party members, expect Mandalore's crew to consist of characters in his favorite reviews, such as [[VideoGame/{{Marathon}} Durandal]], [[VideoGame/{{Pathologic}} Haruspex]], [[VideoGame/LimboOfTheLost Briggs]], or [[VideoGame/TheMysteryOfTheDruids Lowry/Serstan]], etc...
236	** For videos released after his ''VideoGame/DeadSpace3'' review, John Carver's incredulous "What? What does that mean?" would occasionally show up whenever Mandalore encounters weird plots and[=/=]or akwardly-written narratives.
237	** Mentions of games running on the Dark engine's fanmade successor, [=NewDark=], will almost always be followed by a brief snippet of a raven cawing.
238	* SamePlotSequel: Criticizes ''[[VideoGame/FirstEncounterAssaultRecon F.E.A.R 2]]'' heavily for this, stating that the game's plot as a whole is almost beat-for-beat the same as the first game only with a shock value RapeAsDrama added to the end.
239	-->''You could just play F.E.A.R 1 again and read a [[{{Hentai}} doujin]] right after it, and have a much better experience.''
240	* ScreamsLikeALittleGirl: A brief cutaway gag in the ''VideoGame/BloodOmenLegacyOfKain'' review when [[spoiler:his door creaks open with a skeleton reaching into the room.]] He'd repeat this gag in his ''VideoGame/AnonymousAgony'' review.
241	* ShoutOut:
242	** The "Pathways" segment of his ''Myth II'' video has one when a Myrkridian shows up and requests the lone soldier to "[[VideoGame/GartenOfBanban hand over [his] pancreas]]."
243	** One point during the High Elves section of his ''Total War: Warhammer 2'' has Mandalore mentioning "no one's running in Alith Anar's lobby''. Alith Anar is voiced by Creator/DylanSprouse in said game, who's also well known for playing [[Series/TheSuiteLifeOfZackAndCody a character who frequently ran in a hotel lobby.]]
244	* SidetrackedByTheGoldSaucer: Invoked several times during his ''VideoGame/SpaceRangers HD'' review. Pretty much every time he tries to explain some particular element of the gameplay it will lead to him also trying to explain the elements relevant to said element and eventually end up [[GameplayRoulette somewhere in the game that has nothing to do]] with what he was originally trying to talk about.
245	* TakeThat:
246	** In his review of ''{{VideoGame/DUSK}}'', he says that the game "pays respectful homage to other games, not dumps on them while being a much worse one." The box-art of ''VideoGame/DukeNukemForever'' quickly passes by as he says this.
247	** When describing the Bretonnia faction in ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammerII'', he describes them as beating the commoners into submission and never questioning things, then comparing them North Korea and [=ResetEra=].
248	** During his review of the ''VideoGame/{{Gothic}}'' remake demo, he compares the protagonist's constant narrating of everything going on to something from a cartoon for small children. Up pops [[WesternAnimation/DoraTheExplorer Dora]], [[WesternAnimation/BluesClues Blue]], and [[WebAnimation/{{RWBY}} Ruby Rose]].
249	** For his ''VideoGame/AnonymousAgony'' video, he jokes about how unsurprising it would be that the other cops aren't sympathetic to Craig's interest in a case that nearly got his wife killed if said cops were from the city. Later, when Haze feeds one of his victims' corpse to a group of dogs, Mandalore suggests using pigs would be faster [[VisualPun while putting the same cops on the screen again.]]
250	** A more playful example, but in his "Legion: The Legend of Excalibur" video, the game's tutorial likens Arthur's swords skills prior to getting the titular sword to that of a girl, which Mandalore offhandedly comments "A [[GenderBender girl]] King Arthur? [[Franchise/FateSeries That will never catch on]]".[[note]]And, if the reference wasn't blatant, Mandy immediately follows it up by addressing it as "Saber-rattling" Arthur.[[/note]]
251	** When theorizing as to why [[spoiler:Halligan was eating the human flesh]] in his ''VideoGame/TheMysteryOfTheDruids'' video, one of Mandy's interpretations was that the entire scene was a ''Franchise/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' prequel, which is listed as "WebVideo/GameTheory Cancer".
