Marathon: Durandal

 Xbox 360
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 27 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 27
  3. Negative: 3 out of 27

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  1. CharlesG.R.
    Aug 2, 2007
    6
    The original Marathon was a real revelation for me. It was my first contact with a first person shooter. I woke up at night to play it in my university days! Marathon: Durandal was the most visceral game experience I've ever been fortunate to experience in my years as a gamer. At some point in the game I was backed up in a corner, just barely out of reach of a giant wave of enemies The original Marathon was a real revelation for me. It was my first contact with a first person shooter. I woke up at night to play it in my university days! Marathon: Durandal was the most visceral game experience I've ever been fortunate to experience in my years as a gamer. At some point in the game I was backed up in a corner, just barely out of reach of a giant wave of enemies approching from several directions with only my grenade launcher left. With my health slowly draining, and no hope in sight I was able to defeat them with only a sliver of health left, it was a grand moment. To the original Mac Marathon saga, I give a heartfelt 10 out of 10. A captivating story, with a narrative that gave you though objectives and a foreboding sense of tension that never left your side. To this day, the map function has not been topped. It is beyound my understanding that FPS games don't make use of this! I have two reasons for low scoring this Xbox Live Arcade version. 1) although the game moves too fast, the enemies move way too slowly; 2) this is the only game (in over 25 years of gaming) that has made me nauseous!… Expand
  2. Termin8ter
    Apr 26, 2016
    7
    Marathon Durandal is a decent shooter that laid the foundations for Halo CE and the Halo franchise. Though Durandal doesn't play like Halo, it's couch coop multiplayer does. Durandal has classic game-modes that would later be implemented into Halo's multiplayer, like Red v Blue, Juggernaut, and more. I would reccomend this game to anyone who is a fan of couch co-op, but apart from that,Marathon Durandal is a decent shooter that laid the foundations for Halo CE and the Halo franchise. Though Durandal doesn't play like Halo, it's couch coop multiplayer does. Durandal has classic game-modes that would later be implemented into Halo's multiplayer, like Red v Blue, Juggernaut, and more. I would reccomend this game to anyone who is a fan of couch co-op, but apart from that, Durandal has little other content. The campaign is very underwhelming. Durandal has great couch co-op, but bad singleplayer.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

97
#97 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2007
55
#55 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2007

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
62

Mixed or average reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 13
  3. Negative: 2 out of 13
  1. Official Xbox Magazine
    55
    Marathon is certainly interesting for aspiring game designers and historians who want to observe Bungie's roots. But as a $10 offering in 2007, it just doesn't hold up very well. [Sept 2007, p.74]
  2. IGN
    74
    I think it's quite a bit better than DOOM in almost all aspects. But it's impossible to ignore the fact that everyone who has played Marathon has gotten nauseous. I've never seen this happen with a game before, but obviously anything that leaves people feeling worse than when they booted it up, can't get a very enthusiastic thumbs up.
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  3. TeamXbox
    79
    Where the action of Doom’s XBLA debut sucked me back in, I didn’t have quite the same attraction to Marathon: Durandal, especially considering the stomach-churning byproducts of its “new and improved” look. It’s a good, smart shooter, but I don’t think it’s aged as well given its more deliberate pace.
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