Summary
With a long lineage of exceptional titles under their belt, when Bungie announced their extraction shooterMarathon,all eyes were on the studioto produce another smash hit to captivate new and old fans. Now, after a few reveal trailers and playtests underway, the momentum is picking up, and with a release date set, it is only a matter of time before the masses get their hands on the game.
Quite a lot of information has come out over the past few months, and it is a mixed bag of good and bad news. Many people are excited for the game, but at the same time reserved as it is a new genre and a completely new IP, and both come with their own risks. But there is still plenty to get excited about and more than a few details to start the hype train.
8Cross-Play And Cross-Save
All That Progress In One Tidy Place
One of the biggest problems that gamers face today is deciding which platform to build their library on. Whether they have friends who play on Xbox or their existing library is found on PlayStation, it can be a bit awkward when certain games are console locked or don’t have the option to play with other platforms.Bungie have thankfully erased this issueby allowing all consoles to share the same space, letting everyone enjoy the game together regardless of their console choice.
There’s actually more to it than that, as not only can players experience the game across multiple consoles together, they can actually share the progress of their account no matter where they play. It’s a nice extra bonus that is often omitted in multiplayer games, so having cross-progression from launch means that players can keep the shooting up without worrying about their progress being locked.
7Competitive Ranks
Something For The Hardcore Players
Extraction shooters up until this point have been practically devoid of a ranked mode, where players can show off their skill in comparison to the rest of the world. But Bungie is breaking new ground and introducing a competitive mode that is designed to add a bit more structure to the otherwise chaotic gameplay loop.
While there isn’t a huge amount of information about the specifics right now, what is known is that players will be scored based on their performance in a run, with the rankings being a reflection of their skills and efficiency in extracting and taking out enemy players. It is a nice feature that will bring some much-needed replay value to what is otherwise a fairly casual game.
6Dynamic Narrative
A Different Way Of Telling The Story
Creating a brand new IP is not new ground for Bungie by any means. Going from a revolutionary franchise likeHaloand branching out withDestinyproved to be an amazing decision, both financially and for player satisfaction. But when it comes toMarathon,the latest universe will forgo a traditional campaign in place of a more drawn-out narrative that unfolds over time.
The storytelling will take the form of events and in-game secrets that players will slowly unveil through the course of events and create a better picture of what exactly happened to the colonists that vanished. It’s a bold move but an exciting one that feels very reminiscent of the FromSoftware approach of letting the players figure out the narrative threads that are left behind.
5Expansions And Post-Launch Content
Longevity Is Already On The Horizon
No live-service game is complete without a set of updates and extra content to keep players coming back for more and excited for what’s to come next. While there is no concrete roadmap just yet, it is nice to see that Bungie is already committed toMarathonas a franchise and has stated there will be several post-launch content drops in the form of updates and major expansions.
Hopefully, the game follows a similar level of community support asDestinydid, with the players being put first and the content given to them being the highest quality possible in order to satisfy as many people as possible. Bungie really wants to hear from the players and make changes accordingly, and has been open about shaping the world through player feedback and reports.
4Runners
Identity Beyond Customization
Normal tactical shooters often have theplayer jump into a match as a blank slatewith a few customization options, that otherwise have a pretty bland identity. ButMarathonis slated to have several different options in terms of class types, named Runners, who will each bring their own unique abilities and gear to the battlefield.
There are slated to be six released at launch, with more on the way and although that number does sound small when compared to other hero shooters, Bungie seems far more interested in the core gameplay loop and balancing around additions from the ground up, rather than overwelming the player on release with so much to learn, which is a welcome change to help new players get invested faster.
3Party Sizes
Freedom To Play However You Want
Any online multiplayer game has to come with its limits. Whether it be six players per team, 12 or even higher, constraints are a way of defining the size of a match and the level of expectations of the player. Bungie has said thatMarathonwill allow for parties of up to three players to compete against six other teams at once, which is a good-sized match that won’t feel too messy and also not empty.
Beyond that, players will be given the option to jump in solo or as a duo, taking on the crowd in a similar way to other games that allow players to join a match however they choose. It’s a great feature to have for those times when players just want to hop in alone, and by not restricting players to a minimum number, there is much more freedom to experience the game in multiple ways.
2Artists
Heaps Of Experience And Talent
The art style forMarathonhas already raised quite a few eyebrows,being a distinctive stylethat doesn’t look like anything else on the market right now. Part of this comes from the talents of seasoned artists like Joseph Cross, who has done work onDestinyin the past, as well as for theDunefilms, so having someone of his caliber working on the artistry means that the world is going to look beautiful no matter what.
On top of this, Bungie hired Oscar-winning Alberto Mielgo to direct the short cinematic that introduced the universe for the game, which demonstrates their commitment to the universe and the way they are pushing for the very best when it comes to narrative experience, the presentation of the game and, hopefully, they will produce even more of these amazing videos down the line.