252	* TemptingFate: At the start of the ''Pathways Into Darkness'' video, Mandalore stumbles while trying to read the name of the modder who made the game playable, "W'rknacnter". He then says he hopes he doesn't have to say the name any more. The later ''Marathon'' videos would include further discussion of the W'rknacnter.
253	* ThisIsGonnaSuck: After completing his ''Ring'' review, Mandalore explains there is a sequel but despite years of effort he has never been able to get it running, except this time he finally ''succeeded''. His response is subdued horror on realizing that he ''has'' to play it for the review, as the chances of ever getting it to run again are probably near zero.
254	* UncertainAudience:[[invoked]] One of his main points about ''Ring'' is that the game doesn't have any real target audience, which is why he is surprised it even exists. It's a ''very'' loose adaptation of ''Theatre/TheRingOfTheNibelung'', a very in depth story that gets turned into a PointAndClickGame set in space, with complicated puzzles, and a plot that is overly confusing to follow because of the source material and direction of the game, yet it's also almost childishly comedic in how it tells the story, with humor and imagery that isn't really aimed at a mature audience, while having little depth as a game to make it seem like it is meant to be hardcore. He outright asks who its meant for, since kids would be too confused and weirded out by the game, yet adults would be dealing with childish elements, on top of being such a mechanically bland game.
255	-->''Okay I have to ask - who or what was Ring made for? The dialogue and theme seem way, way to heavy for kids, but there are so many certified Looney Tunes moments too, all while telling a German opera of fantasy story in a science fiction skin with large parts of the story either removed or completely changed to make the go forward. The budget on display is so high for what this is, but even now knowing the story of Ring, and getting the gist of what is supposed to be happening in scenes, it's still a lot of nonsense if you don't know the story. It becomes impossible to follow, and don't forget these are stories inside a story, which is even more of a fever dream that's never elaborated on.''
256	* UnusualEuphemism: For some reason, he refers to GOG as "the Polish Information Network"[[note]]Likely because GOG's parent company, game developer Creator/CDProjekt, is based in Poland.[[/note]]
257	* UselessUsefulNonCombatAbilities: He finds ''VideoGame/SystemShock2'''s Repair skill utterly worthless, saying it makes ''VideoGame/DeusEx'' Swimming look like ''{{VideoGame/Fallout}}'' Speech. Then he takes it back, calling the comparison "too psychotic".
258	* WeaksauceWeakness: Admits blatantly that [[FifteenPuzzle slide puzzles]] during his ''Ring'' review are his Kryptonite as [[BrownNote he can't quite comprehend the idea of them easily]] and end up just frustrating him for wasting his time.
259	* WeWantOurJerkBack: He doesn't outright say it, but his disappointment [[TheOtherDarrin over the change of voice actor]] [[DirtyCoward and attitude]] of Alberich's character — one of the highlights of the original game for his CardCarryingVillain status and how memeable he is — in ''Ring II'' is so palpable it ends up adding to the crimes the game had done to his sanity.
260	* WeWouldHaveToldYouBut: Invoked and [[TrollingCreator trollingly so]], as his reviews of the Myth games doesn't mention Bungie's involvement in both games at any point until the very end of the second game's video, at which point he milks the connection for all its worth with a massive GainaxEnding.
261	* WhamLine: When explaining how complex the plot of ''[[VideoGame/{{Marathon}} Marathon Infinity]]'' gets, Mandy starts with explaining the story has jumped to an alternate timeline. Then he explains the bad news.
262	-->''Well, unfortunately... we're currently on the [[SerialEscalation fifth]] timeline.''
263	* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: In ''Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013'', the war against the [[spoiler:Ancient One lions]] is triggered when their leader drags away a father and the main character's brother runs off to save him. As the final cutscene plays out, Mandy notes they never found the man or even mentioned him.
264	* YouLookFamiliar:[[invoked]] Mandy makes an understated comment when first meeting the adult Luke during his ''VideoGame/CabelasDangerousHunts 2013'' video, calling to mind he looks ''a lot'' like [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic Canderous Ordo]].

Context WebVideo / MandaloreGaming