Off the Shelf Media

Hello, runners, for as long as I can remember, I have loved Bungie and the worlds they have created. Destiny and Halo were generational-defining games that changed not only the lives of the players but gaming as a whole. Fast forward to circa 2026, and we have a new Bungie game on the horizon that is bold, beautiful, and full of mystery. 

This past weekend, Bungie opened the doors to Tau Ceti IV:  a world I couldn’t talk about because I got to play the Alpha and I have been wanting to give my opinion on for months. So here we are, Marathon is here, and we have a lot to discuss.

The Server Slam:

Going into the Marathon server slam, I had unanswered questions, some doubts, and a heart full of hope. From the last time I played the game in Alpha during September of last year, this game has drastically improved. Extraction shooters are brutal spaces; they demand skill and patience. Bungie stepping into this genre meant expectations were sky-high, especially with how good Marathon’s marketing has been thus far. If anyone could come into this genre and build a world full of mystery with that massively colorful dystopian flair and make everything designed to ensure your demise at the same time, it was Bungie.

As someone who didn’t have a lot of time in extraction shooters until ARC Raiders released, I was skeptical, but something about the world of Marathon piqued my interest. Back in 2024, when the initial trailer released, the world Marathon showed in the short time was enough for me to see that something about this game was different, and the mysteries Tau Ceti IV holds are what I want to know more about.

After 33 hours in Tau Ceti IV, I can confidently say, Marathon is a fire game. It is its own world with different aspects of different game genres but also sticks to the core foundation of an “extraction shooter,” which it is. I, however, see it more as a hybrid shooter.

The world Bungie has created is full of beautiful visuals, lots of danger, and shrouded in mystery. Bungie, in my eyes, remains in the top conversation for these gaming aspects. Marathon is a game where you have the freedom to do whatever you want. The world of Tau Ceti IV is vast and full of things to do, even in the Beta version we played this weekend. Marathon is much better than the world thinks it is, and it’s only going to get better.

Gameplay: 2

Gunplay is elite. To the fullest extent of the word. Bungie once again shows how good they are at creating weapons and making them feel like they have their own personality. Weapons are responsive, fun to use, and smooth once you get the right gear for them. Recoil patterns reward control while movement is smooth but not chaotic, and engagements feel like they belong in this world. You feel like your Runner Shell, and the weapons you use speak the same language. 

Each runner’s specific ability complements team play, and every runner’s shell is unique in play style, giving you a wide range of play ability. The ability systems for runners is what separates Marathon from the pack. These aren’t gimmicks; they reshape how you play Marathon and maybe the reason you survive the world of Tau Ceti IV, or you fall victim to it. Third-party situations feel tense but readable, which gives players a chance to stay alive no matter how many runners or AI soldiers players encounter. Characters like the assassin shell, with its smoke screen, allow you to basically disappear and keep your loot while other shells complement perfect team compositions, and none of them feel under- or overpowered based on the composition that you run. Looting in Marathon is beautifully streamlined, even with the issues with the user interface (UI.)

The UI in Marathon is not great, but there is room for improvement when it comes to UI. The UI in Marathon is vastly oversaturated, and some of the menus are hard to access, but in an actual run, the UI is fine. The menu UI in the lobby needs improvement, but I never felt that I was in my menu for too long. Usually, after engagements, I would get to a safe place and check my inventory to see my spoils.

The AI, however, is brutal. Many of the bots have a ton of health, but that truly doesn’t bother me. I like having a challenge. Marathon’s identity is everything in Tau Ceti IV is trying to take you out, so the bots are literally hell-bent on getting to you. They are not easy to take out, and you must be prepared to deal with these situations. Runners and strong AI make for an engaging and hardcore game, even in some of my more casual runs. I had moments where I needed to sit up and figure out how to get out of that situation, and honestly, I love that.

The faction system in Marathon is also incredible, and I love the AI legion art design for each faction representative. Each Faction in Marathon, from Sekiguchi Genetics to Traxus, gives you a ranking system where you can buy gear after runs. Even if you lose all your weapons, you can hop right back in and continue to explore the world. The more you rank up, the more gear you can get. So far, Marathon has proved it can be what everyone thought it couldn’t originally be: a competitive threat.

Story: 1

The story isn’t loud in Marathon; it’s rooted in the core of the game. Tau Ceti IV feels intentional, like it was made to keep things hidden from you, which is where Marathon shines again. Marathon pushes for the player to seek out answers to what happened to the 30,000 people who vanished after the Marathon Ship was attacked and runners arrived on Tau Ceti IV. 

Bungie’s goal isn’t to deliver a cinematic campaign; they are building the world around it. The story we know so far is very lore-rooted and very vast, but that is a good thing; it makes the player want to hunt for answers. If you rush into extraction loops, you will miss the best part of Marathon, Tau Ceti IV itself. The lore is layered throughout the game, including the faction system, which gives you lore about each AI’s involvement in Tau Ceti IV and what these mega corporations contributed to the original Marathon ship, and why the UESC is trying to stop them from coming back to regain what they lost. 

Contracts you complete in the game will provide more story, and you can learn that at your own pace. The story is right in front of you, but Marathon allows you to play the game how you see fit. Whatever way you decide to play is up to you, runner.

Atmosphere: 2

I have talked a lot about the world of Marathon, so this part will be shorter. Tau Ceti IV is exactly the identity I had foreseen for this game. A futuristic dystopia with everything in your path trying to make sure that the truth is never revealed. From the sky box to the art of the runners, guns, music, game audio, and every aspect of the design of this game, the atmosphere of Marathon is perfect.

Value: 2

In this day of triple-A games being close to $70-$100, Marathon is $39.99 USD for the base game, which, in my opinion, is an unbeatable price. What Bungie has shown us, even in the server slam, $40 is reasonable, and I think it’s a little on the cheaper side (don’t get any ideas Bungie). 

It was also recently revealed that full launch seasons will not require a battle pass and or purchase to play all of the content in the seasons, which is something you don’t see often in modern gaming. Marathon is jam-packed with content for a $40 price tag, and it’s going to bring a lot of people to this game. 

Duration: 1

Since the Alpha build of Marathon, this would be a zero based on what I played in September. Originally, I didn’t understand what the true goal of this game was, which is the issue I have with games like ARC Raiders. Marathon has an endgame experience planned, but no one has been able to play it yet, which is why it’s only receiving a score of one for now. 

At 33 hours of gameplay, you start to settle in. One of the other great aspects of Marathon is that the more you play, the better the game gets, at least that’s how I felt. I also like that every map is not just some map you play once; you must play them all to get the full experience, and we still have maps that were not unlocked during the server slam. 

Marathon runs on three things: Route planning, ability use, and engagement timing. These aspects are incredible, especially for an extraction shooter. My biggest concern is whether maps like Dire March and Perimeter will fade out as you grow in loot and skill. I guess we will see. I hope to be able to put in close to 1000 hours into this because of the current design of Marathon. The more you play, the more you will learn.

Total Score: 8/10

Marathon’s Sever Slam was a testament to the drive that Bungie still has. As someone who played the Alpha, I had large doubts, but that glimmer of hope of how good the world-building is for Marathon gave me hope that Bungie would turn it around, and they did. 

Marathon is fun, and it is going to be a game that will have a core audience, no matter what the player base is. The vibe of social media for Marathon has drastically changed in how people feel about this game. It is incredible what committed devs and the backing of a community can achieve. Marathon has a ton of potential, and I am excited to see how the game progresses. To all my runners, see you in Tau Ceti IV. 

By Christopher Fusco