I haven’t had any faith in Bungie in a long time, largely since the days they started removing paid Destiny 2 content away from players. With that in mind, I was worried about Marathon, deeply worried. The game’s aesthetic looked sublime, and it’s a reboot (possibly sequel) to an FPS series that was deeply important to my childhood.
Just like Destiny, Marathon is a game that will continue to evolve as time goes on, but even before the launch of the extraction shooter’s endgame I’m convinced that this will be my Game of the Year. While Arc Raiders managed to sell the extraction shooter genre to the world, Marathon feels like the perfect take on the series for me.
One of my main gripes with Arc Raiders is the game’s complete lack of an interesting story. There’s a unique world to explore, sure, but it doesn’t really feel like there’s anything for me to do there other than explore, loot, gear up, and then go on an expedition. While this is a satisfying gameplay loop, I simply like stories in my games.
With Marathon, Bungie is doing what Bungie does best: narrative. It’s unique for an extraction shooter, but Marathon’s host of agents do well to sell the universe around you with stellar voice acting that truly shows how awful Arc’s AI-generated agents are. Additionally, the host of codex entries and audio logs you can find and explore reveal a much greater narrative depth than any PvP multiplayer game I’ve ever played.
Marathon’s story is also expanding as we play with the rogue AI Durandal aboard the UESC Marathon ship directly addressing players through in-game terminals, and even hacking into the intro speech from ONI at the start of rounds. Just like how Bungie revolutionised FPS storytelling with the original Marathon Trilogy’s complex, multiversal story, the studio is doing the exact same thing to multiplayer gaming now. (This does make me wonder: will each wipe be a new timeline like Marathon Infinity?)
Of course, none of this works without satisfying core gameplay, and Marathon has that in spades. Movement and gunplay feel like a brilliant evolution of Destiny’s combat, which is essentially evolved Halo combat to fit an RPG format. Firing a BR33 Volley Rifle feels just like pulling the trigger on Halo’s BR55 Battle Rifle. Hell, there’s even a CE-style Magnum that feels fantastic to shoot.
All of this is wrapped around a fantastic extraction shooter core that reminds you why these games are supposed to be fun. Marathon is punishing, but it’s also very easy to regain most of what you’ve lost. With a small max-vault size, you’re forced (rather than encouraged) to use your gear, and it’s the first game in the genre that makes me want to grab my good guns and try them out. It’s an aggressive world, and you may lose everything, but a few Rook runs and you’ll be at least halfway back to where you were.
Yes, Marathon is slightly more complicated than Arc Raiders with its slew of implants and weapon cores, although its far less convoluted than many online are making it out to be. There are also some UI improvements that can be made, although the game is far from the “fontslop” it’s been labelled as.
At the end of the day, no multiplayer game has made me feel the itch to just keep playing since Tetris 99’s release, and no multiplayer shooter has made me feel this itch since peak Halo 3 days on Xbox 360. Despite everything the studio has done over the years, Bungie still has the magic its always had, and Marathon is everything I love about classic Bungie wrapped into a still-emerging genre.
It’s a damn shame that the only conversation non-Marathon fans want to to have about the game is the conversation about the game not performing as well as expected. All the positive articles in the world likely won’t stop other gamers from continuing their hate parade, but really they’re the ones missing out. Marathon looks great, runs great, plays great, and just is great, and I doubt any other game will come close this year. (Well, there is Wolverine!)
