Among the best FPS studios of the past decade, Bungie easily stands at the top. Its smooth gunplay, paired with superb storytelling and engaging content, is what keeps drawing us into every single thing the studio cooks up. Yet, that doesn’t mean the developers have had an easy time—they haven’t. There have been many bumps on the road that have left the community sore in a couple of ways. Still, those who’ve stuck around to wait for this studio to whip up something end up discovering a gold mine, and that’s what Marathon is. Despite the extraction shooter being highly competitive now, Marathon stands out not only as the best extraction shooter, but also as the best work of modern Bungie.
Welcome to Tau Ceti IV
As I’ve said in countless other reviews, I’m not an extraction shooter veteran. At the time, I would steer clear of them as soon as I saw them because they felt daunting and frustrating. Yet, like many of you, Arc Raiders encouraged me to leave the nest and try the genre. But now, Marathon is the game that has made me skydive to chase my prey, and it is a feeling I can’t stop pursuing now.
Usually, I don’t delve much into an extraction shooter game’s lore because, let’s face it, some of them don’t really have anything worth mentioning. But that’s not the case with Marathon. In true Bungie fashion, Marathon is packed with dense lore, memorable characters, and mysteries that fans of the series will appreciate and newcomers will learn to love quickly.
You’re a Runner, tasked with diving into Tau Ceti IV to extract as many things as possible and complete contracts for some of the most unique factions I’ve seen in the genre. In the process, you start learning about each organization, their leaders, and your whole role in this, which isn’t just another cannon fodder Shell—it’s larger than that.
The one thing that really excites me, especially after playing Destiny 2, is that I know the lore, narrative, and questions without answers will keep growing in Marathon, and it is something we rarely expect in a game of this type. Yet, Bungie has always excelled at creating stories with its players.
Take the Cryo Archive unlock, for instance; we all took part in it. Even if I died constantly, I was there interacting with terminals and trying to take down as many UESC enemies as possible. Often, I return to an extraction shooter just to extract and gather better loot. Still, Marathon cast a spell on me that has me returning to discover that new mystery, to learn more about the factions, and to see what else lies in this gorgeous yet deadly planet.
Lore and story aside, Tau Ceti is my favorite setting of any extraction shooter. It is rare for an extraction shooter to evoke feelings of peace, calm, and awe when one’s sole focus should be extraction. Yet Marathon does it by presenting a world full of saturated colors, seemingly simple geometry, and an alluring atmosphere that at times feels more like a survival-horror game than an extraction shooter.
At one moment, you’re running through the dense swamps of Dire Marsh and then enter one of its facilities just to discover broken glasses, signs of struggle, and dark corridors where the only sounds you hear are those of enemy Runners or the eerie and bone-chilling echoes of UESC enemies. It is a thrill that no other game has given me, and despite not being the most dedicated shooter fan out there, I’ve logged into Marathon daily because, just like my Runner inhabiting a new shell after every run, I too can’t escape from this planet.
Of course, it isn’t without its issues, and here comes my first complaint: performance. In short, it feels all over the place. I can hit 100 FPS with ease, but a couple of UESC bots will tank my frames. It isn’t game-breaking or happens often, but it is worth noting that performance can be a bit inconsistent at times, yet never to the point of ruining one’s experience.
Still, Marathon is a one-of-a-kind extraction shooter, and all thanks to its solid level foundations and an excellent narrative that draws you into the beautiful lore behind the series. And while some people certainly appreciate these details that deliver a compelling plot involving the player and environmental storytelling, I know many of you prefer the actual hands-on shooting and looting part, and well, there’s also a lot to say about that.
One Shell at a Time
And now, onto the actual gameplay part. By now, everyone is familiar with extraction shooters, as we all have to admit that Arc Raiders brought the genre to the mainstream, yet Marathon feels like an upgrade and a place for those not afraid of losing loot and being more aggressive.
Instead of just having customizable characters, Marathon lets you choose from different Shells, or, as many call them, classes. You have the Destroyer, your tank-like Shell capable of deploying a shield and firing missiles. Recon, which can scan enemies and send exploding drones their way. Thief, my main and favorite, which can deploy a drone to steal loot and even hack enemies’ visions, and so on.
Initially, I wasn’t sold on the whole Shell concept, as I felt it was a bit strange to have Guardian-like characters in Marathon. Yet, I quickly realized just how game-changing their skills are. I’ve escaped several dangerous situations by messing with my foes’ optics thanks to Thief’s skills, and have been able to kill a couple of enemy Runners by going invisible with Assassin.
Every Shell adapts to different playstyles. Triage is mandatory in group play, while Thief, Recon, and Assassin feel more catered toward solo players. Yet, all of them feel useful, even the challenging, yet highly rewarding Rook.
Shells aside, you also have your arsenal, and since it is a shooter from Bungie, the gunplay is top-notch, and the best the studio has done. Like any extraction shooter, you have a plethora of weapons, ranging from assault rifles to SMGs and those rare shotguns. Instead of letting you craft weapons, Marathon encourages you to be aggressive to steal them from your rivals or take them from defeated UESC bots.
