Bungie confirmed earlier rumors of a Marathon revival during the PlayStation Showcase that aired late last month.
Marathon is being reimagined as a sci-fi extraction multiplayer shooter where players take the roles of cybernetic mercenaries called Runners. They’ll be tasked with scouring the planet Tau Ceti IV, a long-lost colony where humans disappeared without leaving much of a trace, to uncover mysteries and riches. Bungie Game Director Christopher Barrett said a while ago that players’ actions will affect the persistent world.
In a fresh report published a few hours ago on Insider Gaming, Tom Henderson shared new details on the gameplay mechanics. First of all, Marathon is focused on three-player groups. While it will be possible to join as a solo player or as a duo, you’ll still be facing full three-player groups, potentially making it harder to succeed in your goals. Another twist is that there is a chance to extract without the rest of the team (if you have any), which is unusual in the genre.
According to the report, Marathon is also going rather heavy on the survival mechanics. To begin with, characters will have to deal with a limited oxygen supply. They’ll have to reach their objectives and extract before dying due to lack of oxygen. There are mainly two ways to deal with that: either go into the match with a large supply of oxygen canisters bought at the market (hopefully with in-game credits only) or scavenge additional oxygen canisters throughout the game world.
Moreover, the game will include an injury system. Being hit around the waist might reduce your oxygen supply, and getting a concussion could cause the screen to blur every now and then, simulating a massive headache.
However, the character progression system will mitigate some of those effects through perks and abilities. Perks could, for instance, reduce the amount of oxygen consumed by the player character, while abilities are said to be even more powerful.
The current version of Marathon includes losing loot upon death. Bungie is reportedly aiming to deliver an extremely smooth experience with very brief load times to entice players to play another round. The studio is working on three different maps, though the report couldn’t verify if all three would be available at launch.
Marathon will be released for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S|X with full cross-play and cross-progression between all platforms. There are words on the launch date yet, though it’s probably a couple of years away.
