Bungie’s latest extraction shooter, Marathon, has officially launched and is currently enjoying a 'Very Positive' reception on Steam.

While Marathon serves as a successor to the 1994 original trilogy, it is an extraction shooter, which is a significant departure from the genre and visual style of its predecessor. After its 2023 announcement, a series of delays led to concerns regarding the game's quality. However, following its release on the 6th, it has been well-received for its signature Bungie-style combat, despite some mixed opinions on its visual design.

Marathon centers on intense resource competition on the planet Tau Ceti 4. Players take on the role of a 'Runner'—a mercenary with a synthetic body—either forming squads of up to three or operating solo. The main goal is to choose one of six distinct frames, each with unique abilities, collect high-value items scattered across the map, and extract. While you can upgrade your gear with loot acquired upon survival, you lose your carried items if you die during a mission.

The planet Tau Ceti features four distinct regions with varying environments and difficulty levels. Environmental factors such as weather changes and decaying corpses directly impact gameplay. The 'Marathon' spaceship serves as the highest-difficulty zone, featuring endgame content where players face elite forces and grotesque enemies to uncover top-tier artifacts and hidden lore.

Marathon has recorded a 'Very Positive' (88% positive) rating on Steam, reaching 2nd place in top-selling games with a peak of 86,718 concurrent players. Players have praised the game, noting that "the gunplay is excellent, as expected from Bungie," "the world-building is surprisingly solid," and "it is easier than Tarkov and features stylish art." However, some have pointed out that the visual design makes it difficult to intuitively identify items on the ground, causing eye fatigue, and there have been reports that the game is unplayable for Linux OS users.

Marathon launched on the 6th for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, and supports Korean voice acting.