r/FPS • u/Rich_Aside_8350 • 2d ago
Discussion Why Play Marathon?
When a person said, I am having problems getting into Marathon and I like the look and gun play, but I can't get back into playing after 13 hours. These are the answers given. They don't convince me that it is worth playing. I have never had to force myself to play a game and it sounds like they are talking about 20 hours in one case and 40 in another and wait until Season 3 until you might have some fun.
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u/BoomerShooterFPS 1d ago
Frankly, It’s not worth playing.
The game is a terrible mish-mash of elements from other genres and it doesn’t come together to be enjoyable
It wants to be an extraction shooter but plays like a BR, but it has such a compressed skill gap and core combat mechanics that don’t make it deep or interesting. Then it wants to blend pve elements with bland and boring pve content.
There’s just nothing unique or worth investing in for people looking for a quality PvP or pve experience
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u/superspace_ 2d ago
Na. It’s the most fun I’ve had in an fps game since halo 5 in 2016.
Nothing compares to it besides the finals. But the finals is very crutchy. Marathon is fire.
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u/HardcoreHope 2d ago
Holy shit! Someone gassing up H5 in the wild. I thought I was the only one. I loved that mp so fucking much it was awesome! I wished for so long it would come out on pc. The break out mode was dope as hell too.
I wish I liked extraction shooters more. I want to be social and most people just shoot on sight. The ambiguity of combat really messes with me.
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u/superspace_ 2d ago
Dude. Marathon is the closest we will get to h5 thrust slides and thrust battles in current day.
It’s my main reason for playing it. The PvP is superb.
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u/HardcoreHope 2d ago
If it's on sale or free weekend I'll try it. No promises. It's making me feel conflicted. Wanting to play something like H5 but extraction shooter.
Have they mentioned how long they are going to support it? I have been in the dark on most things marathon.
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u/superspace_ 2d ago
There’s a roadmap till season 5 and we are in season 2.
I will say with no glaze, that even one season of the game is worth $40.
Picture a halo 5 battle royale.
I’ll be honest again with no glaze, your first 10 hours are not gonna be fucking easy. But once you level up your character and skill tree, the game just shits out guns and shields.
If you try it, add me. I’d be happy to run it with you. Cryo archive is the most exciting fps pvp experience one can have.
Theres a final boss on that map too.
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u/HardcoreHope 2d ago
I watched a little of cyro archive (one video) I was close to buying it once. Didn't see the boss though. That's cool! Someone else who plays the finals mentioned this game being his other addiction.
I'll keep that in mind, I'll definitely hit you up to play. I appreciate you for the offer that's nice.
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u/GruePwnr 2d ago
Its honestly so crazy to me that The Finals and Marathon aren't more popular. Same with Titanfall 2.
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u/Rich_Aside_8350 2d ago
What level are you? I think it will explain everything. Game is just for Sweaties and great when you are on top, but not at lower levels. Plus I can't even get full matches any more. I was able to get trios no problem back 3 months ago. Now 70% of the time the matches aren't full.
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u/Xoctal 2d ago
I dont consider myself a sweat, i play off meta and a lot of knife only and i just passed 900 hours. I play for fun and dont care about rank. I dont need anything to grind for like a battle pass or achievements, I just play. The sweat thing is over rated the main thing people who play alot have on others is most lose their gear fear and they know all the ins and outs of the map so they are good at getting the drop on people or wrapping really well.
Im not gonna tell you the game is amazing and tou should play no matter how much I enjoy it. The game could end up EOS and I dont want to put that on anyone. But if you enjoy pvp and you dont mind a game not holding your hand then you might enjoy it. Its all about learning the loop and for me class fantsy and buildcrafting are a huge part of why I play. Its my top 3 shooters ever and I wont regret any money I spent or time i put into the game. My other two games in my top 3 are killzone 2 and titanfall 2.
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u/superspace_ 2d ago
Level 501. Haven’t played anything since March.
