Bungie’s ‘Marathon’ Faces a Rocky Start: Is This Extraction Shooter Worth the Hype?

Bungie, the studio renowned for iconic first-person shooters like Halo and Destiny, is venturing into the increasingly crowded live-service market with Marathon. This revival of a classic IP arrives at a critical juncture for both Bungie, recently acquired by Sony, and the live-service genre itself. But early impressions from the closed alpha test raise concerns: Can Marathon truly stand out in a sea of extraction shooters?

Marathon (out Sept. 23) marks Bungie's first new game since Sony's acquisition in 2022. The pressure is on, especially after layoffs at Bungie and the cancellation of other Sony live-service projects following the lukewarm reception to titles like Concord. Set in the year 2893 on the planet Tau Ceti IV, players take on the role of Runners, cybernetically enhanced survivors tasked with scavenging resources.

What is Marathon? Unlike battle royale or hero shooters, Marathon is an extraction shooter, a genre exemplified by titles like Escape from Tarkov and Helldivers 2. Players infiltrate a zone, gather resources, complete missions, and then extract, all while facing environmental hazards and other players. Marathon aims to bridge the accessibility gap, offering streamlined gameplay and familiar gunplay reminiscent of Halo and Destiny.

However, the closed alpha revealed some cracks in the armor. The game felt slow and mundane, lacking the fast-paced action of games like Apex Legends. Many players found the loot system confusing and unrewarding, with much of what they scavenged feeling like "junk." Gunplay, while solid, was infrequent, leading to a lack of excitement. Teamwork is paramount to surviving, but solo players might find the game unforgiving.

One of the significant issues highlighted was the experience of aiming assist in alpha, Matthew Wilson from KitGuru noted, "The Marathon alpha playtest went live for thousands of players earlier this week and PC gamers were quick to zone in on the game's use of aim assist for both controller and mouse inputs. Now, Bungie has responded to the criticism. Bungie will be making adjustments in an upcoming patch for the Marathon alpha test. This update will include disabling 'aim magnetism' on mouse."

Marathon's hero-based Runner system also drew criticism. While each Runner has unique abilities and gameplay styles, some felt that the system didn't quite mesh with the genre. Many players gravitated towards stealthier Runners, highlighting a potential imbalance in the game's design.

While there is an existing portion of gear, with two more heroes and two more maps promised, the game supposedly has more secrets to find when it’s live. But Bungie needs to address these concerns to ensure Marathon can compete in the saturated extraction shooter market.

The reception to the Alpha was indeed not positive. Even if it cemented the narrative in more than it didn't. With interest drop-off so quickly among most players who did have access. It feels now like a large chunk of contents and at its core, this is gameplay, this is the concept.

What's Next for Marathon? With a release date looming, Bungie has a lot of work to do. Will the studio manage to address concerns that prevent this from ending becoming another forgotten game? Or the overplaying hand can be just enought to save the game when the Marathon releases on Sept. 23 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows PC.

What are your thoughts on extraction shooters? Are you excited about Marathon, or do you think it's destined to be another flash in the pan? Share your opinions in the comments below!

• Bungie
• Extraction Shooter
• Marathon