Marathon – Review In Progress

I didn’t expect Marathon to leave as large of an impact on me as it has. While I’ve loved Bungie games in the past, including hundreds of hours spent in Destiny 2, from the outside looking in I didn’t anticipate that the extraction-shooter loop of impermanent loot would be for me. Load into a map with a preset objective, loot everything not stapled to the ground and then some, all the while avoiding – or shooting – all of the enemies in your way.

[Editor’s Note: To ensure we are evaluating the full Marathon launch experience, we made the decision to hold our final verdict until our reviewer can experience the Cryo Archive, the culmination of the launch-window experience. Check back in the coming days for our full, scored review.]

For anyone not already familiar with extraction shooters, Marathon is much like its peers in the genre wherein death means losing whatever equipment and items you choose to spawn into a map with. Marathon, like other extraction shooters, is a game about choice and consequence. It’s at its best when it pushes those ideals to the absolute limit.

On the most basic level, Marathon’s core gameplay is best-in-class. Bungie has always excelled at gunplay, and the same rings true here. Each and every weapon currently in the game comes with a distinct feel and sound profile to accompany their unique characteristics. The same can be said for the game’s Runner shells; Marathon’s “hero-shooter” take on how a player opts to confront the mysteries of Tau Ceti IV.

Marathon is a systems-heavy game that rewards players who can make the most out of everything it has to offer, and Runner’s kits are no different. Thief’s kit feels like the perfect example of this; I liked using their drone to be a real nuisance to players. Maybe you mess with a group of enemy Runners by opening up a door to guide them into an ambush. If you’re feeling adventurous, wait at an exfiltration site and poke at a group right as they’re about to leave the match, helping yourself to their pilfered spoils.

Much of Marathon’s gameplay focuses on understanding the world around you. Since sound travels far, picking fights with NPC enemies can be a risk. Maybe you run past some birds, startling them, or a UESC Turret spots you. Perhaps your contract forces the issue, and you have no choice but to make some noise – and prepare for the consequences. It didn’t take long for me to get into the mindset of using my gear when needed, because sooner or later, that favorite gun of yours will end up in another Runner’s backpack. Making too much noise will merely expedite matters if you aren’t prepared.

The sounds and sights of Tau Ceti IV have captivated me in a way even beyond some of the most iconic areas in Destiny 2. Marathon is a strikingly beautiful game, but it’s the synthesis of how gorgeous these areas look while danger is always lurking just below the surface that makes them stick with me. Before long, each landmark will have a story to tell – and stories you’ll be able to tell about your experiences there.

Outside of the stress of runs, the codex offers insights into the lives lost on Tau Ceti IV. Many times, these codex entries are locked behind successfully exfiltrating with a rare piece of loot multiple times, slowly unfolding a specific element of the story. It’s impossible to have seen and read everything at this point; many key codex entries are currently redacted, pointing to some major events aboard the Cryo Archive.

If it wasn’t already clear, I think Marathon is something truly special. However, there are still a few lingering questions I have before settling on a final score. The escalation across the game’s currently accessible maps – Perimeter, Dire Marsh, and Outpost – leads me to believe that whatever awaits in Cryo Archive will be something compelling. It feels like the true scope of the story is still lurking just under the surface, and I can’t help but wonder exactly what that will mean in the end.