Marathon Faces Player Division Amidst Extraction Shooter Launch
Bungie's new extraction shooter, Marathon, has launched to mixed reviews, praised for its solid gunplay and challenging loop. However, its steep learning curve and PvP focus have polarized players, leading to review bombing campaigns. Fans are actively defending the title, highlighting its potential despite genre competition and initial player friction.
Coverage across 24 outlets
Marathon Review - Back on the starting line
Marathon, Bungie's reimagining of their legacy franchise as an extraction shooter, offers excellent gunplay and a tense PvPvE loop on PC and PlayStation 5. While the game boasts strong fundamentals, a striking visual identity, and a generous economy, it struggles with map design, unclear objectives, and a cluttered UI, leading to limited long-term appeal and a steep learning curve for new players.
More Marathon Reviews
The video game Marathon, developed by Bungie, has seen a surge of new reviews published approximately three weeks after its initial launch. This delay in reviews was reportedly at the request of the developer.
Marathon review: 77 hours later
Marathon is a brilliant extraction shooter that distills the genre's best elements while offering a glimpse into its future. Despite a brutal difficulty curve and a sometimes-disappointing battle pass, the game excels with its spectacular gunplay, meticulously designed maps, and deep lore. Bungie's signature style is evident in its world-building and satisfying combat mechanics, making it a standout title in the genre.
Marathon is the first FPS to challenge Escape from Tarkov on its own turf, and after 80 hours I'm glad Bungie…
Bungie's Marathon is a stylish take on the extraction shooter genre, offering a faster pace and more accessible mechanics than titles like Escape from Tarkov. After 80 hours, the reviewer finds it to be a compelling experience that successfully blends high-stakes PvP with engaging lore and streamlined systems, making it a favorite multiplayer shooter.
Marathon review – Joy, pain, and bountiful loot in a dark sci-fi future
Marathon, Bungie's new extraction shooter, offers slick gunplay and deep world-building but is a niche experience for hardcore PvP players. While the game's unique art style and satisfying combat are praised, its steep learning curve and punishing nature may deter some players. Despite potential challenges, the game provides a rewarding experience for those who invest the time, with well-designed maps and engaging endgame content.
Marathon Review You Get What You Give | Console Creatures
The review for Marathon notes that the game rewards player patience but is hindered by UI issues and unclear systems. These elements create a murky experience that players must navigate.
Marathon Review — You Get What You Give | Console Creatures
Bungie's Marathon is a tense PvPvE extraction shooter available on Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Players act as cybernetic Runners on Tau Ceti IV, completing contracts and battling AI and human opponents while trying to exfiltrate successfully.
Marathon review in progress - exquisite gunplay and striking aesthetics cover up some frustrating cracks
Despite some frustrating elements, Marathon's exquisite gunplay and striking aesthetics have kept the reviewer engaged. The article suggests that while not a perfect experience, the game's core mechanics are compelling.
Marathon review: Brilliant extraction tension and frustration - Notebookcheck
Bungie's Marathon is a tense PvPvE extraction shooter available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Players take on contracts as cybernetic Runners on Tau Ceti IV, battling AI and human opponents while attempting to exfiltrate with their loot.
Marathon review: Brilliant extraction tension and frustration - Notebookcheck
Marathon offers brilliant extraction tension and satisfying gunplay, though its user interface is a weak point. Despite its unforgiving nature, players generally feel a sense of progress even after dying frequently. The game's sound design is particularly praised, and its art direction has grown on many players.
Marathon (2026) Review-In-Progress
This is a review-in-progress for the upcoming game Marathon, based on experiences from the Server Slam event and the initial hours of the full release. Further impressions will be shared after the first updates and the game's raid are completed.
Marathon Review In Progress: Just getting started
The review for Marathon indicates that the game has a lot of potential, with many positive aspects. The author suggests that with continued support from Sony and some polishing, Marathon could become a standout title.
Marathon Launch Review: Bungies extraction shooter is a hostile beast worth taming | VGC
Bungie's new extraction shooter, Marathon, is described as both alluring and unforgiving. The game presents a challenging experience within its genre.
Marathon Review In Progress: Just getting started
This review of Marathon is in its early stages, with the author focusing on the broader context of gamer reactions to game development and live service titles. The piece criticizes what it perceives as excessive negativity and hate directed towards various games, regardless of their single-player or live service nature.
Marathon Launch Review: Bungie’s extraction shooter is a hostile beast worth taming | VGC
Bungie's upcoming extraction shooter, Marathon, is described as a hostile but rewarding experience. The article touches on the broader gaming landscape, criticizing excessive negativity towards both live service and single-player titles, and uses examples like Destiny, God of War, and The Last of Us to illustrate points about game development and player reception.
Marathon Review – Runner’s High
Marathon offers an engaging extraction shooter experience with tight gunplay and a compelling mystery, despite some UI and reward system drawbacks. The game's rogue-like narrative structure and faction-based progression encourage repeated runs, even after significant gear loss. While not for everyone, its unique blend of tactical gameplay and unpredictable encounters makes it a fun, albeit punishing, experience.
Marathon mellanbra enligt kritiker, men Steam-spelarna gillar
Marathon has received mixed reviews from critics, with an average score of 75 on Opencritic and 70 on Metacritic. However, players on Steam have reacted much more positively, with 88% giving it a thumbs up. Daily player counts on Steam have peaked at 88,000, significantly lower than Destiny 2's peak.
Marathon Review In Progress
This review in progress for Bungie's upcoming first-person shooter Marathon offers an early look at the game. The article is currently being developed and will provide a full assessment of the title upon completion.
Game Reviews
Reviews for John Carpenter's Toxic Commando and Marathon highlight their respective gameplay experiences. Toxic Commando is described as a stylish and challenging action game, while Marathon is noted for its merciless design.
Marathon Review-In-Progress - Incredible Highs, Painful Lows
Bungie's Marathon is a highly engaging extraction shooter that excels at creating tense, personality-filled battles. The game features a deep faction and loot system that encourages character progression, even after losses. While the user interface can be overwhelming and the single-contract system frustrating, the core gunplay and overall experience are strong, with future content updates expected to further enhance the live-service offering.
