Once a cult FPS for Mac gamers, a kind of DOOM with a more advanced narration, Marathon returns here in the form of an extraction shooter, a genre that we will be talking about more and more frequently. PvP oriented, Marathon takes place on the planet Tau Ceti IV and features Runners, cybernetic mercenaries capable of surviving in this inhospitable environment where there is not much left of the colony that once inhabited the place. Alone or in a team of three, we will go in search of artifacts, grafts, weapons and more generally anything that can serve as loot to make our character more powerful.
” Even at this stage of development, it’s amazing to see the creativity and excitement that the game brings to Bungie. The team is committed to creating a PvP gaming experience, full of tension and excitement, in a persistent online world, dynamic and rich in narrative content, where player actions have consequences on each season. said Christopher Barrett, director of the game. A Bungie veteran since 1999, Barrett has worked on all of the Halo of the studio and was previously art director on destiny.
Marathon is designed from the start for a PvP experience and will therefore not have a single-player campaign. That said, Bungie will attempt to embody player-driven storytelling. ” The original Marathon games revealed story moments through terminals, in text form. But today we have so many more ways to immerse players into that world, both in-game and out. Our design philosophy is to have players influence the story of the world through their choices and actions. “, continues Christopher Barrett.
” We’re building a world filled with persistent and evolving areas, where players create their own journey with every journey they take. This can mean an unforgettable fight against another crew vying for the same loot, or a last-second extraction as they are beset from all sides. We also want to give players the ability to impact these persistent areas and the world at large. Imagine, for example, that a crew discovers a new artifact which, when activated, opens up a new area of the map that all players can explore. In fact, we are creating a game where player actions can have ramifications for the world and other players every season. »
Marathon doesn’t have a release date yet and for good reason, ” there’s still a lot of work to do before launch or even before we’re ready to talk about the game in more detail we are told. Bungie must in particular further expand its team, recruitment is never easy when the game is not yet revealed. Finally, in accordance with what was promised by Sony Interactive Entertainment the same day the acquisition of Bungie was announced, the studio retains the freedom to develop on all platforms. Marathon will therefore be available on PS5, Xbox Series and PC with support for cross-play and cross-save on dedicated servers.