Max Frequency

Marathon Notes

Marathon Notes

Marathon (2026) is a live service extraction shooter from Bungie. Load into a shared map with other "Runners," grab the loot, and get out alive—die and you lose whatever you brought along for the run. It's miraculous and I love it.

You can read my full thoughts on Marathon in my review.

Warning

Spoilers below!

Stats

  • Started Playing: 2/26/26
  • Beat: Never
  • Total Playtime: 80~ hours

Legacy

Overall

  • Become attached to classes, not gear.
    • Marry the glass, date the camera. Marry the shell, date the gear.
  • Bringing back the “when this run is over” mentality because quitting out loses all gear too.
  • It’s the little moments and stories your team and crew make happen. Like leaving a buddy behind in exfil because they left to explore.
    • It’s a game of stories made by players with the world and gameplay that Bungie creates.
  • There’s apparently an entire in-game ARG, which is so cool. But wow does it feel like I am missing out because I am not hooked in 24/7. Maybe I am just hooked up enough to be aware and jealous? It’s strange that so many will miss this unique angle.
  • My first time in Outpost will filled with absolute tension. The unknown in navigating a new space with new threats and layouts.
  • The game reminds me a lot of battle royales and TLOU Factions. Small groups, one life. There are events and spaces designed to make conflict happen without it just being “giant circle gets smaller.” There is magic in the contention.

Graphics/Performance

  • Inject the art into my veins
  • Some pop in, wonky textures at time. I chalk that up to online game. Not frequent.

Gameplay

  • Kinda thought everyone would be chatting. Not so in the beta,,,
  • Gunplay is that Bungie sublime.
  • Lots of mechanics. Layers. Systems.
    • Shock and overwhelm.
      • Which isn’t fun to overcome the overwhelm. One could argue it is “intentional” on in alignment with the narrative of being thrust into this desolate place. But just lots of community chatter, questions. Which might be “sticky” for live games like this.
    • It’s obtuse. Unclear. Worth every bit.
  • Voice chat is vital
  • Rook is kinda antithetical to the core mechanic of the game—risking gear.
    • Maybe it just hyperfocuses on one aspect—scavenging/looting. The risk rush is there.
    • Rook is the most co-op, prox chat character. Rook! Rook? Friendly?
      • Rook together strong.
      • But some still murder immediately 😅
    • Always time for a Rook run.
      • Always
    • So what is the core mechanic if not risking gear?
  • Dude. When in a full squad with friends and you crush it and get greedy at the exfil. Oh baby the rush.
  • A game of little moments. Chasing encounters. Risking gear.
  • “Runner! Runner! On me!”
  • Greed will getcha
    • Greed is good; until it’s not.
  • When others talk, there can be a special moment of sharing lore, rules, context. Like, I asked a group if they had seen the sick double barrel shotgun yet and one guy told me that Arcane has a track where you can buy it in the shop. Reminds me of smaller moments in raids.
  • Every loss sucks, but in that “I need to learn from this” sort of way.
  • You have to design builds for the level. Outpost is clearly tight corridors and encounters, but Dire Marsh is wide open.
  • It’s a game of stealth, FPS “hero” shooter, movement, item management, puzzle solving, sci-fi, and more.
  • The faction tree and contract loop. Only way to “get better” is to shoot, loot, and complete contracts. This always gives you an objective, even if you aren’t extracting.
  • Weapon “rarity” is tied to mods, not the gun themselves. Genius, especially in a “gear is at risk” game.
  • Heat System
    • I like that sprinting is mod-able. It’s not a fixed rate. Movement flexibility. Strength and weakness per runner.
  • One queue, many modes. No separate PVP queue. No separate maps. Sure, the division is trios, solos, or rooks. Nothing else. The maps are the same. The event's, encounters, goals.

Music/Sound Design

  • Music fun techno, but turn it down in gameplay. Sound and environment cues are everything
  • Jungle-y Daft Punk Tron? I just write what comes to me.
  • The soundtrack flows almost seamlessly from one track into the next. Makes for a good writing companion.
  • There’s pace, drive to the soundtrack. Like…running a marathon.

World

  • Perimeter
  • Dire Marsh
    • Open, boggy, wide
    • Big hot zones. Fighting. Sniping.
  • Outpost
    • Outside rains fire. Inside is tight hallways and aggressive robots.
    • Pinwheel Base and getting in is amazing.
      • The tension!
  • Cryo Archive
    • An absolute labyrinth at the foot of the UESC Marathon. Dense. Frigid. Complex. And the source of some of the most fun runs I’ve ever had in a squad based game.
  • Three regular maps feels like more than enough. Much rather have rock solid maps (honestly, some of my favorite FPS maps ever) than a smattering.
  • There’s a rich movement system. You learn what to run, climb, and jump on/from. It’s the kind of knowledge you only get from playing.

Story

  • No “See more at Bungie.net” so what’s even the point.
  • Tau Ceti was a system attempted to be colonized by man, but something went wrong. Now mega corps are trying to salvage the planet with Runners, cybernetic hosts for mercenaries. You know, normal stuff.
  • The Factions cutscenes are slick. When solo, you can savor these reveals, text logs, audio logs, etc. When in a dedicated group, it’s almost pointless because of party chat.