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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88%

Audience ScoreBased on 35,651 reviews

graphics2.6k positive mentions

monetization94 negative mentions

Tight, responsive, and exhilarating gunplay with Bungie's signature feel, creating a challenging and rewarding extraction shooter experience.
Distinctive, bold, and immersive cyberpunk art style combined with exceptional sound design and a haunting, atmospheric soundtrack that enhances tension and immersion.
Highly addictive and replayable gameplay loop with varied encounters, deep progression systems, and a compelling blend of PvP and PvE elements.

Steep learning curve combined with occasional UI and onboarding difficulties, along with punishing solo play due to focus on squad mechanics.
Performance and optimization issues affecting many players, including inconsistent frame rates, CPU-bound drops, bugs, glitches, and occasional crashes.
Tedious and grind-heavy progression system with repetitive contracts, frequent resets, and RNG-dependent upgrades that can frustrate players.

graphics
5,659 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
53%
2%
The game’s graphics and art style are highly distinctive and bold, featuring a vibrant, retro-futuristic cyberpunk aesthetic that many find refreshing and immersive, though it is polarizing and may not appeal to everyone. The visuals are praised for their unique design, detailed environments, and cohesive worldbuilding, contributing significantly to the game’s atmosphere and player engagement. However, some users report performance issues, a steep learning curve to navigate the UI and item visuals, and occasional visual clutter affecting gameplay clarity, yet the overall gunplay and sound design complement the striking graphics effectively.
- “The art style is bold, unique, and stunning—y2k cyberpunk sci-fi vibes executed with confidence.”
- “The art style carries this game so hard that for a moment you'll be convinced it's a fun game.”
- “The visuals and the music are phenomenal.”
- “Every graphic setting does nothing, I have the same FPS and input lag from low to highest settings (due to the game stressing the CPU, not the GPU). It's literally crazy!”
- “Can't get more than 80 FPS no matter the graphics settings.”
- “The performance is garbage; it doesn't matter if you play on low or high settings, there won't be much difference in FPS, but there will be a huge difference in an already ugly graphics.”
gameplay
5,490 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
54%
3%
Marathon delivers Bungie's signature tight, responsive gunplay within a fast-paced, high-stakes extraction shooter gameplay loop that is both challenging and rewarding. The diverse shell classes and deep buildcrafting create varied playstyles, while the blend of PvP and PvE, along with intricate map mechanics and lore integration, provide an intensely immersive and addictive experience. However, the game features a steep learning curve, occasional UI and onboarding issues, and is primarily tailored for squads, making solo play particularly punishing.
- “The gameplay loop is near perfect, the world is so immersive, the gunplay is incredible as usual, and all of the problems plaguing it are either external or balance/minor design issues, all of which can be fixed.”
- “The core gameplay is excellent, most of the guns feel great and the added tension of (potentially) losing your gear makes it even more compelling.”
- “Bungie made an extraction shooter that has the "bungie feel" of weapons, and its a unique flavor of gameplay.”
- “I am really not a fan of it, there’s not much variety gameplay-wise to be had, everyone just rushes to the middle.”
- “Besides that you have grenades that leave dots, grenades that disable abilities and dots, tripwires where you become mechanically impaired or healing impaired and summon more pve. Besides that, without even tripping you can get an RNG spam of pve that will sometimes spawn right in your face, taking up to 8 sniper headshots or more to kill a purple bot.”
- “Super frustrating, you get stuck on weird objects while fighting; the randoms are horrible at the game, and the movement mechanics punish you for using them, so every gun fight is just stiff with people using head glitches or doing simple strafing; there's no skill gap in terms of movement.”
story
3,567 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
69%
4%
Marathon’s story stands out in the extraction shooter genre by weaving deep, lore-rich narrative elements through faction quests, environmental storytelling, codex entries, and audio logs rather than traditional campaigns. While the storytelling is immersive, cryptic, and compelling for lore enthusiasts, it is often fragmented, reliant on player progression, and can be difficult to experience fully due to quest design, difficulty, and the PvP-heavy multiplayer setting. Overall, the game offers a unique Bungie-flavored sci-fi mystery that rewards exploration and persistence but may frustrate players seeking a straightforward or linear story experience.
