Marathon Season 2 Impressions (PS5) – Season 1 of Marathon has come to an end, and the corporations have come to collect on that debt you owe. From such heights of discovering the maps for the first time, breaking into the vaults of the Cryo Archive, and of course; fighting The Compiler, season 1 was a success, despite its concerning drop off in players, the game still remains great to play, at its core.
Of course, having reviewed PlayStation and Bungie’s sci-fi FPS at launch, I am intrigued how Marathon will evolve, and with over 250 hours put in so far, its fair to say I have become quite invested. So here’s what you need to know about season 2.
Marathon Season 2 Impressions (PS5) – What You Need To Know
The Night Is Dark And Full Of Terrors
The most notable addition to Marathon Season 2 is Night Marsh, which is the Dire Marsh map but in the dark of night, and it is dark. They’ve thrown in flashlights, flares, and night optic attachments for weaponry to help with the visibility of the map, and you will need them.
Night Marsh is a tense atmospheric experience, not just due its distinct lack of light. It often feels like a horror game with shadows dashing across the corridors or the husks that mimic runner voices in suitably, creepy and distorted fashion. Not to mention, the inclusion of a new alien enemy type that will definitely startle you, and the general sense of dread of losing your new gear, after the wipe, due to unseen combatants waiting in the pitch black.
The team has also added new events to the map with towers, convoys, rocket drones, and locked crates. Some doors and crates will require UESC certification to enter. Certs are essentially keys that can be found around the map, and particularly on fallen enemies. The most significant addition to the map itself is Upper Complex.
Upper Complex as a location is very cool. It is a simplified raid that has you unlocking multiple doors to reach a generous reward. However, the Sponsored Dire Marsh playlist has allowed top players to fast track the loot treadmill, and they’re rapidly upgrading and gearing up which will (much like the latter portion of season 1) make for a very unbalanced experience for its player base.
Two new weapons have been added to Marathon’s arsenal, with the KKV-9SD and D54 Battle Pistol, the latter feeling much stronger than the former, but how they will feature in the unfolding meta in this latest season still remains to be seen.
Elsewhere, Bungie has made UI changes that really help Marathon’s menus feel less clunky, however, they still remain as obtuse, especially for newer players. A host of cosmetics have also been included in its store, with much more interesting looking skins, along with a new battle pass to make your way through.
Sentinel Prime
Of course, there is also the new runner shell named “Sentinel.” Sentinel is very much a defensive class, that allows the player to lock down areas with its snare mine, that releases a glue like substance to immobilize enemies, a short range motion tracker like you would see in Aliens, and the defender system.
The defender system, which is the Sentinels ultimate ability, working as a trophy system, nullifying grenades and throwables as they enter its proximity, while also buffing reload speed and potentially, self healing speed. the Sentinel running shell should be particularly good in Cryo Archive.
Additionally, there have been alterations made to its upgrade system. Base stats were previously tied to the corporations and their upgrade trees. However, now you’re spending points in The Cradle, a basic means to configure and level up your base stats, which is ultimately a more efficient and streamlined process.
You can complete contracts and dismantle other gear to earn more points. Before you know it, you will be able to max out those base stats. I have even seen some people more or less max out their stats already, which once again draws concern to the imbalance in PVP that will eventually feel oppressive for players unable to play as often.
With some really neat additions, season 2 is off to an interesting start, but the landscape of Marathon can change quickly, and we know a more in depth PVE mode is on its way. Even though the uncertain nature of PVP balance hangs over Marathon’s head, it is still enjoyable in its current state.
If you’re a new player, or fell off halfway through the last season, then it’s well worth jumping back in and checking out especially with its free to play incentive this week. So hopefully I’ll see you on Night Marsh and I mean that literally, because you will see me, before I see you, that much is for certain.
Marathon is available right now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC
Code kindly provided by publisher.