Marathon Review (PS5) – Marathon is the latest game from legendary FPS developer Bungie, and their first full release under Sony‘s stewardship. It’s no secret that PlayStation are trying their hand at the games as a service model, and so far that genre has continued to elude them.
Simultaneously, Bungie, responsible for the incredibly popular Destiny, are trying their hand at the extraction shooter sub-genre, to the chagrin of a portion of their fanbase. At the cross section of expectations and curiosity is Marathon, which has to not only be great, but also cultivate an audience, which sets up quite the challenge for Bungie. The question is: are they up to the task?
Marathon Review (PS5) – Escaping Destiny
I’m A Believer
I’m going to immediately start off by saying that I am indeed now a believer. A believer in that extremely satisfying Bungie gameplay, that everyone told me about in Destiny, but I never saw it. Never quite got into it, in the way I would have liked. However, in Marathon, I totally get it now.
As a longtime FPS enjoyer, keen Titanfall player, and ex Apex Legends addict, I’ve always felt nothing could compare to the way those games feel, and for the most part, I had stopped looking. Sure Marathon is a bit weightier, and the TTK (time to kill) is noticeably lower, but in the moment it feels every bit as good, and that Bungie DNA is ever-present. There are few greater feelings than grapple hooking through some glass and one tapping someone with the shotgun.
Marathon from a purely mechanical standpoint, is one of the finest FPS games available. Whether you take a more measured or obnoxious approach to gunfights, you’ll either feel a similar patient satisfaction that you would experience in Rainbow Six Siege, or the adrenaline fueled rush of Titanfall. Depending on the map, or the situation, you will need to call on both approaches to get the job done.
With an array of weaponry available and mods, I think there’s something for everyone. Of course some weapons are more viable than others, but they all feel so good, which is a testament to Bungie’s pedigree as an FPS developer. Long term fans will find weapons they’re familiar with based on their previous titles.
For all of that, the cost for the experience is high. And I mean that both figuratively and literally. To put it bluntly, Marathon is a very tough game. It is unforgiving, and to solo players, it is often very antagonistic. While that may sound like negative criticism, I actually think it’s what makes the game great, and what drew me into it. The challenge is high, but the payoff is so very satisfying.
There is no doubt that the game feels much better in a well rounded, organized group of three. Solo players will often be faced with frustration, and while there are options, such as the Rook Shell (More on that later), you’re essentially playing a whole different game. One that plays like an incredibly challenging stealth title.
To their credit, Bungie are already experimenting with new modes such as duos, to try and make this game friendlier to players who cannot find a group. I think duos may have faired better if it wasn’t stuck on the introductory map, Perimeter, however. Players want the opportunity to earn good loot, to give them a chance to compete at all, and that is largely found on Outpost.
Annihilation In The Badlands
Outpost is listed as the most challenging map, with the highest rewards. I would argue only half of that statement is true. Outpost is a fantastic map that has you acquire keys to access the central part of the map known as The Pinwheel. Once one team breaches The Pinwheel, it becomes widely accessible, and if the battle for access didn’t bring about an intense firefight with other teams, then the contest for the loot within will.
However, the most challenging map is Dire Marsh, which is like if The Badlands from the latest Predator movie was combined with the aesthetics of Annihilation, with something known as the anomaly, appearing as a light bending phenomena, tearing through the middle of the map. Annihilation is something you will have to come to terms with at the hands of teams taking height with thermal scoped sniper rifles, that will see right through the awesome weather effects on the map. I did find this to be a serious balancing issue.
Dire Marsh is extremely unforgiving. Everything is out to get you. The mist blocking your sight from the team nearby, the rain shrouding the noise of footsteps, the giant insects swarming you, the laser trip mines hiding around any corner of a POI, a poisonous plant that you tripped over when fleeing, or a lockdown sequence that rapidly depletes your health without an antivirus pack. That’s without the turrets and robot CPU enemies stationed at every location.
To put it lightly, it is quite stressful, but it keeps me coming back. Perimeter is largely a much easier map to navigate that introduces you to most of these concepts, but a perfectly fine map in its own right. Aesthetically, I would compare it to Ridley Scott‘s Prometheus. I don’t think it’s quite as strong as the other maps, especially Outpost, but it is solid nonetheless.
Each map offers a variety of locations and events to keep you busy and having you engage with the game in different ways. You could have a run focusing on a Warden in that area, or perhaps search for opposing runners to fight, unlocking locked rooms with keys acquired on other maps, or simply just running quests to learn more about the contractors and Marathon’s world.
Ghost In The Shells
Marathon is ultimately an extraction shooter, focusing primarily on the mechanics of that genre, while also dabbling in the hero shooter sub-genre, with its choice of shells. There are six (Not including Rook) to choose from in total to form your team: Triage, Destroyer, Vandal, Thief, Recon, and Assassin, all of which have unique abilities to aid in your mission, to beat the opposition, and extract with the goods within the 25 minute time limit.
At this point, these archetypes are very familiar, and none really buck the trends or do anything new, but they are all well crafted, and they are all viable, which is quite impressive in any multiplayer game, especially at launch.
Triage is the tried and true medic, Vandal offers slick movement and oppressive 1v1 ability, Assassin has invisibility and dense smoke abilities that allow for efficient flanking and rotation. Thief and Recon offer information, be it of the loot or positional variety.
