Marathon

About

Marathon is a single player and multiplayer survival shooter game with horror and science fiction themes. It was developed by Bungie and was released on December 21, 1994. It received positive reviews from players.

You are far in the future on a colony ship deep in outer space. A security officer on the mission, you are the last hope for defending the ship as hostile and intelligent aliens prepare to destroy every living thing…

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89%

Audience ScoreBased on 31,360 reviews

graphics2.3k positive mentions

monetization88 negative mentions

Marathon features bold, unique, and immersive cyberpunk sci-fi art direction and top-tier sound design, creating a striking atmosphere that sets it apart in the extraction shooter genre.
The gameplay is praised for its tight, responsive, and satisfying gunplay combined with a rewarding and addictive progression loop balancing PvP and PvE challenges.
The game offers deep replayability through varied builds, faction-based quests, rich lore, and dynamic PvP elements, supported by regular content updates.

Optimization and performance are inconsistent, with frequent reports of stuttering, freezes, and poor CPU utilization on various hardware configurations.
Quest design and UI suffer from poor implementation, with some quests being tedious or broken, complicated navigation, and progression often feeling grindy and unrewarding.
Monetization is viewed as aggressive and predatory, featuring expensive cosmetics and an exploitive pricing model, which frustrates many players despite cosmetic-only microtransactions.

