I have a certain amount of low-level anxiety when I’m playing multiplayer games. I want to do well, I don’t want to let my team down, and I want to come across as competent. Now, of course, in all gaming scenarios, there’s always going to be someone better, it’s not going to go your way etc etc. So when it comes to larger online games, like Battlefield, I’ll always do my best, get kills, and play the objective. Smaller team / squad affairs though? Call me anxiety, because I’m always loading problems that aren’t even in the level.

I guess it’s because not being a team player in a small squad can mean the difference between success and failure. There’s a balance, of course, you can’t just follow a team mate around (and in fact that can be disadvantageous), but worrying about what other players are thinking as you venture off slightly, or you don’t benefit in a way you could because you saw your team mate was 100m+ away from you won over finishing unlocking that safe.

Therapy Takes Time

I feel like I’ve had, and am getting a lot of personal growth whilst playing Marathon because I’m having to face these personal quandaries head on. I absolutely need to head to North Relay and explore for those materials, as that’s my current contract. Please come with me, you acknowledged?! Perfect. Let’s do it! Oh crap, Runners! Pings, pings everywhere. Keep going, don’t die. Bah, the sneaky invisible one got me. Oh crap, I’ve been remotely rezzed by the Triage guy! Legend! Oh crap, reinforcement robots just spawned in, run, run….Is it over??? Wait, I can still hear footsteps above…

Marathon is here, Bungie’s latest release, a first-person team-based extraction shooter, a reboot / reimagining of the original 90s trilogy. Despite its reported rocky development, and some controversies, it’s here, all guns blazing. But is it worth your time?

This is Not My Destiny

Full caveat going in, I have not played any extraction shooters before Marathon. I’ve got Helldivers 2 but not (Hell)dived in as yet. I love the look of Arc Raiders, but just haven’t got to it yet. I think the closest I’ve got is a dabble in the Dark Zone in The Division. So you’re not going to get a comparative review with other extraction shooters here, just an honest reflection on my 40+ hours (so far) on Tau Ceti IV.

I was so uninterested in Marathon for such a long time. Hearing it was an extraction shooter did little to raise the bar of interest. Of course, knowing that it was Bungie as the developer certainly held weight. They have always made well built shooters. From Halo, to Destiny, the games always play really well. Then I think about Destiny, I was initially a huge fan, but I got burned by the ‘expansion pass’ issues, and its evolution into another job. Hell, if you dropped off for any length of time, the amount of stuff to get your head round was almost too much to even want to bother. So, I was a little wary of bothering with Marathon at all.

Then, the last few times they showed it off, it started to intrigue me. The look, the sound, the tone. It all looked and felt like someone’s fever dream brought to life. Like someone was given permission to fully lean into their odd, and play the weird card; and then slap in some excellent Bungie FPS gameplay. And you know what, that’s pretty close to the experience of Marathon. Essentially, what I’m saying is that this is familiar to Bungie’s previous efforts, but also nothing like them.

Tau Are You?

There’s a lot of mystery in Marathon. Set in the year 2893, the colony ship Marathon has been missing for nearly 100 years. However, it’s just made contact via one of the ship’s AIs. Of course, we don’t know why now, the Marathon made contact at this moment in time (in the future).

As it stands, Earth is full of mega-corporations and dodgy groups of ‘Factions’ looking to make a credit or two (where do they get their ideas?!). With that in mind, they send you, and plenty of other ‘Runners’ to Tau Ceti IV. They want you to grab all valuable items, data and resources. Of course, you’re not physically going, as you’re a Runner, you’ve given up your physical form for enhanced cybernetic ones. Your mind is placed in a ‘shell’ body that makes it easy to replicate you, should something…unfortunate happen. And believe me, it will.

I’m Lore, Ya, Ya, Ya

The lore in Marathon, like Destiny, is largely told via collectibles, text documents and audio logs. There are also some small cutscenes related to the different Factions and their leaders, though these are limited. Similar to Destiny, you’ll have to do some reading to fill out the lore and narrative around Tau Ceti IV. There’s certainly a lot of depth and detail built into Marathon, but I was less interested in the reams of text. I was glad to see audio and video additions, and I did digest them. It does seem well written, and is interesting, I’d just rather be shooting things.

The Marathon itself is a cool concept, made out of Mars’ moon, Deimos, it was transporting its crew to the Tau Ceti system before it was attacked by the Pfhor alien race (thanks to Marathon Wiki for that backstory detail). And it features as one of the game’s maps, Cryo Archive.

It’s a shame there isn’t some sort of proper campaign to go through. There’s clearly a lot of work gone into the narrative and lore of Marathon, and it’s a shame that a lot of it will be missed.

