“ESCAPE WILL MAKE ME GOD” is the main tagline that’s used for Bungies new Extraction shooter Marathon. The extraction shooter genre has seen a bit of a resurgence. The success of Arc Raiders and Escape from Tarkov have brought publishers the world over to try their hand at cashing in on the trend. Enter Bungie, a name that is both revered and hated in the gaming landscape. Responsible for the “Golden age” of Halo and Destiny 1 & 2 (and many gamers would say the downfall of Destiny), Marathon is a soft-reboot of their 1994 DOOM clone of the same name. And their take on the extraction shooter is as extremely wild as their tagline.
Image Credit: Bungie
Marathon begins with a bang, with an exciting visual intro describing the status of the United Earth Space Council’s (UESC) premier ship Marathon, a spaceship that was funded by some of the most powerful corporations in the universe. It was heralded as the future of humanity in the stars. After years drifting through the stars, it collides with a planet, and communication stops for hundreds of years. Suddenly, the ship broadcasts an ominous message. “Somewhere in the heavens, they are waiting”. This piques interest in many corporations and factions to reclaim what they’ve lost amongst the remains of the UESC Marathon. However, the all-powerful UESC isn’t particularly happy with anyone investigating their property, snooping around and uncovering their mistakes. They will happily meet anyone exploring the remains with a bullet in the brain from their enhanced A.I robotic soldiers. Therefore, the players’ consciousness are uploaded into shells. Specialized humanoid robots woven with advanced technology and specially harvested silkworms that can explore the remains without too much trouble.
SHELLS
Image Credit: Bungie
The shells are the primary way the player interacts with the world. They’re essentially your characters. With (currently) seven shells giving players plenty of opportunity to have a variety of playstyles. Shells have health, shields, and heat. Health and shields are your standard gaming affair. But heat is unique. Heat is generated by running, jumping, and using your unique shell abilities. Overheating doesn’t kill you, but it also slows your movement to a walk and disables you from using any abilities for a short period of time, making you prey to anything on Tau Ceti IV. While each shell has a particular playstyle, no shell but the rook has restrictions on what weapon you can use with them. Allowing for an unlimited amount of player expression.
These shells allow “safe” exploration of the UESC marathon. All safe things like looting, killing, sabotage, whatever is needed in the name of progress. Progress furthered by the interest of the corporations that helped fund, or lost research on the UESC Marathon. Every shell has an onboard AI generously provided to you by CyberAcme, the most reliable tech company in the universe. Your onboard AI; ONI connects you with other companies and factions that are interested in using you to explore the wreckage of the Marathon.
FACTIONS
Image credit: Bungie
These factions are integral to the world of Marathon. Every faction is a key player in driving the bleak story. The factions differ from the extreme death cult Arachne, focused on killing runners and ushering them into the next plane of existence- To the ultra-wealthy Traxus second only to the UESC in their influence. Each faction having in some way ties to developing the Marathon ship; they are hellbent on reacquisition of their assets. Completing faction quests like breaking glass for the anti-corporate MIDA rewards you with conversations with their AI, helping you understand their cause. And mission logs found throughout runs detail the conditions of the UESC marathon and the thousands of once hopeful humans that have all gone missing. The game doesn’t force you down a linear story, allowing the player to piece together what happens from exploring the wreckage also expands the expressive player shells with unique upgrades that align with their goals.
THE GAME
Image credit: Bungie
The gameplay loop is reminiscent of other games in the genre, limited backpack space- forcing you to make tough decisions. Do you want that sick gun? Or a depleted health kit that you’ll need when anything finds you? How about taking a drinkable cheeseburger that sells for a fat stack of credits? That’ll ensure you’ll be able to at least buy guns next time you get wiped. And you WILL get wiped. This is where the game shows its unique flair. The UESC robots that heavily guard the mysteries of what happened to the Marathon ship look like cannon fodder, but they shoot with alarming accuracy and hit you with bullets that blast your health bar like they’re launching grenades. This forces players to manage their resources efficiently, as not only are ammo and health resources extremely scarce but shooting at them (or the equally dangerous wildlife) may alert other runners to your location, which is a death sentence. However, camaraderie, a key component of other extraction shooters, is not advised. Most players follow an unspoken “kill on sight” rule. Anything that moves will kill you, and it’s better to take it out then to ask questions. Not to mention, Arachne makes sure to reward runners generously with weapons that will help them carry their goal by giving others the gift of silence, and why would any sane runner displease their faction?
FINAL THOUGHTS
Marathon is not intended for a casual gaming audience. I highly recommend this game if you genuinely see competitive video games as an exercise in self-growth. There are no easy victories here, and only through time, level memorization and if you’re lucky, a competent squad could you begin to enjoy what marathon has to offer. Not only is it a part of a genre that scares casual players away due to the “gear fear” epidemic- but it’s an extremely lethal take on an already alienating competitive genre. What marathon is, however, is a statement. The game is loud, it’s a departure from the norm, an acknowledgement that not everything is meant to be enjoyed by everyone. It stands on its own knowing the audience that it’ll appeal to is competent enough to do in-game what Bungie themselves are doing with this refreshed property. Risk it all in a lethal world for a chance to make it out alive. make it out alive.