graphics
5,100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
53%
2%
Marathon features a bold, unique "graphic realism" art style that boldly diverges from typical gritty, realistic shooters, combining vibrant neon colors, cyberpunk elements, and a stark, synthetic aesthetic that many players find refreshing and immersive. The visuals, coupled with top-tier gunplay and immersive sound design, create a striking atmosphere praised for its originality and depth, although the art style is polarizing and may take time to appreciate fully. While performance is generally solid, some players report optimization issues, and the UI can be initially confusing, but overall the graphics and aesthetics stand out as a major strength, setting the game apart in the extraction shooter genre.
- “The aesthetic of the game — from visuals to sound design — is second to none in a sci-fi first-person shooter, let alone an extraction shooter.”
- “The art style is bold, unique, and stunning—Y2K cyberpunk sci-fi vibes executed with confidence.”
- “An expertly made world and environment you want to explore, the iconic crisp gunplay that everyone praises Bungie games for, well-written lore to collect in a codex to put even more value in your valuables, and a unique aesthetic that sets it apart from any other game in the genre.”
- “Game is unplayable on AMD 570 graphics cards; problems have been reported for months with no fix.”
- “Overall graphics and engine: Destiny 1 > Destiny 2 >>>> Marathon; Marathon looks so bad, feels like playing at low settings on Roblox or Minecraft.”
- “The game graphics remind me of an unfinished Unreal Engine asset map.”
gameplay
4,757 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
53%
3%
The gameplay is widely praised for its tight, responsive, and satisfying gunplay, blending Bungie’s signature shooter mechanics with fast-paced, high-stakes extraction shooter elements. The deeply rewarding and addictive gameplay loop balances tactical decision-making, intense PvP and PvE combat, and progression systems, offering varied playstyles through unique character classes (shells) and buildcrafting depth. Although it features a steep learning curve and some UI/optimization issues, players appreciate the challenging, immersive experience, rich lore integration, and tension-filled matches that keep them engaged over time.
- “Marathon delivers exactly what you’d expect when it comes to core gameplay: the gunplay is tight, responsive, and incredibly satisfying. Every weapon feels deliberate, with a level of polish that shows Bungie still knows how to make shooting mechanics feel top-tier.”
- “The gameplay loop is tuned to perfection, balancing high-stakes tension with the fluid, responsive gunplay the studio is legendary for.”
- “Marathon is a brilliant symphony of tight, high-octane gameplay, deep systems, and unapologetically bold art direction, all coalescing into an addictive hardcore PvPvE experience.”
- “The gameplay loop is even grindier than Destiny was at its worst.”
- “The gameplay cycle and progression just do not feel rewarding or worth the time.”
- “Bad quest design, unreadable UI, unpleasant UX, lots of bugs (visual and gameplay), crappy weapon balance, poor optimization, repetitive gameplay, and sameness after 20-30 hours, I really wanted the game to be better, but it wasn't.”
story
3,136 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
68%
4%
Marathon offers a rich, immersive sci-fi story woven through faction-based quests, environmental storytelling, and lore entries, providing a compelling narrative uncommon in extraction shooters. While the story is praised for its depth and presentation, it is often accessed indirectly through missions and requires player dedication to uncover fully, which some find frustrating due to quest design and PvP challenges. Overall, the game's narrative and worldbuilding elevate the extraction shooter experience, appealing especially to those who value story alongside intense gameplay.
- “The factions with various story quests really lean into different play styles which make your matches vary greatly from game to game.”
- “The story and lore are amazing; however, I feel that with the way they are presented, they will be skipped by 98% of the player base.”
- “The quests make you feel as if you are uncovering the mysteries of the story and often push you into fun combat situations.”
- “The story content you came back for is locked behind a live-service extraction shooter that requires long uninterrupted sessions and punishes death with complete progress loss on one-time missions.”
- “Then you have the quest design, which ranges from poor design to completely broken.”
- “The quests require you dedicate an entire run to one quest at a time, which artificially increases engagement by forcing you to go in to do something incredibly simple, then leave, just to get the next quest.”
optimization
1,169 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
58%
14%
Optimization for this game is highly mixed, with many praising its generally smooth and stable performance on mid-range and lower-end systems, while others report poor CPU utilization, inconsistent frame rates, and significant stuttering—especially on certain maps like Outpost and Cryo Archive. Despite the game's small file size and solid visuals, CPU bottlenecks and a lack of graphical settings impact performance across diverse hardware, and Bungie acknowledges ongoing work to improve optimization. Overall, while the core gameplay runs well for many, the performance issues and demanding CPU usage remain the game's primary technical drawbacks.
- “The game optimization is incredible; it's been some time since I've seen a game run at max settings native 1440p at over 100fps even on modern mid-range rigs like mine.”
- “Bungie's optimization and performance on my machine are as close to perfect as I could ask for in this day and age, where almost any other game is a bloated, unoptimized mess with massive frame drops and poor hardware utilization.”
- “Extremely well optimized and fluid game.”
- “Optimization feels inconsistent—performance can be smooth one moment and rough the next, which takes away from the experience.”
- “Honestly the best extraction shooter I've played to date, the only thing holding it back is the fact that the performance is abysmal.”
- “The second thing I will give the game is the optimization. Secondly, the performance is abysmal.”
music
1,058 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
51%
1%