Be Sure to Warm Up

So, here you are. You’re here, for the corporations to make a name for yourself across the factions, and with any luck, come out with a whole load of loot!

Marathon’s loop is fairly simple. Drop into a map in a team of three. You have 25 minutes to explore, loot and take on the UESC forces or enemy runners. Then, once you’re done, extract safely. Of course, there’s a lot more to it than that. In fact, one of the few criticisms I have of Marathon is how much there is to get your head around, and also some of the stuff it doesn’t tell you.

The Whole Kit and Kaboodle

Before you drop into a map, you will get to select your loadout and the gear you’re taking out with you. This includes your weapons, shields, augments, and any consumables (health, shields etc.). Obviously, it stands to reason that the better equipped you are, the better your chances are (in theory). The Time to Kill (TTK) is fairly short, and you can usually take out / get taken out fairly quickly. It sounds unfair, but it feels really balanced (they go down as easily as you do).

If you get taken out, you’ll go Down But Not Out (DBNO). This gives your team time to revive you (or you can choose to give up). Your enemies can finish you off (either by shooting you or going in close for a finisher). But that’s not the end, after 20 secs or so, you become revivable from your point of death. I loved this to be honest, as you’re not being punished for getting taken out. As long as someone can get you back, then you can, and you’re encouraged not to disconnect to see if your team mate can get back to you.

It feels a far cry from the days of the first battle royale’s where death meant restart. You may well have been looted into oblivion, but you could come back if you’ve got other team members still alive. It’s worth hanging in the game and seeing if they can get you. Some of the most satisfying runs I’ve had so far have been when I’ve been brought back from the brink. And, oh boy, is that a bit of a thrill.

To Shell and Back

Of course, there’s more to Marathon than just picking the best gear. Who you play as is also super important. There are six shells that you can select for your loadout. Each one serves a specific function and has a number of shell specific abilities to aid you in your run.

There’s also an additional seventh character to select, the Rook frame. The Rook frame is designed as a scavenger. You don’t get to select a loadout; you use the Rook to enter ongoing matches as a solo player. You’re looking to loot and get new gear. Perfect if you need to stock up (and you likely will).

Like any game with multiple options, you’ll only know which one you’ll prefer once you’ve given them a go. I really like Triage (I often lean towards support characters). Having regular heals, even if you’ve run out of medkits / shield packs, is super helpful. All the classes seem well balanced and having a mix of abilities in a run is certainly helpful.

There’s No “I” in Team

If you’re squadding up then you can coordinate and switch up as needed. This becomes trickier if you’re teaming up as a solo Runner. You can’t see what shells people have selected until you’ve already been put into a squad. Unfortunately, I’ve not been able to squad up with anyone I know as yet to do some runs, so I’ve been joining all my runs as a rando.

Thankfully, my experience has largely been positive. Most of the team mates I’ve encountered have been communicative and we’ve worked together well as a team. You can of course chat with a microphone, but for those mic-less ones, there’s a ping system which is incredibly useful. One push indicates a location, a double push indicates an enemy / threat. Between that, the pre-set chat wheel, and open text keyboard, it should be fairly easy to liaise with your fellow runners.

Of course, you’ll always encounter those who just want to do their own thing and will bound off like Leroy Jenkins. Often with the expected outcome. This is of course no fault of Bungie or the game itself, but a harsh reality of playing with humans (we are all monsters, as the game’s launch trailer reminds us). Contrary to that though, the comraderie when getting revived, fighting to save a downed ally, and sharing of loot and weaponry to survive to exfil put a smile on my face much more than those negative experiences.

And hell, those 10 secs whilst you’re waiting to extract are some of the tensest seconds I’ve ever experienced.

Rook to Run8

However, the time and the place to go solo proper is when selecting the Rook frame. Here, you’ll load in with a random set of equipment and 10 minutes on the clock. The aim being to scavenge, stock up and extract. You’ll likely do this when your vault of weaponry and gear is running low. Joining a game that’s already in progress is pretty exciting. Sneaking around and grabbing what you can has an air of desperation to it that is so tense and fun. Especially when you can hear combat and movement kicking off all around you. Your infiltration is entirely random so you have to your wits about you.

The only limitation is you can’t take your own gear (probably be a bit overpowered if you could), or complete contracts while playing as Rook.

