Marathon

About Marathon

Marathon dropped on March 5, 2026 as a shooter from Bungie. You play as a Runner, a cybernetic mercenary sent to Tau Ceti IV where a lost colony vanished without a trace. The game launched on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5 with both solo and multiplayer modes. Your goal involves searching for alien artifacts and valuable loot while fighting against the unknown environment. This title focuses heavily on extraction mechanics where you enter dangerous zones to grab gear before escaping. It feels like a high-stakes hunt rather than a standard arena shooter. The setting remains mysterious with strange signals hinting at dormant AI and untold riches waiting for those brave enough to find them.

Gameplay

You move through the map as one person or in a crew of three looking for specific targets. Every session starts by dropping onto the planet surface where you must locate artifacts and weapons while avoiding threats. The loop involves scavenging, fighting other players, and extracting with your loot before time runs out or enemies kill you. Controls feel tight during combat, requiring quick reflexes to manage your cybernetic upgrades. You will spend most of your time checking corners and managing inventory slots for the gear you find. Matches end when you successfully extract or get eliminated. The tension builds as you weigh the risk of holding onto high-value items against the chance of losing everything in a final firefight.

What Players Think

The PlayPile data shows this title is struggling with reception. Critics gave it an OpenCritic score of 49 out of 100, and only 9.09% recommend it. Twitch streams currently rank it at number 82 for trending viewership. Some reviewers found merit though. TheSixthAxis gave it 80 points calling it good clean fun without pretension. GamePitt also scored it 80, noting how crazy the multiplayer feels compared to other titles from that era. Despite these positive notes, the overall community sentiment leans toward disappointment given the low recommendation rate. Average playtime data suggests many players quit early after realizing the extraction loop lacks depth. The mood on forums is mostly mixed with frustration over the weak final product despite the strong premise.

PlayPile's Take

This game sits at $7.99 on Green Man Gaming, which is a drop from its historical low of $33.39. You should only buy it if you want a cheap extraction shooter and can tolerate poor critical scores. The 49/100 rating tells you this release missed the mark despite Bungie's history. Achievements are available but completing them feels like a chore given the repetitive nature of the gameplay. It is not worth full price or even half price unless you find it on sale. Stick to the $7.99 deal if you must try it, but expect a shallow experience that does not live up to the hype surrounding its setting.

Storyline

A massive ghost ship hangs in low orbit over a lost colony. The 30,000 souls who called this world home have disappeared without a trace. Strange signals hint at rumors of mysterious artifacts, long-dormant AI, and troves of untold riches. You are a cybernetic mercenary – a Runner – and your destination is Tau Ceti IV. You are one of many, working solo or with a crew, venturing into the unknown and facing the unimaginable in a fight for survival, for riches, for fame... and for infamy. Who among you will write their names across the stars?