One thing that I loved about the whole extraction shooting loop in Marathon was how it made me feel like a scavenger. At times, I would enter with some of my sponsored kits and carefully plan my route to defeat a few enemies unnoticed and, hopefully, get a new weapon I could take back home and use in another run.
In terms of overall difficulty, Marathon has some of the most challenging PvE encounters, which I quite liked. All UESC forces are deadly, and even the most basic one will end you in seconds. I enjoyed this level of difficulty, as it kept adding to the survival horror factor I mentioned earlier. Seeing an enemy doesn’t mean you have to engage them, as failing to kill one quickly can bring a host of UESC forces your way and down you in a matter of seconds.
Fighting against other players is just as dangerous, and I feel there are still some flaws in the PvP aspect. While Marathon has encouraged me to attack every Runner I see on sight, leaving behind my “Don’t shoot” vibes, the truth is that I still feel the time-to-kill is too fast. Usually, the one who shoots first gets the upper hand, and there’s rarely time to counterattack or even use any of your Shell skills. This isn’t a major complaint, but I do think the game needs more balance in its PvP part to make fights more enjoyable.
Also, it was ironic how I never felt frustrated when dying at the hands of bots or other players. See, matches in Marathon are expensive, and you don’t have any crafting or even safe pocket systems. However, there are sponsored kits that let you get back into the fight quickly, without spending any of your gear. But at the same time, Marathon embraces the anti-hoarding mentality because I feel compelled to bring my best guns and items to a run, and I don’t mind if I lose them because getting back to where I was doesn’t take too long.
Speaking of difficulty and expensive runs, I also need to talk about Cryo Archive, which I wanted to experience before doing my review. It is…
Another aspect I want to touch upon, and one I felt was a bit of a divisive topic due to how cluttered it felt: the UI. I must admit that when I fired up Marathon, it was overwhelming for me. Not the gameplay per se, but the inventory management and having to go through every item with the same icon but different descriptions. See, an extraction shooter should be all about efficiency and letting the player focus on shooting and looting. Yet, the way this was designed makes the looting process a bit tedious, at least at first. I must admit that I got the hang of the UI after a few hours, but it shouldn’t be like that, especially when other extraction shooters have made their systems more accessible.
On the other hand, I do love how quickly Marathon does the pre- and post-run loops. Preparing for your next match is extremely easy, as the game will always equip your mods, shield, and items almost automatically, and even stack your bullets in your backpack accordingly. When successfully extracted, the game will sell all the clutter and keep only the valuables, making the process of emptying your backpack inventory extremely easy. And if you keep dying, you can just spam the ready button to get back into the queue in a couple of seconds. I just can’t praise this system enough, as it makes the process extremely smooth.
Furthermore, I’m extremely happy with the questing system, which continues to draw me in. Besides the narrative behind each faction, I just love how unique all missions feel, but most importantly, how rewarding they are. You aren’t just getting a bandage or a simple mod for your next weapon. You get experience, reputation points for your faction, and valuable items that can actually help you in your next run.
Last but not least, I think Marathon’s progression system is fantastic. Leveling up any of the unique factions offers several game-changing features, such as better things for specific Shells, the ability to purchase rare items from the Armory, and passive seasonal bonuses that feel worth chasing. I’m curious to see how different the progression system will be from season to season, but as it stands now, it is one of my favorites.
The final piece of the puzzle, and one I want to draw special attention to, as it attracted some controversy when it was announced, was Cryo Archive, the fourth map, which promised a raid-like experience, something that is unique in the extraction shooter space. It also has a limited time window, which irked players who felt it was unfair, as not everybody can game on weekends all the time. Well, that all ended up being for naught. The flow of grind and earn gear through the week, build for Cryo, then go in there and get obliterated by AI or bloodthirsty PVP players is an extremely satisfying cycle in practice.
The map itself is gorgeous, a labyrinth of design, puzzles, and difficulty that makes each new corner dangerous, but each new vault opening incredibly lucrative. The same can be said for the Compiler, a relic of the original trilogy turned into a big boss fight, further giving Marathon an edge over the entire genre.
Bungie is Back
As someone who wasn’t an Extraction Shooter fan, and with two prominent games taking up the top spots in the market, I never thought the one leaning toward the more hardcore and competitive side would become my favorite. Its gorgeous visuals, in-depth lore, enthralling storytelling, and engaging gameplay loops have made Marathon one of the greatest shooters of the decade.
Ultimately, I’m glad we have competition in this now-mainstream genre, as it is nothing but good news for us. And while some might be hopping from one shooter to another, I have finally found my home in what I believe is Bungie’s best game to date. I just hope the pace continues because I can’t wait to continue jumping into Tau Ceti to get more loot and fight a couple of Runners while I’m at it.
Marathon (PC Reviewed)
Pros
- Gorgeous visuals
- Top-notch progression systems
- Bungie's gunplay at its finest
Cons
- A few performance hiccups
- It takes a while to get used to the UI
