Marathon Review

Marathon’s road to release was anything but smooth. From its initial announcement to its first gameplay reveal, Bungie faced harsh criticism and feedback that pushed the team to delay and further refine the project. Even then, expectations remained low, with competitors like Arc Raiders capturing much of the same audience Bungie was targeting.

Fast-forward to launch, and Marathon has proven it carries the unmistakable Bungie sauce. Showcasing best-in-class gunplay, expertly crafted encounters, and level design reminiscent of the studio’s Destiny 2 pedigree, the game delivers a tense, pressure-filled experience that undoubtedly flipped the narrative on its head.

While it may not reach the blockbuster heights Bungie and Sony envisioned, Marathon has carved out its place as one of, if not the best, extraction shooters available today. That alone is no small feat, but we hope that’s enough to keep this game going for quite some time.

Return (again and again) to Tau Ceti IV

Set in the year 2893, Marathon can be considered a spiritual successor to the game of the same name, which launched over 30 years ago. Players take on the role of Runners, mercenaries whose consciousness is uploaded into disposable cybernetic bodies as they drop into the ruins of the lost colony on Tau Ceti IV, scrounging for artifacts, fulfilling faction contracts, and escaping alive.

Bungie’s world-building prowess is on full display, evoking a sense of cryptic, atmospheric, and environmental depth. Lore is told through a slow drip of cutscenes, scattered text pieces, and gameplay progression, but the visual hook is its high-contrast, cyberpunk-y aesthetic that you’ll either love or hate. And we definitely love it as it gives the game a unique visual identity with an unmatched aura, accentuated with loud colors and even louder gunfire.

It also helps that Marathon’s story, despite being told in bits and pieces between runs and unfolding more as you progress, is intriguing and surprisingly deep. Succeeding faction contracts will explain more, but there’s a sense of personality and character within each one, and an alarmingly huge amount to unpack if you choose to engage with this part of the game.

For those not familiar with the genre, Marathon is a PvPvE extraction shooter with a rather simple gameplay loop that requires players to drop in, acquire and collect loot, and extract said loot in order to go on another run with a leg up on the competition because you managed to extract yourself with good resources from your last run. Throughout your run, you’ll run into both player and AI enemies standing in your way and keeping you from escaping with your hard-earned loot. Die, and you leave with nothing, effectively “wasting” the last 30 minutes of your life.

It may be easy to lose hope in Marathon, especially for a newcomer who is just starting to learn the ropes, as the ropes punch back in the process. Given the fact that this is an extraction game, playing with a full squad is definitely advised. Playing solo does have its perks, such as playing as the Rook (which we’ll get to later), but it’s definitely tough to see a silver lining when you’ve been playing for hours and have nothing to your name because you keep on dying, even to enemy mobs.

This gameplay loop is the engine that keeps the game running, and it is extremely addictive despite its brutal nature and very bare-bones onboarding. The thought of leaving a run without anything to show for it can be extremely deflating and, as such, is not for everybody, but rather for a niche gameplay audience who welcome constant tension and challenge. For its intended audience, Marathon is freaking amazing, as the pull for “one more run” is exceedingly strong, whether you’ve managed to extract or not.

Shell Syndrome

Marathon uses a system called Shells, offering a diverse range of playstyles, each designed to fulfill a distinct role on the battlefield. The Destroyer serves as a tanky assault unit, equipped with a shield and devastating high‑impact abilities, while the Recon specializes in tracking enemies and highlighting loot through walls. For players who prefer agility, the Thief provides high mobility with a grapple hook for vertical flanking maneuvers, and the Assassin thrives in stealth, capable of turning invisible or deploying smoke to outwit opponents.

Supporting the team is the Triage, a vital shell focused on healing and reviving allies to ensure sustained combat effectiveness. Meanwhile, the Vandal emphasizes speed and fluidity, optimized for slides and rapid repositioning.

