The renowned 90s brand, Marathon, is making its comeback, developed by Bungie, known for its successful franchises like Halo and Destiny. Unlike the classic nostalgic shooter, the new Marathon introduces an extraction multiplayer setup where players risk their equipment and resources. Initial impressions highlight a strong atmosphere but also raise concerns about the game’s longevity beyond a few gaming sessions.

The original Marathon, launched in 1994, was one of the early first-person sci-fi shooters, notable for its ambitious storyline that ventured into themes of artificial intelligence, identity, and humanity’s future. The new title loosely follows this tradition, as it unfolds in the same universe and mentions the legendary ship UESC Marathon, yet it adopts a fundamentally different gameplay style that diverges significantly from its predecessor.

Instead of a narrative-driven campaign, Bungie's new Marathon focuses on an extraction shooter format. Players take on the role of 'runners'—digital consciousness uploaded into artificial bodies—venturing to the planet Tau Ceti IV to collect data, technologies, and resources from a lost civilization. This shift in gameplay mechanics has generated diverse reactions from the gaming community, with some welcoming the innovation while others lament the departure from the expected classic single-player experience.