The music in this game is widely praised for its exceptional quality, atmospheric and haunting tones that perfectly complement the sci-fi, dystopian setting. Composed by Ryan Lott, the soundtrack is immersive, unique, and highly engaging, often cited as a standout feature that enhances the overall experience alongside the top-tier art direction and sound design. While some players turn off in-game music for competitive reasons, the majority celebrate its contribution to mood, tension, and world-building.
- “The music feels strange and otherworldly, dangerous when it needs to be and mesmerizing at others, not once did I feel like the music did anything short of engulfing me into the strange and unknown world of Marathon.”
- “The soundtrack by Ryan Lott is also incredible, with some lovely use of chopped vocals, pads, synths and drum machines, especially whenever you're charging up an exfil and hear the music swell at full charge, it's wonderful.”
- “The gunplay, the atmosphere, the soundtrack (I don't think I've ever heard better music in a game)... it's just amazing.”
- “While every piece of music in this game fits for its scenarios, such as loading into a match, its maps, the theme of this game, etc., none of the tracks stand out the way Halo and especially Destiny's music does.”
- “Music: it tries too hard and becomes annoying very quickly.”
- “The music is ass; the devs are deaf.”
atmosphere
884 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
39%
1%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive, tense, and unique sci-fi and cosmic horror vibe, combining striking visual design, haunting soundscapes, and rich lore to create a deeply engaging world. Players highlight the mix of eerie, suspenseful, and sometimes vibrant environments that enhance the high-stakes extraction gameplay, making solo and team play distinct and memorable experiences. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature that greatly elevates the gunplay and gameplay loop, drawing players into Bungie's signature blend of intense and captivating storytelling and world-building.
- “The gunplay feels amazing, the sci-fi atmosphere is top tier, and every extraction is tense in the best way.”
- “Marathon delivers tight gunplay and a distinct, original sci-fi atmosphere that really sets it apart.”
- “The atmosphere, the gunplay, the movement, the sound design, the art direction... chef's kiss.”
- “The game was good great format overall the game seems dead there no atmosphere to the overall game game got issues overall.”
- “No atmosphere; no soul; every location feels the same; most guns look and feel the same; most implants, mods, skills feel the same.”
- “The maps lack atmosphere. Instead of enhancing the atmosphere, it feels dull and uninspiring.”
monetization
331 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
65%
27%
The monetization of the game is largely viewed as aggressive and predatory, with many players criticizing the presence of a paid battle pass, expensive and poorly structured cosmetic microtransactions, and a pricing model that feels exploitative given the game's upfront cost. While the microtransactions are cosmetic-only and do not affect gameplay, the system suffers from a lack of consumer-friendly options, limited ways to earn premium currency through gameplay, and underwhelming cosmetic offerings. Despite some improvements over Bungie's previous monetization efforts, the overall approach leaves many feeling frustrated and wary about the game's long-term support and player retention.
- “Minimal monetization too so you get what you need for the base price.”
- “Bungie is taking a very level-headed approach to monetization: cosmetics only; no pay-to-win.”
- “Almost all guns and characters have skins you can unlock for simply doing challenges with them, and most of them honestly surpass the paid cosmetics the game offers, which feels great from a consumer perspective.”
- “The monetization follows a familiar pattern: box price plus premium currency whose bundle sizes are calibrated so you always spend slightly more than intended.”
- “The monetization is a bit meh, but they have just announced a revamped battlepass, something to keep an eye on.”
- “The monetization model is where I’m most disappointed.”
grinding
267 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
5%
94%
Grinding in this game offers a rewarding and skill-based progression with satisfying gunplay and faction upgrades, but it can be tedious and repetitive due to frequent wipe resets, slow faction leveling, and cumbersome UI navigation. Players appreciate the balanced loot system and meaningful rewards, yet many find the extensive material farming, questing, and inventory management draining, especially for solo or casual playstyles. Overall, grinding feels essential and engaging for dedicated players but may induce burnout or frustration for those who dislike heavy time investment or repetitive tasks.
- “The gameplay loop is not grindy unlike other games in this genre (Arc Raiders, Tarkov). It also has the perfect balance between PvP and PvE. The AI/NPCs are tougher and smarter and can often be more of a challenge compared to players.”
- “And if you aren't grinding a lot, it's difficult to get out of low-tier gear.”
- “I like that the progression isn't as grindy as games like Tarkov or Arc Raiders. Most importantly, no tedious crafting system.”
- “Instead here, it's completely locked away behind grindy progression and achievement hunting.”
- “But this game absolutely takes the cake when it comes to locking the actual fun content behind grinding in the most unfulfilling and unfun way.”
- “Entire factions can require a ridiculous amount of specific materials you'll only ever find on one or two places on a single map, so farming it is just loading in, likely spawning far away and running across the entire map to a specific location over and over, looking through literal garbage bins for generic items.”
stability
161 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
2%
45%
The game generally runs smoothly and is well-optimized across a range of systems, offering solid performance with few major crashes or freezes. However, some players report occasional bugs, graphical glitches, and stuttering—particularly following updates—that can occasionally disrupt gameplay. Overall, while the game is stable and playable for most users, certain network and bug-related issues remain that the developers are actively addressing.