- “The quests and skill trees have a ton of depth, the gunplay is top notch, and successfully extracting with a banger loadout is so satisfying.”
- “The game being unforgiving when it comes to combat makes sense; it's an extraction shooter, but the gameplay and story are phenomenal.”
- “Marathon is a different story. The way that progression works and how it ties in with the universe and the story is masterfully designed and better than any extraction shooter before.”
- “The quests are just flat out terrible.”
- “The quests for factions can be a grind, but at least you get something actually useful for doing them.”
- “The quests are boring, they don't give good rewards, but you have to do them to level up your factions or else you can't compete with people who did them because they'll have better stats than you.”
optimization
1,357 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
59%
14%
The optimization of the game is highly mixed and currently a major point of contention; while some users report smooth performance even on mid- to low-end systems, many high-end PC players experience poor, inconsistent, and CPU-bound performance with frequent frame drops, especially on certain maps like Outpost and Cryo Archive. Bungie has acknowledged these issues and is working on improvements, but the lack of a dedicated and effective optimization patch so far has left many frustrated, impacting gameplay experience in this competitive extraction shooter. Overall, the game benefits from decent optimization relative to its graphics and file size, yet it demands significant performance enhancements for a broader and more consistent smooth experience on various hardware.
- “The gunplay feels great and game is optimized well.”
- “Great art direction, amazing graphics and great performance.”
- “The optimization is also very well done, the game runs really smoothly, only takes up about 50 gigs too (in this economy?).”
- “Performance is bad on high-end PC, frames are low and drop to 30-40 fps on some locations.”
- “Over time, performance has seemingly degraded; I get bad fps drops all the way to 45 fps on both Outpost and Cryo Archive (which, ironically, are the higher stakes, more competitive maps).”
- “The game is terribly optimized as well; I'm on a 5070ti and Ryzen 7 9800x3d and the game almost never breaks 120 fps unless you're staring at a black loading screen.”
music
1,173 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
51%
1%
The music in the game receives widespread acclaim for its unique, eerie, and immersive electronic soundtrack that perfectly complements the game's dark, atmospheric sci-fi setting. Composed by Ryan Lott and team, it skillfully enhances tension and immersion without overwhelming gameplay, with many players praising its originality and emotional impact. While some find the in-game music occasionally distracting during intense moments, the overall sound design and soundtrack are regarded as standout features that significantly elevate the game's aesthetic and mood.
- “You are constantly, with increasing fear and tension and paranoia, focused on the sound in a run - listening for gunshots, footsteps, water or birds disturbed - and every bit of the sound design and atmospheric, eerie, mechanical music will use this opportunity to burrow into your thoughts and not leave.”
- “The soundtrack and sound design deserve a shout out as well, as there are so many little sounds with the UI and atmosphere that really tie it all together.”
- “Ryan Lott and Chase Combs are a power duo in this game's sound design and soundtrack.”
- “The soundtrack sounds like an attempt to stand out amongst musicians for something edgy and new rather than something relevant to the subject matter.”
- “The music way too loud as well and being unable to adjust its volume in 2026 is insane.”
- “Had to turn all the music off that made the game 1000x more playable.”
atmosphere
976 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
40%
1%
Marathon is widely praised for its dense, immersive, and unique atmosphere that brilliantly combines dystopian sci-fi, cosmic horror, and cyberpunk elements with exceptional sound design and a captivating soundtrack. The game's striking art direction, environmental storytelling, and tense audio cues create a haunting and thrilling experience, especially in solo play, making the world feel alive, mysterious, and oppressive. Bungie's signature tight gunplay perfectly complements the atmospheric tension, resulting in a standout and memorable extraction shooter experience.
