TheRetroArcade
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Joined: Feb 2026
Joined: Feb 2026
By stripping away the mile-long checklist, Bungie makes every Marathon match about the fights.
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The extraction shooter is still figuring itself out. That's a funny thing to say about a videogame genre that's been around for like a decade (Escape From Tarkov's first alpha goes back to 2016), but it's true. For a long time, there were pretty much two examples of extraction games charting their own path: Escape From Tarkov with its milsim realism and grind-friendly progression, and Hunt: Showdown with its narrow focus on intense PvP and temporary perks.
Then Arc Raiders changed the conversation. It showed us that extraction shooters are not just a potent format for PvP, but also thrilling venues for cooperation, roleplay, and survival horror fantasy. It demonstrated that these games need not be taken so seriously.
I think that's why I didn't see Marathon coming. Bungie's extraction shooter is also charting its own path, but unlike Arc Raiders, Marathon is seeking a middle ground between two extremes: It has Tarkov's factions, its progression, and those butterflies-in-your-stomach moments as you're limping toward extract with 20k in your backpack.
But Marathon also has Hunt: Showdown's emphasis on intense and frequent PvP, which is kind of amazing, because I've always maintained that it's Hunt's lack of backpacks and checklists that makes it so fun. I usually hate these games' overeliance on the "thrill" of dragging boxes from one menu to another, but honestly, Marathon has its hooks in me deep.
Why does it work? I think it comes down to a few design choices that I originally thought were terrible ideas: Marathon has no safe pockets, it has short round timers, and it restricts players to just one quest at a time.
Having come off 60 hours of Arc Raiders, it all sounded backwards. Do they not know that safe pockets are crucial for making hard losses less punishing? Have they never experienced the euphoria of ticking off three quests in a single run? Is 25 minutes long enough to get anything done? Is Bungie failing to read the room here?
Not at all, it turns out. These cuts aren't random, but calculated: Bungie is stingy with quests and time and loot because it doesn't want Marathon to become primarily a checklist. The factions and the quests are all just table setting, and we're not here to eat the plates. Bungie, which has made a few quality mult...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!
The extraction shooter is still figuring itself out. That's a funny thing to say about a videogame genre that's been around for like a decade (Escape From Tarkov's first alpha goes back to 2016), but it's true. For a long time, there were pretty much two examples of extraction games charting their own path: Escape From Tarkov with its milsim realism and grind-friendly progression, and Hunt: Showdown with its narrow focus on intense PvP and temporary perks.
Then Arc Raiders changed the conversation. It showed us that extraction shooters are not just a potent format for PvP, but also thrilling venues for cooperation, roleplay, and survival horror fantasy. It demonstrated that these games need not be taken so seriously.
I think that's why I didn't see Marathon coming. Bungie's extraction shooter is also charting its own path, but unlike Arc Raiders, Marathon is seeking a middle ground between two extremes: It has Tarkov's factions, its progression, and those butterflies-in-your-stomach moments as you're limping toward extract with 20k in your backpack.
But Marathon also has Hunt: Showdown's emphasis on intense and frequent PvP, which is kind of amazing, because I've always maintained that it's Hunt's lack of backpacks and checklists that makes it so fun. I usually hate these games' overeliance on the "thrill" of dragging boxes from one menu to another, but honestly, Marathon has its hooks in me deep.
Why does it work? I think it comes down to a few design choices that I originally thought were terrible ideas: Marathon has no safe pockets, it has short round timers, and it restricts players to just one quest at a time.
Having come off 60 hours of Arc Raiders, it all sounded backwards. Do they not know that safe pockets are crucial for making hard losses less punishing? Have they never experienced the euphoria of ticking off three quests in a single run? Is 25 minutes long enough to get anything done? Is Bungie failing to read the room here?
Not at all, it turns out. These cuts aren't random, but calculated: Bungie is stingy with quests and time and loot because it doesn't want Marathon to become primarily a checklist. The factions and the quests are all just table setting, and we're not here to eat the plates. Bungie, which has made a few quality mult...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?