ESCAPE WILL MAKE ME GOD.
The coolest video game tagline in recent memory.
On February 26, I installed the “Marathon Server Slam,” a four-day open-stress test of game studio Bungie’s latest title, “Marathon.” This game is a reimagining of their original trilogy from the 90s, turned into an extraction shooter.
For those who are unaware, extraction shooter games have a player load into a large map, either solo or with a crew, and search for resources within the arena. Players have to fend off AI enemies or other player crews, and if you die, you lose everything in your backpack.
I’ve never been the biggest fan of FPS games, but Bungie has been the exception due to their skill at making compelling narratives and tight gunplay that other developers can’t. I played the “Destiny” franchise for ten years, which extends back to the “Destiny” open beta in July of 2014.
“Marathon” was my first time playing an extraction shooter, and I had a blast. I didn’t know what I was getting into, but Bungie’s striking art style, excellent soundtrack and beautiful cinematic trailer sold me from day one.
“Marathon’s” soundtrack is composed by Ryan Lott, the founding member of the band Son Lux. It incorporates human vocal samples used as a pitched instrument along with a psychedelic synth background that’s unlike anything I’ve ever heard in a video game before.
The art style is incredibly striking. Buildings are painted in vibrant and saturated colors that catch the eye. All the runner shells have distinct silhouettes, and each color scheme is beautiful. The last time I was this impressed with a visual style was “Mirror’s Edge Catalyst” back in 2016.
But the aesthetics don’t make the game. Let’s talk about mechanics and story.
“Marathon” takes place in a fictional future where humanity has settled most of the solar system and is looking to expand into the stars. They pick the system of Tau Ceti to settle and send a massive colony ship made out of the literal Martian moon Deimos, called the UESC Marathon, to settle it.
Naturally, things go wrong. The rest of humanity loses contact with the colony shortly after they arrive, and they later find out that every colonist has vanished. The UESC have asserted control over the planet and refuse to let anyone in.
Megacorporations that want their colonial assets back send runners to the planet to scavenge for resources and discover how, exactly, an entire population went missing.
A premise like that had me hooked instantly. Within the game, the player can unlock lore entries by completing challenges. Other bits of lore and worldbuilding are also scattered around the maps.
At the surface, “Marathon” operates like any other extraction shooter. You “infil” into different maps on Tau Ceti and search for valuables, resources, ammo, and weaponry to take back with you. You have to avoid or fight other player crews and the UESC forces that swarm points of interest like flies.
Where “Marathon” truly sets itself apart is player classes. You have the option of six distinct “runner shells,” each of which has distinct abilities. For example, the Destroyer gets a strafe jump, shoulder-mounted missiles, and a riot shield, while the Assassin has smoke grenades and can turn invisible.
There are also cores found within maps that affect runner abilities and change them to create different builds. A core for the Destroyer, “Bullrush,” changes the riot shield so it doesn’t drain energy while you sprint, where ordinarily it would. These cores, combined with weapon mods, make for a very modular buildcrafting system.
Over the Server Slam weekend, I played with a few of my friends, including fellow news writer Patrick Woodley. We explored and looted the two maps available during the slam: Perimeter and Dire Marsh.
I’m not usually an enjoyer of PvP combat in video games, but “Marathon” is something special. Players have very low health, which means that team fights can be as quick as one exchange. Despite having two friends at my back, tension was constantly high, and I enjoyed the fights I had.
I got my butt handed to me. Repeatedly. I couldn’t get enough.
While you can play the game solo, where “Marathon” truly shines is with a team of three. You can get more loot and watch each other’s backs, and 3v3 team fights are some of the most nailbiting fun I’ve had in gaming in a long time.
My biggest complaint with “Marathon” is that there aren’t enough healing items around the maps in the early game, and ammo can be scarce. It isn’t a game-breaking issue, but being able to get those items would vastly improve the early game quality of life.
Other than that, “Marathon” left a very strong first impression and left me wanting more. The extraction shooter is a niche genre that isn’t for everybody, but “Marathon” absolutely appeals to me. I highly recommend checking this game out.
I love “Marathon.” Despite Bungie’s tumultuous past year, I want to see the company succeed. And though this game fits into a niche genre, I think it will find the audience it needs to stay afloat for a while to come.
Get out there, Runner. You’ve got work to do.
