Marathon Review – Runner’s High

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I’ve been thinking a lot about Marathon recently, and it’s complicated. It’s not just my past experiences with Destiny 1 and 2, or the fact that Bungie really needs a success right now, or even the issues with the art. Beyond the core gameplay of extracting items, I just didn’t quite understand what the game was trying to be. And honestly, Bungie’s track record over the last ten years didn’t give me much hope.

I’ve spent a good amount of time playing both the Server Slam and the full release of Marathon, and I’m genuinely having fun with it. It’s not just that I like it more than expected, but I actually want to keep playing, even after losing all my progress. That said, it’s probably not for everyone, especially if you’re looking for a highly competitive or constantly updated live-service game – we don’t need any more of those.

The mystery is most evident in the colony’s story. Humanity sent the UESC Marathon to establish a colony in deep space, but communication was lost shortly after its arrival. You play as a Runner – a digital mind inhabiting a robotic body – sent to investigate the colony on Tau Ceti IV. The colony has gone silent, overrun by hostile UESC robots. You must uncover what caused this once-thriving colony to fall, what’s wrong with the UESC, and who is ultimately responsible.

I wish I could handle multiple contracts simultaneously, especially when playing alone. However, Marathon’s team-based system is a great alternative. Sharing experiences from teammates’ contracts encourages collaboration and reduces the penalty of losing gear when you die.

This story plays more like a rogue-like game than typical Bungie narratives. After reconnecting with your AI assistants, ONI and CyberAcme, you’ll encounter various factions and corporations all vying for control of Tau Ceti IV. NuCaloric surprisingly claims to value humanity, but shows no concern for your well-being. MIDA focuses on rebelling against the governing UESC and thrives on chaos. Arachne, meanwhile, tasks you with endlessly hunting enemy Runners, even though it leaves you feeling terrible.

As you take on and finish Contracts, you’ll unlock Codex entries that provide extra information about things like Runner Shells, technology, and the different factions. This information isn’t essential to the main story, but it’s a nice addition, although the Codex itself could be designed to be easier to read.

I’m really hooked by Marathon right now, especially the way the game sets everything up and builds the mystery. I love how each faction is introduced – the cutscenes are fantastic, and they’ve all got so much personality thanks to the great voice acting and writing. Honestly, I’m not sure if it’ll all come together in a satisfying way, knowing Bungie’s past, but I’m totally enjoying learning more about each faction and uncovering their secrets little by little. These conversations are just really engaging!

These factions aren’t just about giving you missions – they also let you level up within each one. As you gain rank, you’ll unlock better gear in the Armory, like improved weapons and shields, plus daily free items and keys. You can also unlock useful perks, such as more storage space for the season or the ability to handle more heat – we’ll explain that last part soon.

I wish I could handle multiple contracts at once, especially when playing alone. However, the Marathon mode offers a great alternative: it lets you benefit from the experiences of your teammates’ contracts. This encourages teamwork and reduces the penalty for losing gear when you die. While the objectives could be a bit easier to find nearby (and Bungie has already improved this), they generally work well for this type of game – they make you explore the map and risk going into dangerous, crowded areas to fight and survive, or try to!

Sometimes, when playing alone, the UESC forces have been surprisingly dangerous. I’ve even had runs where I didn’t see any other enemy Runners, and playing as a Rook felt like a tense survival horror experience – scarce ammo and supplies, carefully avoiding any damage, and just trying to survive.

Be prepared to die frequently. While the Rust Belt encourages a more cooperative experience with fewer player-versus-player conflicts, Tau Ceti IV is a dangerous free-for-all. Luckily, you’ll earn a surprisingly large amount of rewards by completing missions and increasing your rank.

When it comes to how it plays, Marathon once again shows Bungie’s skill with first-person shooting, offering some of the most precise and satisfying gunplay since Destiny. It’s no surprise that many weapons feel familiar (like the Magnum!), but I was impressed by how similar weapons like the Overrun AR and Stryder M1T feel to the auto and scout rifles in Destiny. The quick responsiveness when shooting UESC robots, and even small details like shortening the reload time by sprinting, are all present and feel fantastic.

Okay, so Marathon is definitely faster-paced than most extraction shooters, but it’s way more about strategy than other games Bungie has made. Each character class, or ‘Runner Shell,’ has cool, unique abilities, but they aren’t something you can spam constantly – they have long recharge times. You can customize them with ‘Cores’ to make them even better, but you won’t be constantly sending out robots as a Recon or keeping your shield up indefinitely as a Destroyer. There’s also this ‘Heat Capacity’ thing – basically, if you sprint and slide too much, you overheat and can’t do either for a little while. Luckily, you can cool down quickly by running through water or standing in the rain – it’s a neat little detail!

So, what’s it like to play a typical match of Marathon? It really depends on whether you’re playing with friends or by yourself, but one thing is certain: every match is unpredictable. I once found a rare sniper rifle and, even though it felt wrong, used it to save a teammate from an enemy. Another time, playing solo, I was immediately taken down by the first enemy I met because I reacted like I was playing ARC Raiders. On a different attempt, I tried shooting every enemy, but ended up in a quick standoff, and we both went down at the same time, leaving a trail of blue behind.