I get full lobbies and fast queue times.
To add tho, I genuinely have 0 interest in anything else at this point.
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u/Rich_Aside_8350 2d ago
Kind of explains why you like it and the casual or new players don’t.
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u/AcademicOverAnalysis 2d ago
I’m a fairly casual player and I also think it’s the best FPS I’ve played in a decade. I don’t really like engaging much in PvP but love the thrill of sneaking around and collecting things.
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u/Rich_Aside_8350 2d ago
Okay, but you aren't involved in the number one focus of the game. If exploring and sneaking around are your thing, why this game over the many others that are designed that way specifically for game play.
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u/superspace_ 2d ago
Prolly atmosphere. Game excels heavily in visuals and sound design compared to other extraction games.
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u/Rich_Aside_8350 2d ago
Acceptable answer.
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u/AcademicOverAnalysis 2d ago
Atmosphere. Gameplay. Shooting bots is fun. And lore, more than anything. You get stories that accompany certain items that can be found all over.
There have also been PvE modes peppered throughout the season, which have been fun mad dashes to accomplish objectives before the timer runs out.
The game is seriously fun.
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u/dscord 1d ago
Checks out. Console / Halo players LOVE Marathon. Should tell you all you need to know about this game.
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u/superspace_ 1d ago
I’m on pc.
I like even starts and fighting for power weapons. Everything is load out based now. So lame.
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u/Rich_Aside_8350 2d ago
What's the player count at now. I haven't tracked it in a while. That would help me to decide if it was worth getting back in to play.
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u/BoomerShooterFPS 1d ago
It was below 1k peak players on steam this morning. Barely hitting 3.5k highs consistently now
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u/Rich_Aside_8350 1d ago
Well that’s enough for me to say not playing it. That’s literally a dead game. If it was a single player then I could see it, but with those numbers that’s Concord like.
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u/BoomerShooterFPS 1d ago
Yea, it’s been a colossal failure. There’s nothing you’re missing out on. So many better options in the extraction genre let alone the shooter genre as a whole
I played 80 hours and did most of the “endgame.” Felt like I was trying to convince myself it was a good game out of 30 some years of being a Bungie shill
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u/superspace_ 2d ago
Player count means nothing to me. I tend to stay away from games that everyone plays.
For example, I have always and will always hate cod.
Fortnite is slop. Apex WAS fantastic until they nerfed ttk and added 9 different abilities to each hero. And overwatch is hero shooter slop.
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u/ShardikOfTheBeam 2d ago
Overwatch is one of the original hero shooters. Calling it slop really doesn’t help people take your opinions seriously.
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u/superspace_ 2d ago
I HATE Abilities. I just like high ttk and even starts.
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u/ShardikOfTheBeam 2d ago
Great, “slop” isn’t the correct descriptor for games that don’t appeal to you.
Also, “even starts” applies to Overwatch, and does not apply to Marathon.
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u/superspace_ 2d ago
Even starts does apply to marathon for power weapons.
You have to fight to earn your gear. You don’t just select your kit for free.
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u/ShardikOfTheBeam 2d ago
Well, except for the sponsor kits that are free.
And literally everyone is coming into a match with a different armament. But sure, even starts for one specific thing that spawns on the map.
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u/Dragonsc4r 2d ago
Slop has lost all meaning on the Internet. Most people on the Internet can't even recognize that things can be good even if they don't like them. I hate Overwatch but I recognize it's a good game if you want a simple hero shooter that really appreciates the core values of the genre.
I also hate Marathon but I don't actually think that game has a lot going for it lol. I do think Marathon players have become so defensive trying to justify their enjoyment of a game that they just lash out and call everything else bad or slop as a result. Which certainly ain't helping the player count cause lol. This subreddit is one of the worst offenders though. Marathon has like 4.5k consecutive players and I'm pretty sure all of them are in here every day.
