Roundup: The First Impressions Of Marathon Are In (Pure Xbox)
Image: Bungie

Last week, Bungie lifted the lid on its new extraction-shooter Marathon, and while the reception has admittedly been mixed online, people who have gone hands on with it actually seem to be quite excited about it.

We've now got the very first impressions from various outlets and YouTube channels, so here's a quick roundup of some thoughts so far:

IGN:

IGN: "If Escape From Tarkov is the PUBG of the extraction shooter, boldly striking out into a new genre despite humble origins, then Bungie’s upcoming shooter, Marathon, is the big-budget refinement that could become the emerging category’s Fortnite."

DrLupo:

"I had so much fun playing it...one of things I talk on stream with Tarkov is the adrenaline rush, the heart rate increase, and I did get that from the Marathon play test..."

Polygon:

"There are a million factors that could sink Marathon: the crowded live service market, the game’s monetization strategy — all that Bungie has confirmed is that it won’t be free-to-play — its release timing, and the state of the global economy. You’d have to be a fool to look at any upcoming game in 2025 and say, “That’s a surefire hit.” But what I can say, without being a fool, is that Marathon made me truly enjoy PvP for the first time in nearly a decade."

GamesRadar+:

"Marathon is still an extraction shooter. It's too niche and too punishing to become a Helldivers 2 fireball, but, I do believe, also too good to fizzle out like Sony's Concord. This game will spark conversation. It will have haters and devotees. That's a start. But a good game does not mean a successful game; even good games can just die. There is huge potential for self-sabotage here, in pricing and battle passes and update cadence and BattlEye anticheat and so much more. And as fun as it was, what I've seen needs more variety and more to work toward."

HiddenXperia:

"With about 40 hours in Marathon right now, I do genuinely enjoy the game...when I first played Marathon in 2023, to put it lightly this game was not good...Bungie actually took it on board and acted on it, and then when I came back and played the game again, it was infinitely better based on all of the feedback that we had provided, this is the most receptive and transparent that I've ever seen a studio been with early feedback and it really shows."

What are your thoughts about Marathon based on the gameplay we've seen so far? Let us know in the comments.