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Marathon – Review

For many gamers, Bungie’s recently released Marathon game will probably seem like it’s a brand-new IP from the well-known developer and publisher. While it could be considered a standalone PvPvE experience, the game is actually part of a franchise that has been around since the 90s. Because of that, this new release could be considered a sequel to the original retro Marathon trilogy. With that factoid out of the way, you can, of course, easily dive into the 2026 version of Marathon with no prior knowledge, allowing young and old to dive into the action. So, without further ado, here’s our opinion of Marathon. Story The story of Marathon takes place 99 years after the events of the original, and also takes place on the distant planet Tau Ceti IV. A human colony once thrived here, only for it to be abandoned years later. You will play as a so-called Runner, who utilizes a robotic shell to explore the colony for different corporations, bringing back valuable loot. The colony isn’t completely abandoned, as security robots and aliens are still roaming the vicinity, posing a mortal threat. Luckily, your shell is remotely controlled, making it so you won’t actually lose your life when you fail your mission. There is some lore in the game, and the different corporations also provide you with some story value, but for the most part, the narrative takes the backseat here. Graphics Graphically, Marathon nails its aesthetic to a tee. The game looks amazing, and while there aren’t that many maps to play on, we kept encountering cool, small details in many subsequent runs. While some assets, like loot containers and other structures, were recycled a lot on maps, everything was clearly designed with care. The different runner shells also look nifty, and their almost retro-futuristic designs suit the franchise’s 90s origins. The different weapons also look clean and futuristic, further complementing the already great-looking visuals. Enemy designs were spot on as well, even though some maps do not have that much diversity. We didn’t encounter any stutters or frame drops during our matches on both PS5 and PC. Sound All in all, the sound design of Marathon is great too. In the menus, you’ll be treated to an amazing soundtrack, albeit a limited one. The futuristic vibes immediately set the tone before you dive into the actual action. When you are actually in-game, there is no real soundtrack to speak of, and you’ll have to make do with environmental noises, distant gunfire, and the SFX of your weapons and abilities. The less is more approach works here, as you’ll have to keep your wits about you to hear enemy movement. Gameplay Marathon is an extraction-based PvPvE FPS. You can opt to play the game solo or with a squad of up to two other players. It’s pretty much your goal to complete contracts in different zones, while killing enemies and possibly other players as well. You’ll find loot scattered across the map that provides you with new weapons, mods, sellable scrap, and so on. If you meet your untimely demise before you’re able to extract, you lose all the items you brought and found during your run. It’s a fairly straightforward experience, but it will take you some time to get used to the general gameplay loop. Right off the bat, we can already tell you that the gunplay in Marathon is extremely satisfying, no matter if you’re playing with a controller or a mouse and keyboard setup. Guns handle smoothly, and the general feedback from them is also very nice. There is quite a bit of weapon diversity too, and weapons can be further adjusted with mods that you can equip. Of course, you shouldn’t get too attached to some of your weapons, as they will be forever lost if you die. As stated above, progress is made by also completing contracts for different corporations. The more you complete said contracts for specific organisations, the more your reputation with them will go up. When you reach certain reputation levels, more skill options will unlock. This means you’ll need to focus on completing contracts for different companies to gain access to more skills. Skills will still have to be purchased with credits and materials before you can actually start using them. Most skills are passive and allow you to purchase new items, grant you a bigger vault space to store items, reduce your overheating when performing certain actions, and so on. There is also some diversity in your chosen ‘shell’. These shells are pretty much different classes with different abilities. When playing with a squad, you can opt for different team synergies until you find one that works. When playing solo, you can opt to take the Rook shell, which comes with a basic loadout but cannot complete contracts. This is ideal for players who just want to explore and loot, rather than having to worry about losing their precious gear. At the time of writing this review, Bungie has been adding new content, such as duo queues and a ranked system. It’s clear that the developers really want to make this game a memorable experience, but only time will tell if there will be enough content to remain entertaining. We do have to mention that it does take a while before you come to grips with losing your gear when dying, but it’s also extremely satisfying when you exfil with new shiny loot or when taking out a few other players who have impressive items on them. Unlike titles such as Arc Raiders, players don’t really communicate in-game, and most other players just gun you down immediately. Conclusion Marathon is a competent PvPvE extraction shooter that has a very enjoyable gameplay loop. Throughout our frequent gameplay sessions, we never truly got frustrated when losing gear, as the game currently feels very balanced. Even so, only time will tell how interesting this one remains with future content updates, but we feel Bungie is on the right track to make this a memorable entry in the genre. We were impressed by the map designs, the smooth gunplay, and the general gameplay loop. As for us, we’ll often find ourselves returning to Tau Ceti IV to look for new loot.