Destiny Developers Bungie have announced a new game in the Marathon series at this year’s PlayStation Showcase. Marathon appears to be a reboot of the ’90s science fiction FPS, which has always been considered a forerunner to Bungie’s Halo games.
It also marks Bungie’s first brand-new project in over 10 years, returning to their Sci-fi shooter roots but with a twist; Marathon is a PvP extraction shooter. From initial details, it also appears to be a live service game supported internally by Sony.
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According to the official PlayStation blog:
“Marathon will find players engaging one another as cybernetic mercenaries known as Runners, exploring a lost colony on the planet of Tau Ceti IV in search of riches, fame, and infamy.”
The game is currently in development for PS5 as well as PC with full cross-play and cross-save compatibility said to be available on launch.
Going the Distance: Will Marathon Be Bungie’s Next Hit Game?
Other than the PlayStation Showcase trailer, there is not much known about Marathon. It appears that Bungie is attempting to diversify the games it makes after spending most of its time and resources developing Destiny over the past decade.
Marathon is also going to be a multiplayer PvP-focused game and won’t have a single-player campaign. Instead, with the PvP experience at its foundation, Bungie is hoping to create dynamic multiplayer moments that have consequences within the game’s online world.
According to Game Director Christopher Barrett:
“We’re building a world full of persistent, evolving zones, where players create their own journey with every run they take. That might mean an unforgettable firefight against another crew vying for the same loot, or a last-second extraction while beset on all sides.”
This could be an interesting new take on the loot-based PvP shooter genre, as adaptive dynamic environments mean that each game is different from the last as player actions have lasting consequences. This could lead to destructive environments and areas that can be moulded to suit player needs in a fire fight.
With Marathon being an extraction shooter, you can either play solo or in a squad of up to three players. On top of this, much like in the popular extraction shooter, Escape from Tarkov, players will do “runs” to acquire gear and supplies fighting to an extraction point with as much loot as they can carry.
Marathon is also not a hero-based experience as a lot of popular FPS games of the last decade have been such as Overwatch, Valorant and Rainbow Six Siege . It will however feature customizable player characters called, “Runners,” that can be built up as you play.
In addition to fighting other players, there are also a number of AI enemies populating the map. An example that was given, was of players exploring an underground area and encountering a Big Bad from the original Marathon. What this opens the door to is more classic elements from the original Marathon series seeping into the new game.
However, at the moment this is all mostly speculation, with some comments from the development team, as there is no official gameplay trailer yet. Marathon is one to look out for when it is released later down the line, as Bungie’s latest FPS could provide an interesting new take on the PvP Extraction Shooter genre, that Escape from Tarkov, has dominated for so long.
What are your thoughts on this trailer? Do you think that Bungie can create another smash hit? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
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