And then there’s the Rook, which is basically a solo-only shell that spawns mid-match with zero gear and the sole objective of scavenging loot to equip your other shells for a future run. This is an extremely smart way of allowing single-player players time and space to gear up at the expense of others, as the Rook has two very powerful skills, one of which is a UESC robot disguise that allows him to move around enemy-infested territory untouched. It is extremely low risk because you are bringing a loadout, but potentially high-reward because of the loot you can acquire if you play your cards right.

The Killing Fields

Marathon takes on the Bungie formula by bringing extremely satisfying gunplay that could easily rival any shooter out in the market today. It has a noticeably shorter time-to-kill compared to Destiny 2, especially in the early outings when you have not kitted yourself out just yet. That said, the moment-to-moment gameplay leading to kills is unmatched, with sky-high tension from the first second because of the risk of losing loot throughout the levels.

Players can explore four distinct zones, each offering unique tactical challenges: Perimeter, a foggy industrial swamp introducing verticality; Dire Marsh, a dense expanse where “Lockdown” events drain health without antivirus packs; Outpost, a heist‑centric map featuring raid‑like puzzles and tight corridor combat; and Cryo Archive, a raid‑lite endgame map aboard the UESC Marathon ship. Outpost is, quite frankly, an unforgettable experience in its own right and a map with utterly genius design.

Playing through each map in order feels like a logical step forward in terms of challenge and activities, but Cryo Archive is such a leap in tension because of the eventuality that you’ll be squaring off against equally equipped players. The map is a weekend-only affair, with a gear-score requirement that will force squads to coordinate and bring their best foot forward at a chance at scoring the best loot in the game, all at an equal risk of losing everything. Some may even consider it too complex, but it is awesomely sweaty.

A good sign of things to come is that Bungie has been quite responsive to player feedback, listening intently and acting quickly to address issues such as switching up the Cryo Archive and Ranked mode schedules, as well as other friction points. It also helps that the game performs flawlessly across platforms, with fantastic visuals and rock-solid frame rates. This bodes well for the game’s overall health, but there’s certainly a real challenge in attracting new players.

Chink in the Armor

Marathon does indeed have some growing pains, as it wouldn’t be a Bungie release without it. One of the biggest hurdles is its UI, which makes things harder to read than usual. While familiarity with items and resources will be second nature as hours pile up, getting there is a bit rough. Fonts can be difficult to read on smaller screens, and inventory management can be a chore when using a controller compared to a Mouse/Keyboard setup.

The game’s brutal difficulty is another thing that would certainly put off potential runners. The run to the top is daunting, and with some decisions like endgame content being locked to time and gear constraints, the path to accessing this endgame content, much less clearing it, feels more unattainable than finishing a raid in Destiny 2. This mix of design decisions means there’s a huge chunk of content that realistically will not be touched by players. It’s something Bungie and Sony will have to live with, given the genre and its tough nature.

Marathon will also implement seasons, which will basically wipe the game every three months, leaving players with almost no sense of permanence. It is understandable and almost imperative to shake up the game and not leave hardcore players as unassailable targets due to their loadout. All of this is a tough mix of elements that can make it hard for players to enjoy, and it is a real possibility that many might dip after the first season.

Verdict: Buy it!

Marathon is a game of extreme highs but also rock-bottom lows, playing with your emotions like a fiddle. When the game gets going, its mix of masterful gunplay and well-designed maps will hook you from start to finish, spiking dopamine levels to muster the courage for another run. At times, it can also be brutal, where losing everything becomes a normal occurrence.

It’s not a game for everyone, even less so for a title in the extraction shooter genre. That said, as someone who has been enthralled by the worlds and titles Bungie has built in Destiny, it is sad to know that many will not stick with Marathon, or even try it out, due to negative word-of-mouth.

It’s a love-and-hate relationship with Marathon, and depending on many factors, you’ll end up hating it more than loving it, or vice versa. Whatever the case may be, the game plays with your emotions among the best titles out there, and if you can’t handle the heat, it will certainly kick you on the way out just as easily as welcome you back in for another beatdown or a successful extraction.

*Marathon was reviewed on a PS5 and PC with a review code provided by the Publisher.