I’ve experienced a lot of different runs – sometimes completely alone, where the UESC were surprisingly dangerous. Playing as a Rook solo felt like a scary survival game, constantly scavenging for limited supplies and trying to avoid any damage, just hoping to make it through. I’ve even had runs where, despite starting with top-tier gear, I lost everything almost immediately.

Even if you fail and lose all your gear, you can quickly jump back into the action with a new setup. You can also take shorter, quicker missions to restock, or just play recklessly and see how far you can get – it’s all about getting that urge to play just one more time.

Despite the challenges, I still wanted to keep playing. I was really curious to understand how each map worked, especially the unique features like the Lockdowns on Dire Marsh and the security system on Outpost. But honestly, the core gameplay – dropping in and hoping to find valuable loot or a big payout – was really addictive. It’s great that there are genuinely good items to search for, and I also appreciate how you can improve a weapon even if it’s not rare, just by adding better attachments. This means finding a weapon you like isn’t pointless, even if it’s a common version.

The visuals in Marathon often get mixed reactions, but it’s not simply about the bright colors. Once you’re really playing and learning about the Runners and what they’re thinking, Bungie’s “graphic retro futurism” style actually becomes quite interesting. The moth creature can still be unsettling, but you do get used to it after a while.

The game’s levels strike a balance between the eerie emptiness of a ruined colony and the constant feeling of being in danger. You might stumble upon a hidden turret, a group of enemy soldiers, or those annoying, sudden nests. While the environments might not seem as visually striking as those in games like Destiny or Halo at first glance, each location feels like a place people once lived, combining tight, enclosed spaces with open areas and dangerous plants and creatures.

This game captures a feeling of a lost era, a world stuck in time where danger comes from all sides – not just enemies, but also the environment and technical failures. It doesn’t prioritize open-world exploration like some games, and that’s by design. The focus is on action and direct conflict. Teamwork is rare, almost as unlikely as Destiny 2 continuing its success, but the game still manages to be compelling. Even after a major loss, you can quickly get back into the action with new gear, take on smaller challenges, or risk everything for another attempt – it’s that addictive desire for ‘just one more run’ that keeps you playing.

Despite loving Marathon’s gameplay, shooting mechanics, and overall presentation, there’s one big problem: the user interface. It’s been widely criticized, especially the fonts, but it’s truly frustrating how much it hinders the experience in certain parts of the game.

While I wouldn’t say Marathon is a masterpiece, it’s still a really enjoyable game. It can be both challenging and satisfying, often feeling like the game world is working against you, then suddenly drawing you back in. Bungie’s unique approach is a bit of a gamble – it might not appeal to everyone, but when it clicks, it’s incredibly captivating.

The game doesn’t let you directly compare items to see which one is better, making it hard to know if a new Core or Implant is an upgrade. Plus, items like Shields look alike, so even if they’re the same rarity, you have to check their stats individually – which can be tedious with lots of Implants. Transferring items between your Backpack and Vault is also inconsistent: you drag with Ctrl + Left Click from Backpack to Vault, but just Left Click from Vault to Backpack. And honestly, if I get that mixed up, it’s Bungie’s fault for not using the same method for both!

The user interface feels clunky and illogical. Why is there a dedicated screen for choosing shells? And why is the customization section, which is rarely used, placed first? Backpacks deserve their own filtering option, and it would be incredibly useful to have a button in each tab to instantly show what equipment is usable, especially for weapon attachments. These issues, and others, make the game less enjoyable, particularly during intense moments. It almost feels like the complicated menus are intentionally designed to distract players, leading to mistakes and deaths.

Okay, so the Rewards Pass is… frustrating. Honestly, I used to care about cool skins, but it’s 2026 and I’ve been playing Destiny 2 for almost nine years now. Seriously, who thought it was a good idea to bring back those one-time use weapon shaders, and then add charms and stickers to that list? It just feels pointless. And the Premium Pass only has one runner skin? You have to pay for the pass and grind out SILK in-game to unlock it? The base game has unlockables too, but if this is how Bungie plans to do these seasonal passes going forward, they really need to rethink things, and fast.

Even with its strengths and weaknesses, big and small, I wonder if Marathon can succeed in the long run. It’s a tough question, and it’s not just about how many people are playing on Steam or what user reviews say. Marathon is a very specific, competitive game, unlike something like ARC Raiders. In ARC Raiders, you have a lot more different kinds of interactions with other players. In Marathon, you can pretty much expect other players to attack you right away. As I’ve mentioned before, there are so many live-service games available now that even really good ones have to work incredibly hard to keep players interested.

While I wouldn’t call Marathon a masterpiece, it’s still a really enjoyable game. It can be challenging, but also incredibly satisfying. The game’s world feels unpredictable – sometimes hostile, sometimes inviting – and Bungie’s unique approach is likely to either grab you or leave you cold. If this sounds interesting, now is the perfect time to give it a try.

This game was reviewed on PC.

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2026-03-13 20:50