Bungie’s Marathon is a brilliant extraction shooter, although the game is a bit rough around the edges. From fantastic Rook runs to the game’s constantly evolving story, the new multiplayer game has a lot more going for it than many are giving it credit for.
Nevertheless, the game is not flawless—even if one of our writers is already crowning it Game of the Year. In the game’s first major patch, Bungie altered the range in which gunshots can be heard from which many have seen as a major downgrade for the game.
Following complaints from fans, Marathon audio director Chase Combs admitted that the changes were not the best idea for the game. While the launch version of Bungie’s shooter did have some inconsistencies with the sound of footsteps and other audio cues, the recent patch was a step in the wrong direction.
“Feedback heard, loud and clear. (Get it?)” the audio director said. The developer also posted a GIF online form comedy show Brooklyn 99 with Captain Holt saying: “Fine, I was trying something and it didn’t work.”
Combs also responded to a fan saying that a “middle ground should be found”, which the audio director agreed with. “As soon as I find the 7/10 setting you’ve got it,” he said, later adding: “Yeah, the 7/10 setting. Still looking for it.”
As an extraction shooter, audio is one of the most important areas to focus on, and Marathon’s audio design is sublime. However, on some of the game’s more heated maps—specifically within the Pinwheel on Outpost—the sound of gunfire coming from all angles became very disorientating.
For now, we don’t know when Bungie will fix the game’s audio issues, although the team is certainly on it. After all, the game has only been out for just over a week, and there are some other issues that also need sorting.
Nevertheless, Marathon is a fantastic extraction shooter—one I wish others would just give a chance. There is some stunning art, fantastic quest design, and some amazing gunplay to be had here, and the audio is still awesome even if it’s currently unbalanced.