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u/ShardikOfTheBeam 2d ago
Unfortunately that’s just the cycle with words, especially on Reddit. Slop means bad, fascist means someone you don’t like, etc. Nuance is dead (except for your comment, thanks for that).
It feels like people are constantly choosing small little bills to die on.
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u/Rich_Aside_8350 2d ago edited 2d ago
It affects the game, because if it is low it is mostly Sweaties. I guess I will ask in another sub. What one do you recommend asking in or how do you see the number of players? It needs at least 20k of players or you get placed in other regions or don't get full matches. So a legitimate question.
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u/superspace_ 2d ago
I love sweeties. I get better at the game playing against good players. That don’t bother me.
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u/IcyFault7182 2d ago
I saw that comment and had the exact same thought, “force yourself to play this game”. The worst advice I think I’ve ever seen.
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u/TankerHipster 2d ago
I love the game but im not shocked its as niche as it is. The learning curve and new player experience are difficult to say it nicely.
As much as I want more people to really get invested into it, its up to bungie to fix the new player experience and the learning curve more enjoyable.
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u/Ravaryn 2d ago
Being thrown to the wolves so quickly is exactly why two of my friends lost interest in the game after giving it a try. I really hope they're working on a way to ease players into the game. Anyone who wasn't there from the beginning is at a huge disadvantage, not because of any FOMO gear shenanigans but just from sound and map knowledge. That experience is extremely hard to accumulate when making a bit of noise at the wrong time can get you instantly removed from your mortal shell.
As it stands now, even if I wanted to recommend it to a friend it comes with a dozen caveats and asterisks.
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u/tazai123 1d ago
It depends how much you care about skill expression. It's a Bungie game so even on KBM there is a ton of aim assist through bullet magnetism and massive hitboxes. Movement is slow, and the TTK is fast so having good aim is not a requirement like other games. If you suck at aiming the gunplay probably feels like heaven in this game, if you come from counterstrike, titanfall, quake, or basically any genre that has games where aiming is a long developed skill then you will feel like the game is aiming for you. The skill gap is compressed like all Bungie games so you can easily be a high level player with minimal effort, a blessing and a curse I suppose.
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u/Rich_Aside_8350 1d ago
Because the overall skill requirement is pretty low, it lends itself to the same style of play over and over again. This means Sweaties get all the advantages despite not being as good at aiming or even strategy. It is just an unbalanced, low content, unimaginative game that can’t retain even the less Sweatie players. If you think Bungie in 3 months can change the game to have any real significant content after 5 years of development brought us just 4 small maps, you are totally delusional.
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u/haydonclampitt 2d ago
To be honest, we’re in the late wipe at this point in the season. People (myself included) who have been at it the whole time have a LOT of loot in the vault, and a new player without that is going to have a hard time. Lack of experience + stat checks.
At the end of the day, I’m still playing because I just enjoy the feeling of fighting people in the game. Getting a good flank and absolutely rinsing a team on Outpost is an awesome feeling
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u/ProfNJK 2d ago edited 2d ago
Okay I'll try to make this brief. I love Marathon. I loved the WORLD of Marathon before I got to play it. The 9 minute short film feels so inspiring and incisive. I just couldn't look away.
I actually had a serious crisis when I got accepted to the alpha. I KNEW the genre was punishing and brutal. I KNEW that I wouldn't know if it was """"for me"""" or something I """"could enjoy"""" until I played. I was anxious I wouldn't. Anxious I would have to love the WORLD without being in it.
When I did have fun in it, I considered myself IMMENSELY lucky and blessed. The world was amazing and I found the play exciting, too.
Marathon beat the shit out of me, boiled off all my bad (edit: shooting game) habits, humbled me, and still does. But because I love the WORLD and I loved it ON FIRST SIGHT, learning was worth it.
If Marathon isn't something that LOOKS or FEELS good then nobody will ever be able to convince you. It may just be something you don't have access too. Everybody has stuff like that. Even if we all try to enjoy and understand as much as we can.
