Marathon

It's one of the freshest and most imaginative shooters we've played in a long time. [Issue#423, p.102]

Marathon is a thrilling extraction shooter with satisfying gunplay, beautiful art direction, and tough-as-nails difficulty. It's a breath of fresh air in a packed genre, and one of the best games of the year.

Marathon is simply fantastic, there’s no other way to describe it. Bungie really knocked it out of the ballpark with this game, and I can’t wait to see what they continue to do with it.

The beauty of Marathon is that it’s not a game for everyone. It’s a game for a specific niche. Bungie knows this and Marathon excels because of it. Bungie has been intentional, hyper-focused, and utterly conscious of what it has delivered with Marathon. It is a brutal and challenging game with an art style that demands attention. The shooting feels superb, the factions are dripping with personality and meaningful upgrades, and the systems and gameplay converge into an experience that sinks its teeth into your subconscious. I’m thinking about Marathon every waking moment. Bungie has once again shown why it’s the king in the shooter space.

Marathon is a game of extremes. When it’s firing on all cylinders, it’s gripping, punishing, and deeply satisfying. When it falters, it can feel overly rigid and unnecessarily obtuse. It’s not an easy recommendation, but it is a fascinating one - and in a genre that often plays it safe, that alone counts for a lot.

I’ve been in the market for a new multiplayer obsession, and I’m happy to report that Bungie has done it yet again.

Marathon is a brilliant distillation of what makes extraction shooters great, and a glimpse at where they could go next.

I will not pretend that Marathon is a game for everyone. I don’t even think it’s a game for most people who enjoy FPS games, but… that does not stop it from being a great game in the end. Marathon offers a lot to give people the ability to experience a hardcore looter shooter in a more well-designed and refined environment than has otherwise been available before its existence. Tarkov or Delta Force might look good, but what they are both missing is that casual friendly polish that you can only get from a studio with a long history like Bungie. In my opinion, both of the aforementioned games suffer from being unpolished in the grander view in a way that, while not necessarily making them bad, definitely makes them hard to approach. Marathon’s UI might be a bit wild, but it’s not the crazy patchwork that you’ll find in its competitors. It does what every other extraction shooter before it has done, but more polished and cohesive. There’s always clear goals and expectations, and upgrades are easy to understand and progress. Marathon is, in my opinion, the clearest winner of the genre to date that offers the kind of experience it does.

[Marathon has] brought a multiplayer shooter back into the rotation for my friend group. A central game for us to rally around, to share memes, tips and tricks, and just discuss theories and where it could go next. The possibilities in Tau Ceti IV feel endless if Bungie is given the runway to continue building out this universe.

Marathon steals the breath from your lungs. An intense shooter that thrives on PvP encounters and a well-realized setting, Bungie's extraction shooter is off to an exceptional start

Bungie’s unwavering commitment to its hardcore niche makes Marathon an enthralling experience the FPS genre needs. Best-in-class gunplay, sleek art direction, and masterful sound design deliver white-knuckle tension in spades. Its versatile playstyles let you approach it as a stealth powerhouse or turn it into a squad-based riot.

Marathon is a challenging FPS multiplayer extraction shooter that will not leave you indifferent as you explore the ruins of the Tau Ceti IV colony. It allows players to experience incredible success and defeat in a game that has a surprisingly good narrative and audio/visual presentation. We hope this will be the basis for a long series that will add new content regularly.

Bungie successfully makes a grab at the extraction shooter crown with Marathon. Rook is a revelation for solos, and Cryo Archive is the best endgame experience in the genre. It is mean, yet fair, with more than ample flair. The biggest issue is that you’re currently not playing it, hence my matchmaking woes.

Marathon is a highly polished and deeply engaging extraction shooter with exceptional gunplay and atmosphere. Its hardcore PvP focus and punishing design won’t appeal to everyone, but those who stick with it will find a rewarding and addictive experience.

Though it’s impossible not to question Marathon’s long-term appeal, it’s one of the most confident big-budget FPS in years and a fantastic reminder that Bungie devs can shake things up when given the space and freedom to cook.

Marathon is hands down the best extraction shooter on the market. From the gunplay to the way the game handles the distribution of story, there's a lot to love in Marathon. While the quality of life could be improved in some respects and some of the UI elements could be adjusted, the overall game stands as a testament that Bungie knows how to make a good game. The biggest issue the game will face is appealing to the less hardcore players and getting them to stick around, but with Bungie continuing to iterate on the game, things will likely work out just fine for this unbelievably fun extraction shooter.

Everything about Marathon has been polarizing from the start, including its very existence as another live-service game alongside Bungie's Destiny 2. But in spite of its faults and struggles, the studio has managed to ship a great yet niche extraction shooter, even with its high barrier of entry and existing flaws. It's absolutely not for everyone, but if it's for you, it may be your next addiction.