Thief also has exceptional verticality with her grapple hook, allowing her to take the ultimate advantage at any given moment; height. The Destroyer has a shield to block with and an incredibly powerful offensive as an ultimate which will decimate anyone, and thrusters that allow him a surprising amount of mobility.
All of these characters are fun and have their strengths and weaknesses. I’ve yet to find a standout for how I like to play, but I have really enjoyed playing as all of them. Assassin probably just about edges it, if I had to choose. I really enjoy their retro-futuristic aesthetic which is present and consistent across the entire game.
Aside from the main cast, there is also the Rook Shell. Rook can only be played solo and has unique abilities such as repairing yourself without health items, and blending in amongst the robot CPU enemies of the world. You spawn in mid-game, with a barebones kit, and essentially operate as a carrion bird.
The Rook shell is a vulture, moving from each scene to the next, acquiring the leftover spoils of each battle, attempting to hide from other teams and opposing Rooks, to stealthily extract like you were never even there in the first place.
Each shell has you approach the game in unique and specific ways, and learning how to strike the right balance with your squad can make all the difference. Rook makes for a fun change of pace, but it is not the definitive answer to solo play.
I am interested to see how Marathon might evolve to appeal to solo and more casual players, without compromising the excellently crafted, hardcore, yet unforgiving experience that is Marathon as we know it.
It’s Not A Sprint
While Marathon is a notably challenging and brutal experience, it’s important to bear patience in mind. The seasons are going to be long, and Bungie has already proven willing to experiment when it comes to the core design of the game. They have even already added their first endgame content in Cryo Archive and a ranked mode.
Marathon takes place on Tau Ceti IV, in the year 2893. During the voyage of UESC Marathon, a colony ship, is attacked by unknown lifeforms through biological weaponry. Eventually, a distress call reaches earth and corporations with vested interests and investments in this endeavour mobilize to use Runners as a means to gain control. Whether that means fighting aliens, UESC robots, or other runners, the corporations do not discriminate.
Runners are essentially (voluntarily) disembodied human consciences, uploaded to the shell platforms that we play as. There is a ton of lore available, and in true Bungie fashion, it is all rather enticing, especially the aforementioned Cryo Archive.
Cryo Archive is a raid that takes place on the derelict UESC Marathon ship itself, which is controlled by the rogue onboard AI and series mainstay; Durandal. Needless to say opposition here is at its most fierce, and it contains mysteries which involve solving puzzles and unlocking vaults. The atmosphere is incredibly tense, and the setting is fascinating with excellent environmental storytelling.
Out of six attempts, I have only managed to exfil twice so far on Cryo Archive, and upon every new run I am looking for new clues and new pieces of lore to give me a bit more information. It really feels like Bungie have outdone themselves here.
Cryo Archive is the pinnacle of what an extraction shooter can offer, but if the base game was tough, then it’s dialed up to 11 here. It’s only available on weekends, and you have to buy-in with a loadout that has a value of 5000 credits. I have no doubt balancing tweaks will come in the near future, because it is a tall order for casual players.
God Will Sort The Dead
It will come as no surprise to longterm fans of Bungie’s, but the sound design in this game is glorious. A big part of why the weaponry feels so good to use is because of the sounds they make when firing – it’s pure visceral, sci-fi goodness.
Not only that, but the haunting score that drifts in and out, especially on Outpost is sets such a strong and distinct atmosphere, you could close your eyes and exactly imagine the surroundings you’re in, because it fits like a glove.
I can often hear the exact footsteps of where an opponent will end up, and there’s only the odd occasion where I’m surprised to see someone directly in front of me. Audio is imperative to any multiplayer FPS game, so I’d urge you to mess around with the settings to make sure you can hear what’s necessary, but don’t rob yourself of the overall experience for the sake of competitive advantage.
While I have had no technical issues, Marathon can be rather obtuse with its UI. At a glance it can be intimidating, especially learning the upgrade tree, and what the key components are to invest in to better your experience and manage your vault space.
Upgrading each contractor will earn capstone rewards, which are just more upgrades, and many of them focus the Rook runner shell, but they are certainly meaningful.
My advice would be to prioritize crafting materials and items that allow you to upgrade the games core mechanics such as revive speed and extending the heat build up. Trust me, it will make a world of difference.
Marathon will kick you when you’re down, and it will tell you to get back up and try again. What do you have to lose other than 16k worth of loot and your pride? It’s unforgiving, especially for casual and solo players, but at the heart of it is something that begs to be experienced.
I fear that the crossroads it finds itself in, will leave it unable to move in any particular direction. Striking the balance between what longterm fans of the developer want, and what new players expect, is going to be quite the tightrope. Attempting to onboard and retain new players, while not trying to take too much away from the core experience and what makes it great will be a challenge.
It is almost as though the brilliant heights that Marathon is currently capable of, comes at the cost of the casual experience, and how this looks months from now is difficult to imagine.
This is the nature of a game as a service, of which there is a graveyard full. Escaping that fate is no small task and while I can only attest to the game in this brief window, much like Destiny, its true test will come over time. What I can say is that they have made me a believer, and no one is more capable than Bungie.
Marathon is available right now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC
Review code kindly provided by publisher.