Marathon isn’t out yet. But you can play a big chunk of it starting today via the “Server Slam” beta on PS5, Xbox, and PC. After completing the tutorial and a few runs on PS5, I’m happy to report that what’s here is better than the version of Marathon we played last year via an early alpha. But I still have some issues with Marathon that have me concerned about its short- and long-term future.
The Marathon Server Slam, which runs from today until March 2, features most of the playable runners as well as a few maps, some of the progression system, and a short solo tutorial. Bungie has been very clear with players that this isn’t the full experience, but a taste of Marathon intended to help the studio test server capacity and iron out any major last-minute issues. So let me be very clear also: This isn’t a review or even in-depth impressions about Marathon. This is my feelings and thoughts after a few matches, some of which ended in defeat and two that ended in escape.
What I liked in Marathon‘s server slam
First, the good: Marathon looks and plays great on PS5. The colorful, neon-futuristic art style and vibes seen in past trailers, marketing, and tests are still here and still awesome. Menus look sharp. Guns look rad. Every building, gun, and item is covered in tiny details alluding to some horrible techno-nightmare that the colonists of Tau Ceti were living through. It also ran perfectly on PS5, with no framerate issues or major performance hiccups. And so far, the servers are holding up pretty well.
The opening tutorial, which feels similar to what was available in the alpha, is also an effective introduction to both the world of Marathon and how this game works. I imagine a lot of people will die in that tutorial once they get into a big fight with some AI bots. I almost did. Some might find that annoying, but I think it’s smart for Bungie to frontload Marathon with an intro that makes it clear that death is just a second away at all times in this tense, high-stakes sci-fi extraction shooter.
I also have to shout out the guns in Marathon. Each and every one of them sounds perfect. Assault rifles rip apart the air with aggressive blasts while laser-y pistols sound digital and mean. Shooting them makes you feel powerful. Getting shot at is scary as heck. Good stuff. And what else should I have expected? Bungie has always been good at making guns that sound powerful, like thunder in your hands, and Marathon continues that with some of the studio’s coolest-looking guns yet.
What I didn’t like in Marathon’s free open beta
Okay, now for the bad parts of the Marathon server slam. Right out of the gate, I was not a fan of how movement and aiming feel while playing with the default settings. Moving around the world and trying to look at items on the ground feels extremely clunky using the default stick options. I recommend changing those ASAP. Turning around to fight using the settings Bungie has chosen is going to be a pain in the ass on console. Increase look speed and decrease the deadzone for the thumbsticks to help make Marathon feel more snappy.
It’s really surprising how off this FPS feels, considering it was developed by Bungie, the king of console shooters. I wonder how many will bounce off the game after just a few hours without ever tweaking the settings? Probably more than zero, and if I were Bungie, I’d be tweaking those default settings ASAP.
Once I got the settings all locked in, moving around the world and getting into firefights with NPCs and other players became a lot more enjoyable. The initial map is a foggy swamp filled with high-tech buildings and dead vehicles to loot and explore. But watch out for the turrets. They can quickly take you down with a few shots, especially if you are limping away from a previous fight. And if you’re playing solo, which I did in a few matches, this will end your run in a frustrating way.
Time-to-kill is short, and player engagement feels brief in a way that I’m not sure is going to work for fans of Destiny or Halo hopping over to check out Bungie’s latest FPS. Meanwhile, NPCs can sometimes feel a bit too spongey, especially when using low-rarity weapons. I need to spend more time with the game to really lock in on an opinion, but my knee-jerk reaction is that combat in Marathon is fine.
At one point, I was able to escape even after I was downed by a random player. That felt great. I extracted with some loot, resources, and a big smile on my face. In that moment, Marathon clicked, and I could feel myself wanting to hop in and play more. Then the next match ended quickly after a player popped around a corner and downed me in less than two seconds. A teammate tried to help and was killed, too. The pull to play more Marathon lessened after that.
At the moment, I’m not sure if I like this game or just want to like it. It looks great, sounds awesome, and when you can pull off a cool escape, it feels amazing. It also has an incredible style that is unlike any game out there. But clunky controls that took tweaking to improve, annoying turrets, and a short time-to-kill make it tricky for me to enthusiastically recommend Marathon at the moment. Do I really like Marathon? Or am I just in love with its world and visuals, and also nervous about another live-service shooter eating shit? More data is required.