- “You are constantly, with increasing fear and tension and paranoia, focused on the sound in a run - listening for gunshots, for footsteps, for water or birds disturbed - and every bit of the sound design and atmospheric, eerie, mechanical music will use this opportunity to burrow into your thoughts and not leave.”
- “The atmosphere of exploring Tau Ceti IV and taking in its world, the world itself telling you so much about its lore and what happened just from something as simple as a scratch on the wall to a bioprinter that corroded a whole lab, the soundscapes of each map, and the thing I did not expect as much going into this, the writing.”
- “Marathon is visually striking, bold, and unexpected, while being underpinned by incredible soundscapes and music, which all coalesce into such a cohesive & immersive atmosphere that it oozes from every biosynthetic pore.”
- “It lacks that sense of atmosphere and detail that helps bring a setting to life.”
- “The game was good great format overall the game seems dead there no atmosphere to the overall game game got issues overall.”
- “Some minor klunky UI and weapon balance issues but the atmosphere is unbeatable.”
monetization
351 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
65%
27%
The monetization in the game is largely cosmetic and non-pay-to-win, with many skins and items unlockable through gameplay; however, it is widely criticized for being aggressive, overpriced, and having predatory practices reminiscent of Bungie's past titles like Destiny 2. While some appreciate that microtransactions are optional and the battle pass offers minimal paywalls, many feel the pricing, UI, and overall structure reflect a cash grab mentality that detracts from the experience in a paid $40 game. Ongoing improvements and consumer-friendly adjustments are hoped for, but skepticism remains due to Bungie's history with monetization.
- “The in-game purchases are purely cosmetic.”
- “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.”
- “At $40 a copy, Bungie could have at least included the first battle pass at no charge — but instead, the monetization structure feels designed to extract additional spending from players who have already paid full price.”
- “The monetization follows a familiar pattern: box price plus premium currency whose bundle sizes are calibrated so you always spend slightly more than intended.”
- “Finally the in game purchases are very predatory with items costing something like 1120 in game currency but you can only buy 1100 or 2000 so you are pushed to spend more in a game you already paid for.”
grinding
337 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
4%
95%
Grinding in the game is widely described as a significant and often tedious part of the experience, with many players noting the heavy time investment required to progress through repetitive contracts, faction upgrades, and loot farming. While the gunplay and core mechanics are praised, the grind can feel punishing, especially with regular progress wipes every three months, locked content, and competition from well-geared players dominating farming spots. Despite its grindiness, some find the challenge rewarding and addictive, appreciating that progression unlocks meaningful upgrades, though solo play and UI/menu management add to the tedium.
- “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. Additionally, the AI/NPCs are tougher and smarter, often providing more challenge than players.”
- “I like that the progression isn't as grindy as games like Tarkov or Arc Raiders. Most importantly, there is no tedious crafting system.”
- “If you aren't grinding a lot, it's difficult to get out of low-tier gear.”
- “The upgrade progression system is a giant mess so you can put in 100 hours and make zero progress, which feels terrible especially when basic gear like blue shields are locked behind a ton of salvage that rarely drops and when it does it's only 1 and it's very likely someone else will get it before you. So there's almost no return on investment on the time you'll spend playing this game. Hundreds of hours of RNG to purchase basic gear is a terrible design which proves the devs just want people grinding to keep player counts up but it's had the inverse effect.”
- “The grind to upgrade everything in a faction is really tedious and shouldn't reset after 3 months.”
- “Most of the primary story contracts have punishing 'in a single run + exfil' conditions that make finishing them much harder unless you get lucky, so you end up repetitively grinding them over and over again.”
stability
184 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
2%
46%
The game generally runs well across a wide range of systems, with many users praising its optimization, smooth performance, and stable framerate. However, it faces recurring issues with bugs, glitches (especially in movement, UI, and map interactions), occasional freezes, and server instability that can disrupt solo play and combat moments. Overall, while stable and well-optimized for the most part, ongoing technical bugs and occasional crashes affect the experience for some players.