- “The game runs great across all my platforms including Xbox and Xbox Rog Ally X, with cross-progression and cross-play features enhancing the experience.”
- “It somehow runs great on my old PC without ever adjusting a single setting, and it doesn't require secure boot to play.”
- “Performance wise it runs great on my 7800x3d and 9070xt oc, fully maxed out with FSR native AA at 3440x1440, 120+fps outdoors.”
- “After the cryo update, whenever an enemy runner appears on my screen or starts shooting, the game completely freezes for 2 seconds and I die.”
- “However, recently a patch came out that turned my issues from being stuck at a stable low fps to having constant frequent stutters and freezes making the game nearly unplayable since I'd be as good as dead the moment I found myself in combat.”
- “Game is a buggy mess and came with release from server slam with no fixes to the issues that were there before. Audio keeps randomly going out completely, it freezes and crashes 24/7 (I'm on an RTX 4070 Ti and a Ryzen 7 3k$ PC build), recon spider drone spins in circles and doesn't go to a target so many times it's stupid.”
humor
120 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
1%
Reviews highlight the game's humor as a mix of sharp, witty writing, amusing character interactions, and emergent funny moments in gameplay, especially through chaotic PvP encounters and proximity chat banter. The humor often arises from the game's blend of a serious, thought-out world with absurd, quirky situations and player dynamics, which many find highly entertaining despite balance and interface flaws. Overall, humor is praised as a strong and enjoyable component that enhances the game's unique atmosphere and player experience.
- “Actually interesting and thought out world to inhabit, humorous writing and weird personas for the corporations that are exploiting you, visually striking in such a way that feels deeply grounded and connected to the past, especially connected to the history of technology and design.”
- “The chaos, the rescues, the occasional moment when the squad accidentally works together for five whole seconds — it all creates these hilarious emergent moments that make every match memorable.”
- “Eventually you will experience the naturally evolved social ritual of simultaneously killing each other in a duel, and crawling towards each other laughing about it on proximity chat.”
- “You're not funny!”
character development
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
55%
7%
Character development and design receive mixed but generally positive feedback, with many praising the unique, immersive, and detailed aesthetic, lore integration, and high-quality art direction. Players appreciate the distinctive "shell" concept, expressive voice acting, and vibrant environments, though some find certain character models and overall designs unattractive or bland. A recurring desire is for deeper story-driven missions and more varied character design options to enhance engagement beyond gameplay mechanics.
- “The level of detail in the environments, lore fragments, and character design shows how much care went into building a believable sci-fi setting.”
- “This is backed up with fascinating lore, great voice acting (seriously, the voice cast is stacked), and top notch character design.”
- “From the tiniest details in the subtle way your runner moves, to the way the reload animations look, the voice acting, animations, character design: I can see and feel all the love that was put into this game.”
- “Besides the awful character designs and easy-to-draw square weapons, to play the game you have to disable your antivirus or it won't connect to the server.”
- “Honestly felt like nothing new and idk it just has a very bland look to the game, as well as the character designs are very boring as well.”
- “The menus and character development are incredibly slow, overly complicated, and impossible to complete without help from a full team, even though all contracts are character specific which encourages players to split up.”
emotional
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game delivers a powerful emotional experience marked by intense highs and heartbreaking lows, evoking feelings of tension, excitement, and attachment rarely found in extraction shooters. While some players find its brutal, unforgiving nature and gear loss deeply impactful and immersive, others note a mix of emotional investment and frustration due to design quirks and community dynamics. Overall, it excels in creating an addictive, rollercoaster of emotions that resonates strongly with both new and veteran players.
- “I have not felt these emotional highs and lows since playing Siege competitively.”
- “Having gear feels good, so when you lose it, it feels heart-wrenching (if you go to Cryo Archive, you will quickly find out why people call it the 'lose everything ship'; I miss having things in my vault).”
- “As my first real extraction shooter, this game has made me feel tension and relief in greater spades than any game has for years.”
replayability
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
65%
5%
Replayability is a standout aspect praised for its depth, varied builds, and progression systems that keep gameplay fresh and engaging, especially with its PvP elements and unique character stats. While some note limited map variety and concerns about long-term meta stagnation, many highlight the game's addictive nature, customization, and frequent content updates as key factors sustaining high replay value. Overall, the game offers a compelling and rewarding experience that encourages repeated playthroughs.
- “The replay value is ensured by the PvP element: no two runs ever play the same way.”
- “Marathon has tons and tons of depth and just as much customization that gives this game a lot of replayability, zone events that are actually varied, loot rooms, environments, attachments, faction upgrades and finally shell builds.”
- “The gunplay feels incredible, and the variety of builds you can create adds a lot of depth and replayability.”
- “I don't know much about map design and am coming as a mere player on this, but damn I just can't fathom how unreplayable this game is when I can visit every POI on the map in a single run (no longer than 25 minutes).”
- “Doesn't matter the game, it's the same generic but effective replayable missions and contracts to get loot to take on harder missions and contracts.”
- “Map variety is also pretty thin right now and more options would go a long way for long-term replayability.”