Hidden behind nasty menus and a rocky start you'll find superb gunplay and fantastic world-building in true Bungie style.

Marathon is an ambitious effort from veteran FPS developer Bungie, channeling its expertise into the extraction shooter genre. The act of firing its weapons feels undeniably satisfying, and the loop grows more addictive with each run. That said, the roughness of its UI and task design is hard to overlook. Still, the rapid rollout of quality-of-life patches within just two weeks of launch clearly shows Bungie’s commitment to seriously supporting and improving the game.

A confident and stylish extraction shooter that stands out through its atmosphere, richly developed world, and the signature gunplay Bungie is known for. It offers surprisingly accessible progression and a strong identity that sets it apart from trend-chasing competitors. A weak tutorial, cluttered UI, fast-paced combat, and high skill demands make it less approachable, but those who push through the rough start will find an intense and addictive experience among the better entries in the genre.

Bungie delivers a shooter that excels in moment-to-moment gameplay, with tight gunplay and a tense, addictive PvPvE loop that keeps you coming back. However, that strong foundation is held back by slow progression, gear imbalance, and systems that don’t always respect the player’s time. Marathon shows real potential, but right now, it feels like a game still trying to fully find its identity.

Marathon's biggest fight was against the narrative: in an industry of failed projects, it's easy to assume that a game will be DOA. Somehow, Bungie managed to revert those allegations and create something that is, at least, unique.

With slick gunplay, striking art direction, and relentlessly punishing encounters, Marathon stands out amongst the mass of online shooters.

Marathon is a tense, addictive extraction shooter that pairs Bungie’s best-in-class gunplay with a rewarding progression loop that keeps you coming back for more. While it’s held back slightly by limited variety, its high-stakes design makes it one of the strongest entries in the genre.

With spellbinding combat and high-concept maps, Marathon is far more than a cool aesthetic draped over the bones of an extraction shooter.

Bungie’s Marathon is a bold, hardcore extraction shooter that defies expectations, offering a tense PvPvE experience. The game excels with its tight gunplay, immersive audio, and distinct art style. While not for everyone, its intermediate difficulty between casual and ultra-hardcore extraction shooters carves a niche. However, it suffers from a poor onboarding experience, confusing menus, and a lack of solo player adaptation. Unattractive battle pass rewards and significant server issues for Brazilian players also detract from the experience. Despite flaws, Marathon showcases Bungie's core strengths, promising a dedicated fanbase.

Marathon is a feast for the senses - vibrant sci-fi visuals and world building, amazing sound design, and a brilliant combat experience are the main things elevating it above its extraction shooter competitors. Its endgame map, Cryo Archive, also creates the same intimidating yet jaw-dropping atmosphere of some of Bungie’s finest Destiny raids. However, issues such as clunky inventory management and dull faction quests hold it back from true greatness right now.

Marathon takes the Extraction Game philosophy and molds it into the Bungie style. It's not perfect—the UI is awful, and the missions lose their edge over time—but the gameplay loop is fun, and the shooter foundation is solid. And what a style, guys.

Marathon is an addictive extraction shooter with the unmistakable hallmark of Bungie. Its hostile map Tau Ceti IV offers great tension and survival, standing out for its colorful aesthetic and an accessible learning curve. Although the on-screen interface is overwhelming and gives the feeling that it could have launched more polished, its solid endgame content makes up for the experience.

Marathon is an extraction shooter for people who love team deathmatch, a mystery of moths and robotics you unravel match after match, a challenge for anyone who can make a mouse fly or dance across a controller. It’s a tightly sealed vault packed with secrets. But it’s also sterile, clinical, brutal, almost standoffish. It doesn’t try to grab your attention, but once you fall into it, you can’t stop thinking about it.

While there’s no denying Marathon is an aggressive PvPvE extraction shooter, it is also a remarkably moreish one. The core loop of exploration, looting and fighting feels great as we’d hope from FPS veterans Bungie, and while the UI could use some touch ups in both inputs and clarity, that one more game feeling is present and correct enough that I can see myself sticking with this for some time to come. With constant updates and additions promised, I think the future is bright for Marathon indeed.

Bungie delivers a compelling extraction shooter in a trippy new setting, though whether that will be enough remains to be seen.

Despite the tumultuous landscape of live-service games around it, Marathon firmly carves its own place in the extraction shooter genre with an unmatched presentation and breakneck rhythm.

Marathon is a solid title that leverages Bungie's veteran expertise to offset the extraction genre's inherent stress with highly rewarding co-op combat. However, its steep learning curve and lack of user-friendly onboarding hinder its immense potential. While it is encouraging that the developers are actively listening to feedback, they must embrace a more approachable design to retain players and ensure the game's long-term survival.