- “The game runs great on high graphics settings and it looks fantastic.”
- “Game runs great on my system with absolutely zero issues.”
- “It somehow runs great on my old pc without ever adjusting a single setting, and it doesn't require secure boot to play.”
- “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.”
- “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 a RTX 4070ti and a Ryzen 7 $3k PC build); recon's spider drone spins in circles and doesn't go to a target so many times it's stupid.”
- “Absolute buggy mess, organic AI just stutter, friends can't play, all they see are black screens, weapon models black, see through the ground, completely broken atm. Not worth $40 in any way, maybe $10.”
humor
132 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
1%
The humor in the game is frequently described as dark, chaotic, and emergent, often arising from tense or frustrating gameplay moments, quirky characters like Rooks, and funny in-game banter via proximity chat. Players enjoy the humorous writing, absurd situations, and sarcastic tone, though some find certain elements like the anti-cheat system, UI, or matchmaking hilariously poor. Overall, humor adds a layer of entertainment to the challenging and punishing experience, making losses, glitches, and unexpected encounters memorable and often laugh-inducing.
- “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.”
- “A lot of pvp encounters end with us dead but laughing, and a few times it's ended with the teams we downed laughing and congratulating us in proximity chat.”
character development
104 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
54%
8%
Character development and design receive mixed but generally positive feedback, with many praising the unique, bold, and immersive character aesthetics that complement the game's deep lore and art style. However, some users find certain character designs unappealing or inconsistent, and a few desire more focused story missions and richer narrative delivery beyond text. Overall, the character designs are seen as a standout feature that enhances the game's atmosphere despite some polarizing opinions.
- “I had absolutely no intention of buying or playing this game but after seeing the fantastic short film that came out about a year ago I was so blown away by the art style, character design, and world building.”
- “The level of detail in the environments, lore fragments, and character design shows how much care went into building a believable sci-fi setting.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “The skills are completely unbalanced and the character design is awful, as well.”
emotional
85 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game delivers a powerful and unique emotional experience, balancing intense heartbreak from losing gear with exhilarating highs of accomplishment and teamwork, reminiscent of competitive shooters and FromSoftware titles. While some players find its brutal and unforgiving nature emotionally taxing, many praise its immersive atmosphere, compelling lore, and the addictive tension-reward loop that keeps them deeply invested. Overall, it evokes a rare blend of excitement, frustration, and genuine emotional connection, making it a standout in the extraction shooter genre.
- “The emotional stakes are off the charts, and maps like Cryo Archive are a total masterpiece — the atmosphere and level design there are just next level.”
- “Every run feels like a high-stakes treasure hunt mixed with a sci-fi action movie and the emotional rollercoaster of gambling with your entire inventory.”
- “Marathon gives you that true, heartbreaking extraction experience but in a different world/style with great story elements.”
replayability
69 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
55%
4%
The game offers exceptional replayability due to its varied encounters, deep progression systems, and dynamic PvP elements that ensure no two runs feel the same. Despite minor concerns about map variety and balance at higher levels, the combination of rich customization, engaging gunplay, and evolving objectives creates a highly addictive and rewarding experience. Overall, players find it highly replayable, especially for fans of challenging extraction shooters.
- “No two encounters feel the same, which makes it insanely replayable.”
- “The gunplay feels incredible, and the variety of builds you can create adds a lot of depth and replayability.”
- “Having side objectives and map objectives during a run increase the variety and replayability immensely, with no run feeling the same as the last.”
- “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 point of interest on the map in a single run (no longer than 25 minutes).”
- “Map variety is also pretty thin right now and more options would go a long way for long-term replayability.”
- “So it's not offering a uniquely different experience in the same way rook runs, solos, or even cryo boss fights do. Maybe the second season is awesome and brings a ton of new content, or maybe it brings a single map condition that only marginally increases replayability and a new hero that only some people end up playing or everyone ends up playing because it's busted.”