Marathon Server Slam Impressions: Can Bungie’s Live Service Shooter Go the Distance?

Making a multiplayer game and finding a loyal audience that can sustain it for years can be one of the most difficult things in media. Many studios, even big platform holders like Sony, are trying to jump on the live streaming service bandwagon. Most slipped and fell to the ground. Concord launches in August 2024 and closes two weeks later. Most recently, Highguard launched in January and will enter sunset next week.

If a live game cannot attract a large number of players early on, the results will inevitably be dismal. As gamers become entrenched in their favorite multiplayer games—Fortnite, Call of Duty, Battlefield, Apex Legends, Valorant, Overwatch, Marvel Rivals—it becomes increasingly difficult for new multiplayer games to stand out.

But Embark Studios’ hit extraction shooter Arc Raiders does just that. The game launched strongly and went on to attract nearly a million simultaneous players across platforms a few months later. It has sold over 12 million copies and brought a niche genre into the mainstream spotlight. But it’s hard to say whether Bungie’s upcoming extraction shooter Marathon will be able to do something similar.

Marasson is an evacuation shooter
Photo Credit: Bungie/Screenshot – Manas Mitul

I tried the game on Steam during the Open Server Slam weekend from February 26 to March 2, and had mixed feelings. On one hand, Marathon’s gameplay fundamentals are solid, but it also failed to grab me. However, it’s important to note that these feelings may change. Marathon’s full set of launch content will only be available upon release.

Marathon is Sony’s latest expensive live streaming service from Destiny veteran Bungie, and will be released on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series S/X on March 5. The game has had a rocky journey. The game was originally slated to launch last year, but was delayed indefinitely due to a lackluster response to closed alpha playtests and a damaging plagiarism controversy. Bungie redesigned the game to make it more tense, gritty, and grounded, while also revamping its graphics. It also adds some widely requested features like proximity chat and separate queues.

Marathons are now grittier and more grounded
Photo Credit: Bungie/Screenshot – Manas Mitul

Like Arc Raiders, Marathon is a PvPvE extraction shooter that can be played solo or in a team of three. As with every extraction game, gameplay depends on risk versus reward. You enter an online match and look for premium loot. If you die while running, you lose all your gear and come back empty-handed. If you successfully extract, you’ll take home better weapons, gear, and expensive loot, which you can sell.

But beyond extracting DNA, Marathon is very different from Arc Raiders. It’s played from a first-person perspective and takes place in a sci-fi world where cybernetic cannonballs complete contracts for various factions. Arc Raiders seems more suited to PvE gameplay, while Marathon is more PvP focused. The atmosphere is more ominous and threatening, and there isn’t an established common goal for players to pursue together.

First, the good stuff. Marathon’s art style is probably the most unique I’ve ever seen in a first-person shooter. It’s vibrant and eye-catching, blending a vibrant neon color palette with bold and sharp object designs. Bungie calls it “graphical realism,” and it’s easily the most striking aspect of Marathon. But it’s not for everyone either. I can see why the visual style can be a hindrance to some people. Sometimes, it looks too busy and affects the readability of the game – that’s it for me. But Marathon looks different from other games, which helps it stand out among the sea of ​​shooters that look like they came from the same blender.

Marathon art style is unique
Photo Credit: Bungie/Screenshot – Manas Mitul

The photography is also very impressive. Bungie is a genre specialist, and its signature snappy, responsive gunplay comes to life in Marathon. The firearms feel great, and the FPS encounters between players are engaging and thrilling. Time to kill is short, and every confrontation comes with the risk of dying and losing all your loot.

Bungie also introduced elements of the hero shooter in Marathon. Each runner shell has unique abilities that are beneficial to different play styles, such as aggressive combat, stealth, healing, and more. This adds an extra dimension to the game, allowing you to switch strategies on each run. Each faction you take on quests from has a dedicated skill tree that allows you to slowly level up your player character as you complete contracts.

Each runner shell has unique abilities
Photo Credit: Bungie/Screenshot – Manas Mitul

But when you get into a match, the locations on the map (two of which were accessible during the server crash) just don’t stand out. Marathon ships with a medium-sized map dotted with what appear to be essentially the same structures. You mostly explore a narrow indoor area, then move across bland terrain to explore another narrow indoor area. There are no larger landmarks or visual markers to help each location feel unique.

To make matters worse, these locations are all painted in similar neon colors that make up a large part of the marathon’s visual aesthetic. The walls of each building are seemingly randomly splashed with neon greens, purples, and reds. Therefore, no place on the map has its own visual identity.

The spaces aren’t very inviting either. You can take on quests from different factions and travel to specific areas to complete them, but other than that and the PvP and PvE encounters, the map feels lifeless. There’s a ton of lore dumped via flavor text when you’re in the menu, and a talking cybernetic head tells you what to do next. But when you’re competing, the world of marathon doesn’t feel alive and inviting.

Marathon shooting feels snappy and responsive
Photo credit: Bungie

This is where Arc Raiders succeeds. Extraction shooters create a compelling environment that makes you feel like you’re part of a larger world and working toward a common goal. But Marathon largely feels like any other PvP squad shooter, especially because the PvE encounters feel stale. Your actions in the game seem inconsistent with a larger purpose or progression. To be fair to the game, the game’s endgame progression and more will be unlocked when the game launches this week. More runner shells and maps will also be available, which may ultimately add more variety and depth to an experience that currently seems very monotonous.

Marathon also suffers from UI bloat. There’s a random explosion of fonts in the menu, loadout, and inventory screens, all screaming at you in different tones. The user interface and some of its visual elements are also confusing. Often when you’re sorting through your inventory in a match, it’s difficult to differentiate between weapon attachments, player mods, consumables, and other items.

Performance on PC is satisfactory, but not ideal. We tested the game on a device provided by CyberpowerPC India, equipped with a 13th Gen Intel Core i5-13400F processor, 16GB DDR5 RAM, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card, and a 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD (PCIe Gen4). On the “High” graphics preset and 1440p resolution, I was able to get an average frame rate of about 65fps.

Marathon’s busy UI and inventory menu can be confusing
Photo Credit: Bungie/Screenshot – Manas Mitul

It’s too early to tell whether the Marathon’s full package is worth the $40 asking price. But it’s also not a good sign when a large portion of the early experience with a live-service game feels unappealing. Based on what I’ve seen, I’ll probably try more of the extraction shooter when it comes out, but it doesn’t seem likely to be something I’ll play long-term. That’s not the case with Arc Raiders, a game I poured over 100 hours into and continue to play months after release.

That’s not to say marathons don’t have spectators. While the field service space is extremely competitive, there is still room for something unique to stand out and find its own community. I’ve found that players who are more interested in PvP are more inclined to marathon. Many Destiny 2 players may also enjoy this shooter. But live service games live or die by player count. Bungie will be under a lot of pressure if its next massively multiplayer game doesn’t immediately hit the heights expected. After all, we’ve seen several multiplayer games shut down after failed launches. Are you capable enough to finish the marathon? Only time will tell.