This game has become my favorite extraction shooter so far.

Just for context, I am an Xbox player. I haven’t had too many options and most of my playtime has been on Arc Raiders. I had dabbled on Hunt Showdown, as well as Delta Force.

Marathon didn’t hit with me at first during the sever slam, but the more I played it, the more hooked I got. After a couple hours, I really couldn’t bring myself to play Arc again (which is a great game). Here is why I have enjoyed Marathon so much:

The gunplay: No shocker on this one. Bungie was expected to have solid gunplay and Marathon has definitely delivered. I had always found Destiny to feel floaty and plastic, but the guns and overall gunplay in this game few meaty and more weighty. It’s very enjoyable to even just kill AI enemies, which makes runs fun even if you get killed.

The depth: Marathon and its factions and shells, each with their own upgrades, have made me really want to grind this game more than some of the others I have played. There is so much incentive to complete contracts that I am always excited to pick the next one up and see what I can unlock. It just totally changes the game.

The pacing: This one is more subjective. As an Arc Raiders player, I have become a bit tired of the absolute chaos of PvP. In that game, third and fourth partying is just constant. There are so many players on the map at all times that it really feels like a slot machine where you have little control over the outcome. Marathon is MUCH slower. Third partying happens, but since there are a fixed number of squads, you get a bit more downtime and also more reward for taking a couple squads down, since now there are less threats on the map. I enjoy this pace much more, and it better rewards skilled play vs getting a good spawn against people who have been fighting already.

The AI: The AI in other extraction shooters are something to be avoided (Arc and Hunt), or just cannon folder (Delta Force). I love in Marathon that you CAN avoid some if you like, but you also are incentivized to kill them. They can be a serious threat also, so you need to fight them skillfully. Since there aren’t many roaming enemies, you are typically able to control your encounters with them pretty well, which allows you to be a bit safer from opportunistic players compared to a game like Arc. In that game, the AI are very interesting, but you really are always better off ignoring them in PVP lobbies, since most of the dynamic enemies are out in the open. Marathon encourages you to engage with its AI enemies, and I really enjoy it.

The sound design: I LOVE the sound design in this game. The weather sounds incredible, and the indoor areas have an eerie feeling that keeps you on edge. As you move around the map past a POI, you can also hear the metal creaking.

There are a few negatives for sure that others have mentioned. The UI and button mapping is confusing, and I think the footstep audio could use some tuning. For me, though, the pros really outweigh the cons and I am having an absolute blast the more I play.

TLDR: I like the game.