‘Marathon’ Shows Promise With Its Alpha But Still Needs Improvements

With a few months until its September 23rd release, Bungie’s Marathon aims to be the next big thing in live-service video games. Bungie has been running an alpha test, allowing the team to get player feedback that they can use to make sure Marathon is properly polished by the time it comes out. The alpha experience was a mixed bag, but there is enough lying beneath the surface to show that Marathon could be the next big thing if handled correctly.

Marathon is a live-service extraction shooter that drops teams of three to seek out resources and objectives while navigating myriad dangers along the way. Players select different “Runners,” the human survivors on the planet Tau Ceti IV, trying to find a way to stay alive. Each game has up to six teams competing against each other, the computer, and environmental hazards, making Marathon a PvPvE experience.

The basic setup is quite interesting, forcing players to watch for the computer players and actual real-life opponents. Going after an “easy” computer enemy might seem like a good idea, but the gunfire could attract a more serious team of real players. It is possible to simply sneak around and collect resources, but the potential for danger is always lurking in the background.

Marathon boasts a simple set-up but also has a world of potential.

It is a great concept, but the execution is still mixed. If you load into a game with two other teams also playing it safe, you can go through an entire match without encountering another player. These rounds are significantly less interesting, decreasing the danger for players. It would be great to see Bungie find a way to force players into closer proximity, increasing the challenge.

The Runners themselves all have different abilities, making team composition important. There are only four Runners at the moment, with two more coming at launch. Four choices for three roster spots sounds good, but the balance isn’t quite right. The two stealthier characters, Blackbird and Void, are significantly more useful since their abilities allow players to scout better and keep an eye out for enemy players.

Since it is possible to complete a game without fighting any real players, most teams choose the stealthier approach. A tweak in gameplay that forces more interactions would force players to spend more time with Locus and Glitch, the more combat-focused Runners. Finding the balance between Runner abilities and gameplay approach will take some work, but hopefully, Bungie will use player data to make the necessary tweaks.

Where Marathon shines is its gunplay. Bungie has always been known for its excellent gunplay, with Destiny 2 considered one of the most satisfying first-person shooters on the market. While Marathon isn’t quite that good, using the different weapons still feels great. The issue is that Marathon prioritizes stealth, so players won’t always get the chance to enjoy the gunplay as much as they should.

By prioritizing stealth, Marathon’s Alpha keeps you from enjoying the gunplay as much as you should.

There is also a lack of overall purpose for the individual matches, which could easily be changed by the time Marathon releases. Every round has contracts that can be completed by finishing certain objectives, and these contracts do add permanent benefits that will help in future rounds.

Loot found in the different missions does help complete these contracts, but they have minimal impact on the round itself. It would be nice to see the loot have a larger effect when playing, not just long-term benefits. That would give each game more of a sense of urgency and could also force players to be more aggressive in their play style.

Marathon is great to look at, with a futuristic and stylish feel to it. The environments pop, but the limited maps can get old after a while. This will change over time as more maps are added when the game comes out, as long as Bungie can keep each map at the same quality level.

There is plenty of fun to be had in Marathon, but Bungie still has work to do if it wants to be a game-changer. Gunplay is fun, but rounds can often lack exciting action and feel monotonous. The foundation is there, as long as Bungie can adequately take the alpha test feedback and finish fleshing out the game into something truly special.

Marathon releases September 23rd on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.