My pleasure ranges for Marathon hit all-time low in the midst of final 12 months, with rival extraction shooter Arc Raiders turning my head and protecting me hooked ever since its Server Slam playtest. Nevertheless, after Bungie delayed the sport and took further time to cook dinner, more moderen glimpses of Marathon have renewed my curiosity tremendously – upgraded visuals, insights into maps, and extra have introduced the thrill again. So too has at the moment’s full unveiling of its lineup of Runner Shells. Not solely do I spot some tasty wanting talents that tickle the Future 2 part of my little gamer mind, however there seems to be much more selection with these Shells than I beforehand thought.
Marathon has endured many punches to the intestine over the previous couple of years, and it has been painful for me (as a Future 2 enjoyer and basic Bungie fan) to observe it go from a mouth-watering prospect to a continually dunked-on extraction shooter. One of many greatest blows it acquired was the less-than-enthusiastic reception to its hero shooter-esque strategy. I had severe doubts, and was frightened some Valorant-ification was occurring underneath the watch of recent recreation director Joe Ziegler, who’d joined after engaged on Riot’s FPS recreation.
Nevertheless, as new particulars have emerged, I’ve turn out to be extra accepting of Marathon’s Runner Shells resulting from their extremely customizable nature – buildcrafting is a giant focus, so selecting a Runner will not be as prescriptive as, say, selecting a hero in Overwatch.
Whereas I am nonetheless barely involved that it will throw up too many steadiness points in a subgenre that is all about excessive private stakes, together with your loot continually on the road, at the moment’s deep dive into Runner Shells has made me much more optimistic that they could possibly be a superb factor for the sport. We get a correct in-depth take a look at the Destroyer, Murderer, Recon, Vandal, Triage, and Thief Shells, in addition to Rook, a solo-only possibility with a fundamental package that acts just like the Free Loadout system in Arc Raiders.
I am seeing some actually fascinating talents throughout these kits, and the Future inspiration is obvious. Destroyer’s barricade and motion that lets him cost into battle is paying homage to the Titan class, whereas Thief’s grapple hook (which merely latches onto skinny air) feels quite a bit just like the Strand subclass grapple that is extremely enjoyable to make use of.
However that is far more than copying the Future workforce’s homework. There are some actually cool concepts right here. I like how Rook can set off a capability to masks them from PvE opponents, letting you loot hotspots or clear up after useless gamers with much less threat. The truth that Triage, the ‘healer’ Runner, nonetheless has talents that enhance firepower to make him a fight menace is refreshing to see. However Thief steals the present for me. In Bungie’s personal phrases, this Shell is for many who are all in regards to the “loot goblin fantasy.”
Like Loba in Apex Legends, Thief can scan environments to detect high-tier loot, saving the time you’d often spend rummaging by way of each container you discover in a room. You’ve got additionally obtained a drone, which is nice for scouting and pinging targets, but it surely does extra than simply that. It has a “mechanical whip” attachment that may knock loot out of gamers’ inventories, earlier than sucking up no matter fell on the bottom, and dropping it in your Runner’s lap. Sensational. Plus, throw in that aforementioned grappling hook, and I am my day one Shell for positive.
Marathon’s firmly again on my menu. As somebody obsessive about Bungie’s work and presently completely absorbed by Arc Raiders, I used to be by no means not going to attempt the sport, however now I’ve obtained extra hope than ever that I will be enjoying it for extra than simply the primary few excitement-fueled days.