Contract Hits

You won’t be just running around murdering Runners and AI robots of course. You’ll be completing contracts for the various Factions who want to explore, understand and profit from Marathon. They’ll reward you for successful completion in the form of experience points, Faction levels, gear and credits. The better the level with Factions, the more access to upgrades and unlocks. You can use the loot and resources you find in runs to unlock many of these, given you boosts to your skills, abilities and more unlocks in the Armory. The Armory being where you can purchase new gear before going out on runs.

These contacts have you seeking out specific terminals / enemies / locations in different areas of the game’s maps. Some are map specific, and others are ‘multi-level. Single Run contracts require you to complete all the contracts requirements in one run, without dying. Some need you to successfully exfiltrate too. These can be tricky to do, as you’ve got the unknown of Runners, and reliable team mates. You also get little direction to where some of the objectives are, at least I thought until I spotted a video on YouTube that indicated you can actually find out more specifics by hovering over each ask!

Contract Misses

Completing contracts can be frustrating. As you might expect, you’ll complete all the requirements, except exfilling, and then get taken out. Or you could start well, and all your team mates go down, or decide they’re doing something else. Competing contracts means you might not get to complete them for a while, as others are prioritising theirs. Smartly, Bungie has made it so you get some experience for helping assist in other contracts. So even if you can’t do your contract, you’re not missing out.

Largely though, I like completing contracts in the game, it gives the runs direction and something to focus on. I think it would feel a bit aimless, other than scrounging for loot. Completing the priority contracts for each of the six factions gives you insight into the lore and powers at play in Marathon. Each leader and faction is unique and…unhinged. Some are more human, albeit a punk cyberpunk vibe, and some, well, one is giant talking moth!

I was curious if there was going to be a loyalties element to Marathon with the Factions, but there isn’t. No one cares if you’re helping the other one out, as long as you’re helping them.

Turn It Up to 11

Sound plays such an important part in Marathon’s game design. It seems Bungie has been meticulous in ensuring the sounds you hear are curated to convey information. You’ll hear footsteps, but they’ll be in the direction of where they’re coming from. Similarly with gunfire. You can hear the sounds of firefighting in the distance, that can tell you to stay away, or head towards it (if you’re feeling that way out). The types of footsteps too, metal clanking indicates the UESC robotic enemies, rather than a runner, or is it the surface they’re walking on?

Can you hear the voiceline of a character activating an ability nearby? Or the sound of an ability being deployed, or recharging? Klaxons go off to indicate reinforcements arriving. A different warning sound to alert you to a supply drop that another Runner has activated. Could you intervene and steal all the loot?

The soundscapes that Bungie has created are unusual and compelling. Sitting in the menu waiting to be put into a match and you can hear the electronic music as you wait with the occasional “Go, Go, Go” uttered as you listen. It scratches some unusual parts of my brain that feel really satisfying.

And the voice work is excellent too. We knew of the unusually strong cast for this type of game, and in practice it really pays off, whether via voice notes or Faction leader cutscenes.

Artistic Licence

Marathon looks amazing. The aesthetic is unique, distinct and bonkers too. Watching a moth chew on power cables during a loading screen? You got it! Powerful imagery and design for Faction leaders? Of course. A colour palette that looks modern and retro at the same time? Yes, indeed.

I love it. I also love that the artist whose work was seemingly plagiarised has been credited in the game. As you explore the three main locations (Perimeter, Dire Marsh and Outpost), you’ll encounter some distinct locations with outdoor and indoor spaces. Each location has multiple key locations to explore where contracts will take you. Each has their own function in the map, and the lore of Tau Ceti IV.

Perimeter is a brighter, mountainous affair. Dire Marsh is a boggy, wet swamp with some huge structures and an anomaly strewn through the centre. Outpost is the most built-up industrial looking zone that has environmental hazards in the form of ‘Cascade’ a rain of fire! The fourth map available now, the endgame map, Cryo Archive, takes place on the Marathon ship and is a much more claustrophobic experience.

Colour Me Impressed

The use of colour is striking. Block colours fill rooms, and inside locations, bathing everything in a certain hue. It feels really atmospheric and unusual. I know I may need to broaden my horizons, but I don’t recall seeing colour being used in that sort of way before.

The visuals are strong and, like the sound, provide a lot of information as you play too. Sections of the map can be put into ‘quarantine’ and this results in a huge barricade dropping over a location, surrounding it with a firewall type wall. Residing in there will cause you damage unless you have a consumable that provides some protection.

Runners can equip consumables that distort your appearance, or have abilities that make you almost invisible. UESC enemies can also equip this, but a tell tale silhouette is usually visible. Taking down one of those is another super satisfying element to Marathon.

Extracurricular Activities

There’s a lot of extra hidden stuff to get stuck in with on your runs too. Tough enemies, such as the Scorch Warden, will reward you handsomely if you can take it down. Hidden lockboxes, and coordinates reveal loot in caches and different locations.