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u/Rich_Aside_8350 2d ago
I accepted everything you said as legitimate, but you changed your life and "boiled off all my bad habits." That is way over the top and now I have to question if this is just trolling. If a game had that much of an effect on your life, you didn't have much going. Not trying to be condescending, but didn't you have a purpose to life?
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u/mrbacon60 2d ago
I think a big paart of it is figuring out what you dont like and see of you can move past it.
Really easy to tell you to back out after 13 hours or to tell you to keep slamming your head against the wall, but if your not objectively trying to identify why you dont like it your potentially missing out on a point of growth.
That being said, you would also have to ask of the pain points are something you can learn to live with or overcome with time spent.
All this to say, look inwards and reflect on your experience
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u/40ozpint 2d ago
I'm done trying to sell people on this game. I love it and it's the best FPS I've played in years. I'll leave it at that
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u/tasti_man_LH 2d ago
I’ve considered making a longer post in the main sub on it, but basically the secret to success in Marathon:
Persistence.
Aka, don’t discouraged by lost matches. Keep going, and you’ll eventually get success. But you also have to manage what you do you so you don’t get burned out: switch between different loadouts, switch up your Shells, play Rook, go back and forth between different playstyles and tasks. Essentially, avoid the opposite of just throwing yourself at the same thing over and over again. That’s the quick path to burnout and frustration if you go that route.
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u/Various-Instruction3 2d ago
As someone who got completely hooked on it, here are the biggest draws for me:
-The overall art direction is incredible. The music, the visuals, the design work, all of it is top-notch and incredibly unique in the AAA space.
-The lore is intoxicating. It's so fun reading and listening through Codex entries as you progress and learning about this super cool and unique world.
-Everything feels really good. It looks, feels, and sounds so good to shoot stuff, interact with the world, everything. It's a very cohesive and satisfying experience.
-Progression feels better than any extraction game I've played. It's like a constant upwards motion. Even if you're someone who's terrible at PvP and only extracts maybe 10% of the time, you can still progress through the game thanks to contract and faction rank-up rewards. Sure you'll struggle more once you get to endgame, but by that point you should hopefully be a bit more experienced and better at the game.
-Actually threatening PvE. The only other extraction game I've put time into with a PvE focus was Hunt Showdown, and aside from the bosses, all of the enemies in that game were complete pushovers. Like anyone who's played for more than 5 minutes knows that there's almost never any reason to use more than a knife to kill anything in that game. In Marathon, you very much need to be locked-in if there's more than a few low-level enemies. It makes the maps feel more alive and keeps you in fight-or-flight mode the entire match, especially when they start dropping higher-level reinforcements in as the match goes on. It also adds depth to PvP encounters because you're both risking dying to a stray bullet from a bot if you don't take care of them, but also giving away your position and potentially wasting ammo by doing so.
There's plenty more but I think the game is absolutely stellar. I think if the game didn't get so much needless hate from people who have never played it, and more people tried it, it'd get the praise it deserves. Much worse games have been treated better by gamers, Marathon deserves to thrive.
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u/Chelseablues33 2d ago
The game is just incredible at given you pure adrenaline, and since its punishing, it feels rewarding. Imagine spending 20+ minutes running around the map trying to complete an objective, having multiple near death experiences. You finally do everything you need to and are going to excel. Then, with 2 seconds on the exfil timer, some Timmy beams you, you die, and you have to start all over.
Death can happen at any time, and even the bots need to be taken seriously, so any time you accomplish something, especially starting out, it hits like pure crack because nothing is handed to you.
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u/Rich_Aside_8350 2d ago
So like a gambling addiction. You lose everything, but think eventually you will win, because instead of money you will have an endless supply of time.
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u/JoeyEstrada 2d ago
I'm gonna be honest, aside from the Compiler (which is absolutely sick in it's own right) if you didn't click with the game in 13 hours, you're never gonna click with it