Review in Progress: Marathon (PS5) – Bungie’s Extraction Shooter Is Brilliant, and Only Gets Better

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Okay, so there’s been a ton of talk about Marathon before it even came out. Some players were worried it wasn’t the kind of game they expected from Bungie, and others said it just didn’t feel like the classic Halo games we all loved. But honestly, after seeing it, I think Marathon is a really brave and fresh take on things. It’s a new adventure, and I’m actually pretty excited about it.

You might not notice it right away, but that’s been our experience with this game so far. It starts off well, and actually gets even more enjoyable the more you play.

We’re sharing our thoughts on the game now, even though we’re waiting for the final map, Cryo Archive, to be released before giving it a full score. We’ve spent about 35 hours playing – 15 during the Server Slam test and 20 with the complete game – and have a solid understanding of how it plays.

The colony ship UESC Marathon, lost for a century while traveling to Tau Ceti IV, has suddenly sent out a distress signal. This has prompted the powerful corporations that originally funded the mission to rush to the star system, hoping to recover their investment.

Runners – people who’ve had their minds transferred into artificial bodies – are employed by powerful corporations to search for lost technology and uncover the fate of a vanished colony.

The game has a really compelling setup, and we suspect you’ll be eager to uncover all its backstory as you play. You’ll want to explore every corner of the maps, read through the in-game encyclopedia, and listen to everything the different groups have to say. If you’re a fan of Destiny, you know how much detailed lore Bungie creates, and Marathon clearly shares that same passion for building big, fascinating science fiction worlds.

While it’s disappointing there isn’t a dedicated single-player campaign, it’s something we can’t strongly criticize. Many multiplayer games don’t focus on story at all, so our desire for a more in-depth single-player experience actually highlights how well Bungie is building the game’s world and narrative.

Let’s head to Tau Ceti IV! Marathon starts you off with three maps, and a fourth will be added soon after. Your mission is to collect resources, complete jobs for different groups, and try to escape, all while battling both computer-controlled enemies and other players.

Okay, so if you’ve played games like this before, you already get it. You parachute in, spend your time grabbing all the best gear you can find, and then desperately try to escape with it all! The catch is, if you die, you lose everything. But if you manage to get out alive, you get to come back with a little bit better stuff, and the cycle starts all over again. It’s addictive, honestly!

The maps are a blast to explore, packed with hidden vents, tunnels, and pathways. Even after playing for many hours, we keep discovering new areas and locked rooms we’re eager to unlock. Plus, the maps are well-designed, meaning you spend less time traveling and more time playing.

Many players will likely find this game surprisingly challenging. You don’t have much time to react, so it’s easy to be caught off guard by other players. We were worried about a lack of player-versus-player combat during the test phase, but that issue has largely been resolved with the official launch – expect plenty of interaction with others!

The enemy AI is incredibly powerful, forcing you to think strategically and play skillfully to survive. Battles with the AI are as challenging as completing the Destiny 2 DLC campaigns on the hardest Legendary difficulty setting.

Fortunately, the game is really fun to play, especially when you’re fighting enemies. Bungie clearly knows how to make a great first-person shooter, and this game has some of the best shooting mechanics on the PS5. Each weapon – from shotguns to rifles and machine guns – feels distinct and powerful, and the DualSense controller’s features add even more to the experience.

The combination of intelligent AI enemies and real players creates incredibly tense and engaging gunfights. You can’t just zone out during combat – every shot feels important and impactful, making it both challenging and deeply rewarding. Even small details, like the skull that appears when you eliminate an enemy, add to the overall satisfying experience.

We appreciated the realistic and challenging combat, but Destiny fans might be wondering where the feeling of being incredibly powerful comes in. Honestly, you won’t feel like the unstoppable, god-like Guardians from the previous Destiny games. Instead, you’ll feel like someone consistently facing difficult battles.

The game really starts to shine as you progress. You’ll unlock Runner Shells, which function like playable characters, and each one has unique abilities – a passive ability that’s always active, a tactical ability for quick use, and a powerful ultimate ability.

We really enjoyed playing as the Assassin, using invisibility to surprise enemies or completely avoid fights. Switching to the Thief and using the grappling hook to reach better vantage points was also fun. However, these features – stealth and movement abilities – aren’t entirely new, as we’ve seen similar things in games like Apex Legends.

What really makes Marathon special, for me, is how you build and customize your Runners. You can use Cores to boost specific types – I love extending the Assassin’s invisibility, or giving faster Runners like the Vandal even more stamina. And then there are Implants! They add these awesome perks, like faster shield recharge or taking less damage from enemies. It’s a ton of fun experimenting with different builds!

You can improve your weapons in many ways – increasing their range, how much ammo they hold, or how steady they are, for example. This lets you take a basic weapon and upgrade it to a better one, like a green, blue, or even more powerful version.

It takes some time to learn all the customization options, but we think that’s a good thing. Figuring out how each change affects your gear makes the game more engaging and helps you feel truly connected to your items – something you don’t often find in other games like this.

These aren’t just powerful weapons or good backpacks; they’re items you’ve earned and improved over time. Thanks to all the special features Bungie has added, they’re not simply upgrades – they can dramatically alter how you play. Losing good gear always felt terrible, but that loss also made every battle feel incredibly intense and exciting.

Battles are fast-paced and intense when you play with a squad, but success really depends on everyone working together. We’ve often seen runs fail because teammates weren’t coordinated. Still, if you and your friends enjoy a challenging, competitive game, playing together is a blast.

Playing alone can be surprisingly fun! You can start solo games with any of the six available Runners. There’s also a special character called the Rook, who can temporarily disappear from view, making it harder for the UESC robots to spot you.

Honestly, playing Marathon solo is where the real horror comes alive. You’re creeping around, trying not to get spotted by the AI, and even listening for other players who are also going it alone. A lot of multiplayer games feel like you need a team to enjoy them, which is a bummer if you don’t have one. But some of my most fun moments with this game have actually been when I’ve tackled it by myself – it’s surprisingly awesome!

What really sets Marathon apart for us is that it’s a more demanding and repetitive experience – whether that’s a positive or negative depends on personal preference.

We’re having a lot of fun with the six factions in the game. They each offer contracts – tasks you complete during a playthrough – that vary from simple things like breaking windows to more complex objectives like hacking multiple terminals all in one run. While the quests aren’t particularly unique, they do give each playthrough a clear purpose.

As you complete tasks for each group, they gain levels, which unlocks better items in the shop. You can use these items to customize your equipment or gain special abilities for your character.

Each group of characters has a unique strength – NuCaloric excels at healing, while Mida specializes in throwable items. Choosing a faction to focus on can significantly impact your gameplay and help you improve based on how you like to play.

Beyond just being enjoyable, this update makes building and playing much more rewarding. It adds a sense of progression, making the game feel like a deep RPG you can really lose yourself in for hours.

Marathon is remarkably appealing, especially compared to many similar games with their often-dark and gritty visuals. Its bright and vibrant presentation – from the sound effects and menus to the music – makes it a treat for the senses. We believe it’s one of the most visually impressive shooters available right now.

The game runs exceptionally well on the PlayStation 5, consistently hitting a smooth 60 frames per second with no noticeable issues. While the PS5 Pro version doesn’t increase the frame rate, it uses a technology called PSSR to significantly improve visual quality. Both the standard PS5 and PS5 Pro versions look fantastic.

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2026-03-10 23:09