And there are loads of locked doors and sections of locations that you can’t access without specific keys or security clearance. Some of these you might have found on another run and brought with you, others need to be found in the level you’re in. Of course, you run the risk of losing said item if you’re unsuccessful.

A lot you’ll figure out on the fly. As noted earlier, the game doesn’t tell you a lot of stuff until you’re in the thick of it. That’s why it’s always worth looting Runners (when it’s safe), who knows what goodies or keys they might be holding. As with Destiny, Bungie is great at building in mysteries into their games. I’ve not encountered anything like a Raid, but I certainly get the impression there’s plenty to unlock and discover.

Armed to the Teeth

Of course, all of the above is for naught if the game handles like a truck driving through mud. Thankfully, Bungie’s well-renowned gunplay remains as strong and as satisfying as ever. Between the four main types of weapons (based on the ammo use), there’s plenty of variety to play with. Pistols, assault rifles, double-barreled shotguns, long range rifles, snipers, all exist in a form. Then you’ve got throwables such as grenades, EMPs, and claymore mines.

Combat can feel hectic, especially as it’s kicking off all around you, but it never feels unfair or broken. Visual cues indicate shield level and breakage as you unload a clip at an enemy. You’ll usually curse yourself (or a team mate) for not thinking about where they came from.

Weapon levels come from the attachments you apply. So you’d best go looting, shooting and scavenging if you want to dominate with the best of them. I’ve played over 40 hours and I’ve not managed to get a fully purple weapon as yet (I appreciate I haven’t figured out the best ways to loot yet).

Marathon: Endgame

Once you’ve reached Level 25 you will get access to ranked modes of Marathon. This equates to a ranked version of one of the main maps of the game that is available all the time, and a time-limited map, Cryo Archive, that is only available at weekends (apologies if you work weekends, I guess). Both these modes require you to have a minimum loadout value to be able to play. The normal ranked mode tasks you with extracting with certain value of loot, whilst competing against other Runners, of course. Cryo Archive is another beast entirely. It’s high-level, high value equipment and a lot of enemies, exploring and corridors. It’s tense, and a lot of fun, but also devastating to lose all your highest level gear.

And that ultimately is the endgame loop.

Find the best loot, complete contracts and upgrade your skills and abilities -> gear up and enter ranked modes -> get spanked / succeed -> go again / retreat to main levels and find the best loot, complete contracts.

You must learn to deal with losing all your stuff. Repeatedly. Become ok with loss. You can always take a free sponsored kit out to gear up, you’ll never not be able to play. Once you’ve come to accept that, as gutting as it is to lose your stuff, it’s quite freeing.

You’ll also earn a currency called Silk that lets you unlock a range of skins and unlocks in the game’s battlepass giving you a whole range of customisation. More unlocks can also be earned by completing the game’s numerous challenges throughout, so plenty to keep you busy.

Runner’s Low

I don’t have many complaints in my time with Marathon. There were a couple of issues I spotted. The UI is a bit messy in places, particularly when exploring the vault / menu. Hovering over an item brings up more information, but it often blocks your view from other things in the menu, which is a little frustrating.

I still haven’t got to grips with the looting either. It feels I have to grab everything immediately and then review it in my own inventory, in case another player grabs something I wanted. You have limited space, and because loot is shared you might be about to grab something useful before someone else nabs it. I did a run where another player had 18,000 credits worth of loot, compared to mine and my team mates’ paltry 3000 in comparison. So did he just hoard everything? I didn’t spot any good loot! This goes back to me needing to be less anxious and people pleasing in how I play, and take what I need.

The only thing I noticed was longer waiting times to get into games on occasion. This was largely when playing as the Rook frame.

Runner’s High

Coming from someone who is completely new to extraction shooters, Marathon is a triumph.

The excellent visuals, audio design and gameplay creates a game and world that wants you to have “just one more run”. Hell, I’m only writing this during the server maintenance downtime, otherwise I’d struggle to tear myself away!

Bungie have succeeded in creating a world that is begging to be explored and experienced even if the lore and storytelling feels slightly secondary. It may feel overwhelming at first, but a little perserverance, and not much at that, will open up a game that is incredibly well made and demonstrates a lot of love and work.

Marathon is a game that has defied my expectations, embraced the weird and wonderfulness of its creative team, and should absolutely be celebrated.

Marathon was reviewed on Xbox Series X. Gamer Social Club would like to thank the developers providing the code for review.

Marathon is available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series consoles. It released on 5 March 2026.