TheRetroArcade
Veteran
Posts: 1,961
Joined: Feb 2026
Joined: Feb 2026
In my experience, shoot first.
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This week: Finished the original Mass Effect for the first time ever, and wished I liked it more.
If the opening hours of Marathon's server slam playtest are any indication, Bungie's latest won't be the surprisingly cooperative extraction shooter Arc Raiders has become.
Despite the presence of features that allow players to cooperate, like proximity voice chat (which Bungie only added after playtest feedback), Marathon is so far a competitive game by default. I've extended an olive branch to several solo runners rummaging through Perimeter today and, alas, only one was receptive to friendship. The rest wanted my hard-earned stuff (that I got for free by equipping a sponsor kit).
Marathon's combative norm isn't a bad thing. I point it out because it's an interesting contrast to my experience with Arc Raiders' pre-release playtests, during which pacifist lobbies were common even before that became the game's reputation. The same could happen for Marathon, but I don't think it will. I see a handful of reasons why PvP will be deeply rooted in Marathon:
Marathon's Runner shells revolve around PvPIt's impossible to ignore that Runner shells (classes) in Marathon are built with PvP in mind—stuff like wallhack abilities, cloaks, rocket barrages, and a passive that spots an enemy squad if you execute one of its members.
Some contracts are PvP-focusedAn early contract I picked up from one of Marathon's factions calls for killing and dealing damage to other players—a direct incentive to engage in PvP. Embark deliberately avoided making PvP a requirement of its quests, but it did have PvP feats (side challenges) until a recent update.
The UESC isn't as interesting to fight (or avoid) as the ArcThis one's undoubtedly subjective, but I don't think the UESC as a faction will inspire impromptu teamups the way the Arc do in Arc Raiders. UESC bots are dangerous and to be avoided if possible, but their -range attack patterns and proximity to buildings means other players typically can't assist you from a distance. The faction's humanoid form also makes it tougher to distinguish between player and NPC in the moment. Anything person-shaped that doesn't have a squad mark above its head is the enemy.
Other players look like bad guysThanks to the one guy I encountered today who was nice and chill, I got an up- look at how ...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?
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Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
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Every Friday
GamesRadar+
Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.
Every Thursday
GTA 6 O'clock
Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.
Every Friday
Knowledge
From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.
Every Thursday
The Setup
Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.
Every Wednesday
Switch 2 Spotlight
Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.
Every Saturday
The Watchlist
Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.
Once a month
SFX
Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!
This week: Finished the original Mass Effect for the first time ever, and wished I liked it more.
If the opening hours of Marathon's server slam playtest are any indication, Bungie's latest won't be the surprisingly cooperative extraction shooter Arc Raiders has become.
Despite the presence of features that allow players to cooperate, like proximity voice chat (which Bungie only added after playtest feedback), Marathon is so far a competitive game by default. I've extended an olive branch to several solo runners rummaging through Perimeter today and, alas, only one was receptive to friendship. The rest wanted my hard-earned stuff (that I got for free by equipping a sponsor kit).
Marathon's combative norm isn't a bad thing. I point it out because it's an interesting contrast to my experience with Arc Raiders' pre-release playtests, during which pacifist lobbies were common even before that became the game's reputation. The same could happen for Marathon, but I don't think it will. I see a handful of reasons why PvP will be deeply rooted in Marathon:
Marathon's Runner shells revolve around PvPIt's impossible to ignore that Runner shells (classes) in Marathon are built with PvP in mind—stuff like wallhack abilities, cloaks, rocket barrages, and a passive that spots an enemy squad if you execute one of its members.
Some contracts are PvP-focusedAn early contract I picked up from one of Marathon's factions calls for killing and dealing damage to other players—a direct incentive to engage in PvP. Embark deliberately avoided making PvP a requirement of its quests, but it did have PvP feats (side challenges) until a recent update.
The UESC isn't as interesting to fight (or avoid) as the ArcThis one's undoubtedly subjective, but I don't think the UESC as a faction will inspire impromptu teamups the way the Arc do in Arc Raiders. UESC bots are dangerous and to be avoided if possible, but their -range attack patterns and proximity to buildings means other players typically can't assist you from a distance. The faction's humanoid form also makes it tougher to distinguish between player and NPC in the moment. Anything person-shaped that doesn't have a squad mark above its head is the enemy.
Other players look like bad guysThanks to the one guy I encountered today who was nice and chill, I got an up- look at how ...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?