Marathon’s Most Divisive Feature Could Be Its Best

by

Bungie, formerly a highly respected game developer known for the popular Halo series, has faced growing criticism lately. While Halo remains a fan favorite, many players are frustrated with recent decisions made in Destiny 2 and concerns about their new game, Marathon. Beyond those issues, there’s one key element of their games that’s causing worry for some, but excitement for others.

Bungie’s Marathon is taking a new approach to the extraction shooter genre with its ‘Runner Shells,’ leaning more into the hero shooter style. Unlike most extraction shooters where player skill and equipment are the primary focus, Marathon introduces hero archetypes. This bold choice could fundamentally change the genre, but its success – and whether Marathon remains popular long-term – will depend on how players react to this change.

Marathon’s Shells Are a Game Changer for Extraction Shooters

Runner Shells may seem like simple character classes, but Bungie designed them with more depth. Each Shell focuses on a general playstyle – like gathering information, hindering enemies, or helping teammates – giving players a defined role without limiting their options. Importantly, each Shell also has a unique look, letting players quickly identify threats and react during gameplay.

It’s surprisingly important to be able to clearly see what’s around you in Marathon. Unlike most extraction shooters where you start each encounter guessing what enemies might have, Marathon lets you identify enemy equipment at a glance. This helps you predict what they can do – whether it’s tracking you, moving quickly, or controlling areas. This creates a mental battle before any shooting starts, which is a big change from other games where you have to check someone’s inventory to figure out how dangerous they are.

What I love most about Shells is how much you can tweak them to fit your style. They aren’t just set classes – they’re more like a starting point. You build them up with cores, implants, weapons, and mods, and that’s where things get really cool. It means you aren’t locked into a specific role. Seriously, two people could pick the same Shell and play totally differently, just based on the gear they choose and how they use it. It’s all about personalizing your experience!

This One Decision Could Make or Break Marathon

The ‘Shells’ – customizable loadouts – are the biggest question mark for Marathon. Some players who love classic extraction shooters are concerned that these abilities will reduce the intense, strategic gameplay the genre is known for. It’s natural to expect balance issues when players have different tools in tense situations. Certain Shells will likely be much stronger against others, potentially deciding a fight before it starts. And, of course, players will always try to figure out which Shells are the most powerful, which could create a predictable meta.

Bungie understands players might focus too much on maximizing power, so they’ve built a system based on choices and compromises. Shell customization revolves around Cores and Implants. Cores are unique to each Shell and change how its abilities work. Implants, on the other hand, work with any Shell, providing stat increases and random bonuses. The best Implants even offer guaranteed benefits, like markers that stay on enemies even when you lose sight of them. This setup lets players try out different builds without making all Shells feel the same.

What I find most interesting about this design is the way it changes how we think about winning and losing. In most extraction shooter games, dying feels like a dead end. But in Marathon, every attempt is an opportunity to experiment and learn. You’re not just deciding if you should leave the map, you’re analyzing if your character build was effective, what improvements you can make, and how a different approach might lead to a better result next time.

The game offers a lot of ways to customize how Shells function and are used, which is great. Many players, including myself, hope to see that same level of personalization extended to our character’s appearance. The art style in Marathon is fantastic, and it’s disappointing we can’t express our individuality through character customization. However, it does make sense from a gameplay standpoint to tie customization to the Shells themselves, even if it’s a little frustrating.

Shells Offer Marathon Ever Changing Gameplay

Runner Shells truly shine because they keep the game Marathon exciting and replayable. Each type of shell lets players approach the game in different ways, based on the combination of cores, implants, and gear they choose. For example, a shell built for speed can be optimized for quick movement or adapted to control the battlefield. Similarly, a shell designed for support can be played safely or aggressively, all depending on the player’s setup.

This adaptability leads to unique and unpredictable gameplay experiences. Each team tackles challenges differently, and every fight unfolds in its own way. The game’s ‘Shells’ system forces players to constantly assess the situation, reacting to both enemies and their specific abilities. This feels fresh compared to other games in the extraction shooter genre. While understanding what a Shell can do is helpful, relying too much on that knowledge can be dangerous if your opponent has a different setup than you anticipate.

This approach also clearly shows how Marathon can be updated and improved over time. New features like cores, implants, or changes to the Shell can significantly impact the game without making existing strategies useless. Future Shells can add to the gameplay experience without making it too complicated, offering new ways to play while keeping the core gameplay intact.

Marathon feels unique because it dares to break from typical game design. The new ‘Shells’ feature is a gamble, but it demonstrates Bungie isn’t just following what’s popular – they’re trying to create something truly new in the challenging world of player-versus-player-versus-environment gameplay. If Shells succeed, Marathon will be a standout title. Even if they don’t work perfectly, Bungie deserves credit for trying to innovate. As a fan of the genre, I’d much prefer this ambitious attempt over another predictable copycat.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

Read More

2026-01-21 17:13