After countless promises that left fans excited and hopeful, Bungie has finally released *Marathon*, the highly anticipated extraction shooter from the creators of *Halo* and *Destiny*. Is it really as promising as it seems, or does it still need some work? We’ll break down all the details in this PS5 review.
Marathon Review Table of Contents
How did Marathon run on the PS5?
Marathon ran using its only graphics mode available on the PlayStation 5 Slim / Base, which combines frame rates with resolution—there is no quality mode or performance mode, just one, but that isn’t something that would bring down the game’s score, because the result was quite satisfactory.
The PS5 is connected to a 24-inch LG Ultragear monitor with a resolution of 2560×1440 and a 144Hz refresh rate with HDR10 support, and yes, Marathon offers good HDR support. Since this is a competitive game (even though I’m hopeless at this type of game…), I used headphones for testing: the Redragon Zeus PRO Wireless and a HyperX Cloud II.
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Marathon isn’t a new franchise
Although it may seem like a new franchise to many players, Marathon actually has deep roots in the history of video games.
The first Marathon was officially released in 1994 by Bungie, long before the studio became known for Halo: Combat Evolved. At the time, the game stood out as one of the most ambitious PC FPS titles, featuring a more complex narrative and philosophical themes that went beyond the genre’s standard fare.
The original trilogy—Marathon, Marathon 2: Durandal, and Marathon Infinity—became known for its deep, mystery-filled story and, above all, for its exploration of consciousness, technology, and existence.
Performance without 120 FPS… not even on the PS5 Pro
Let’s get right to the topic at hand… Marathon doesn’t run at 120 frames per second even on the PS5 Pro… a shoutout to Luiz from Manual dos Games for helping with the tests on the PlayStation 5 Pro model!
The differences between the two consoles are minimal and negligible when considering an upgrade… just a few reflections at higher resolution, a texture that’s a tiny bit sharper, and that’s it! Even PSSR is used solely for the game’s anti-aliasing—see the image below, kindly provided by Luiz:
In terms of performance, Marathon manages to maintain a solid experience at 60 frames per second, with very rare drops below that, and this game is easy to monitor—you can enable on-screen frame rates, which is a simple but interesting feature, very reminiscent of PC games.
Check it out:
Performance remains consistent even during intense action sequences, demonstrating good engine optimization. The game’s resolution appears to be dynamic 4K, and there isn’t much jaggedness.
Graphics, atmosphere, and more
Marathon takes a very different artistic direction from the current standard of extraction shooters. Bungie wanted to set aside heavy realism to invest in a cleaner look, with a futuristic and stylized aesthetic.
The settings on Tau Ceti IV, the world where the game takes place, feature an interesting blend of advanced technology with almost liminal environments, creating a constant sense of isolation. This artistic choice works very well for the type of experience the game offers, heightening the tension during matches.
On the PlayStation 5, the platform on which I tested Marathon, the game delivers good graphical quality; we didn’t encounter any blurry elements or visible jagged edges. All visual effects—including rain and explosion particles—are well-crafted and not overdone. The lighting and use of bold colors greatly enhance the visual identity, particularly in the contrasts between open and enclosed areas.
However, not everything is perfect in the game. At times, Marathon’s environments end up feeling repetitive, and the lack of greater visual variety eventually takes away some of the impact as time goes on. You play with the feeling that you’re not getting anywhere, as the bold colors and enclosed setting convey this sense of being stuck in a rut.
Furthermore, the PS5 Pro version isn’t a significant upgrade over the base PS5. Marathon runs practically the same on both, but the changes on the Pro model are limited to textures with even higher definition and sharper reflections, nothing more. There’s no ray tracing implemented in the reflections yet; it might be present in the shadows and lighting, but nothing has been confirmed.
Gameplay and the Cryo Archive…
Marathon’s gameplay follows the basic premise of an extraction shooter, where each match is a mix of strategy, risk-taking to fight off hordes of enemies, and improvisation to pace the battles. The player must constantly decide between pushing forward for more loot or ensuring extraction, and it is precisely this tension that defines the experience.
Combat is fluid and responsive, with Bungie’s classic quality—so much so that some elements strongly resemble Destiny 2—but the game demands your full attention at all times. Unlike traditional shooters, dying here means losing practically everything in your inventory, including some experience points, which makes every encounter much more intense.
Additionally, the DualSense syncs its LED with your health—at the start of the match, your health is full and the LED is white, but if you take any damage, it turns red and starts pulsing.
When looking at the standard maps, combat and gameplay become somewhat repetitive, because it’s always the same pattern: start the match, grab the loot, kill enemies, make the extraction, or die trying—it’s fun at first, but once you see the formula of each match, it becomes a bit tedious.
The extraction mechanic in Marathon becomes more evident with the arrival of the new map, the Cryo Archive, which adds something extra to the game’s ecosystem, helping to extend gameplay time.
Unlike the other modes, the Cryo Archive functions as an “endgame,” as it presents much tougher challenges, both in terms of exploration and combat itself, since the enemies are far more aggressive compared to the normal modes, and this mode grants you new loot for your weapons—which can be customized in the game’s main menu.
Additionally, the map has a more narrative-driven feel, set in an abandoned area tied to the game’s story, focused on following a more linear progression.
However, unlike the other maps, access to the new Cryo Archive isn’t immediate, as it requires actual progress within the game. To unlock it, you must be at level 25 with all 6 factions unlocked and have decent gear. This map has also been linked to community-created puzzles—since the concept is more collaborative.
But overall, these game modes still lack something extra; they’re fun to a certain extent, but they become very repetitive.
The Marathon storyline
Marathon features a storyline that takes a more subtle and fragmented approach, relying on environmental storytelling rather than a traditionally told narrative. The game is set on Tau Ceti IV, a planet marked by mysteries, abandonment, and advanced technology.
Instead of cutscenes or direct explanations, the story is built from various elements of the setting, records, and details scattered across the map as collectibles for the player to analyze and understand the context of the missions themselves.
It’s an approach that ends up being quite interesting, since it forces you to explore and piece together the story, putting all the puzzle pieces together. But to be honest, during the tests I ran—since I focused on exploring every part of the map and testing the matches—these details ended up getting overlooked in some rounds, especially when playing with more than two players at the same time.
The story concept is good, yes, but in the middle of a match it ends up being complicated to pause everything to find these details; it’s something to run in the background, especially since it’s complex to understand.
Soundtrack and Voice Acting
Marathon’s soundtrack takes a more atmospheric approach rather than being something striking. Instead of epic or memorable songs, the game relies on ambient sounds, subtle electronic beats, and moments of silence that help build tension during matches, especially in more enclosed environments.
This choice works well within the game’s concept. On the other hand, it also means the soundtrack isn’t particularly memorable outside the game. It’s effective, but the game is unlikely to be remembered for its music.
As for the voice acting and localization, in Brazilian Portuguese, it fulfills its role well. The characters have voices that are consistent and coherent with the game’s futuristic universe, aiding immersion, especially during communication sequences and indirect interactions, or even during the opening scenes.
The big problem with Marathon…
Despite its merits, Marathon falls short in some critical areas, leading us to view it as a game that still needs more elements. Even with a solid and interesting gameplay foundation, it lacks a distinct identity, since most of the time—if not all the time—Marathon follows what has already been seen in various games of the genre, without truly standing out.
Its premise as an extraction shooter works, but that doesn’t mean it’s anything completely new, and the title still needs new elements to make it shine within this genre.
Many may end up considering it generic, because while playing you feel like it could have something more—a standout element that marks Marathon’s presence in the gaming market. Bungie urgently needs to rethink its seasons, ensuring there will be new content to extend Marathon’s lifespan.
It’s not a bad game, but as it stands, with repetitive elements, somewhat limited progression, and few game modes, it ends up feeling stale and tiring to play—especially since it’s hard to find matches at certain times. The hope is that Bungie will take players’ constructive criticism to heart and improve the content as a whole.
Marathon Overview and Rating
To be perfectly honest, playing with friends is a fun experience for the most part, but Marathon is suffering from several issues related to its content and gameplay. Its launch was marked by a lack of diversity in modes and gameplay that becomes repetitive over time.
The graphics are beautiful, but many environments end up looking the same. The PS5 Pro version doesn’t even represent a significant graphical upgrade, and both versions have technical issues, such as the immersive audio in the distance, which made gunshots and explosions sound like they were coming from far away—but Bungie is improving.
We have to highlight the good points as well: Marathon features very good combat and gunplay; it’s easy to aim even on the controller; the game’s atmosphere, though repetitive in liminal environments, evokes Dead Space in some scenarios, which helps set it apart; and the voice acting is high-quality.
The criticism of Marathon lies in its lack of certain elements, not the genre itself. As a result, in its current state, Marathon receives a score of 7.5: A shooter with a strong identity, but one that still needs some tweaks to truly shine.
We thank the folks at Bungie and the team at TheoGames and Sony for sending the key to help us write this article.
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