Let me begin by saying I'm really looking forward to Marathon and its March 5 launch. I genuinely hope the game is a success, and I think it has a good chance to be.

That being said, it's an extraction shooter. This means it's PvPvE and fully multiplayer at all times, similarly to a game like ARC Raiders or Escape From Tarkov. And while I'm aware that this isn't a hot take, I can't shake the feeling that this exhilarating sci-fi world would be better suited to almost any other genre.

As an extraction shooter, Marathon is limited in how it can deliver its worldbuilding and story—via things like quests, in-game items, potential cutscenes, and lore drops like short stories or animations outside of the game. I have faith that Bungie can do this well, especially after the studio improved over time in how it was done in Destiny, but every new, exciting piece of media that comes out about this new game makes me wish it was delivered in any other genre.

Marathon is dripping with aura and stylishness. I am in love with its themes and concepts, its colorful and varied environments. But in order to enjoy it, I need to queue up and get ready to get my day absolutely ruined by losing all of my loot to an exfil camper, someone who's just plain better than me, or at worst, a cheater.

A singleplayer experience or a co-op shooter experience would be way more digestible than an extraction shooter. This genre has proven to be not for everyone, by a long shot, especially considering how intent Bungie seems to be on leaning into the PvP aspect of it. Where ARC Raiders has fostered a sort of "safe space" for PvE-only players thanks to its spin on engagement-based matchmaking, Marathon looks like it's going to throw everyone into the fire.

Bungie's environmental art, atmosphere, music, and gunplay are always solid. Even asDestiny 2 has taken multiple different paths, that's never really changed. A new Developer Insights video highlighting the game's composer and soundtrack dropped today, and I'm stoked about its vibe and the four songs released thus far. But in it, they talk about how they needed to craft the OST around the game not having one particular main character, and so the songs will be another way in which the story is supplied.

The original Marathon games from decades ago featured a unique and interesting sci-fi story. This new title will carry on that legacy, albeit in a much, much different way. I hope that the lore is delivered in fun ways but that it's still accessible to people, even if they're not the best at PvP.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk4K91aeixU

Then again, Bungie's insistence that this is a PvP-first game may mean that this is just not the game for a good number of gamers. And I just hope that won't derail the game's chances at success, especially considering how make-or-break it feels for both Bungie and PlayStation.

The post I’m excited for Marathon, but I can’t help feel that its vibrant world would be better-suited for a different genre appeared first on Destructoid.

Bungie's upcoming extraction shooter, Marathon, feels like an enigma.

I was not all that impressed with the game's beta test earlier this year in April, and I was not alone. After a tepid reception and a lot of negative feedback, Bungie was forced to delay it from its initial September release date so it could run more tests and iterate on numerous changes.

But since then, a new juggernaut has entered the space: ARC Raiders launched last month and became an instant hit in the extraction shooter genre, bringing in a whole new swath of players who hadn't really experienced the game type before. It's consistently been a top-played game on Steam since its release, and it's even gotten a hold on console players, too. And I can't help but wonder what kind of effect it may have on Marathon's potential success, or failure.

With players like myself now enjoying the thrill of deploying, looting, surviving, and extracting, Marathon could bring us into the fold if it can nail the gameplay loop similarly to how ARC Raiders has. Similarly, the success of ARC Raiders could keep potential Marathon buyers from taking the plunge if they're still enjoying the new Embark Studios hit.

I do think there's room for both, as one is in third-person and one is a first-person shooter from a company that has excelled in the gameplay feel of that perspective. They are both stylistically quite different, too, with Marathon sporting a futuristic and colorful aesthetic versus ARC Raiders' grimy, post-apocalyptic setting.

Will ARC Raiders' friendliness factor carry over into Marathon? That depends. Leaks from recent tests claim that Bungie is adding proximity chat to Marathon after all, which is a big reason why ARC Raiders has been so fun for so many who normally don't enjoy the competitive nature of the genre.

I would not be surprised to see some ARC Raiders players now willing to try out Marathon if they weren't before. I'm certainly more excited for it after now truly grasping the extraction concept, thanks in large part to how good ARC Raiders is. The rest is up to Bungie to deliver a product that engages players and hits on multiple cylinders as ARC Raiders has, so the hope is that these past few months of extra testing on the game will have made a tremendously positive impact.

It certainly feels like extraction games are quickly becoming the next "big thing" in gaming, and I wouldn't be surprised to see some established IPs continue to explore it. Before Marathon launches, we have PUBG: Black Budget running a playtest next month, which is the battle royale game's spin on extraction.

Escape From Tarkov paved the way, but we've since had titles like Delta Force, Hunt: Showdown, and Dark and Darker twisting their own iterations, and I expect more companies to follow the trend, with rumors circulating that Call of Duty will bring back its extraction mode DMZ in next year's game.

There may come a point when extraction games become saturated, but for now, I think the industry is rife with potential, and Marathon could end up benefiting from the influx of new genre enjoyers after all.

What do you think about Marathon's potential? Will ARC Raiders help or hurt it? Let us know your own thoughts in the comments.

The post ARC Raiders is such a big success that it could end up helping Marathon—or hurt it just the same appeared first on Destructoid.

Destiny 2: Renegades launches next week, and I'm still relatively unsure how to feel about the "Star Wars-inspired" expansion.

Renegades still feels to me like Bungie just said "hey, Star Wars is cool, let's do this partnership" just because it could, regardless of how it may fit into the Destiny 2 story. Having blaster weapons and light sabers in Destiny is possible, sure, but it still feels kind of off. But now, I'm not so sure I care anymore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_07pVzO5no

After today's live stream and ViDoc, I feel more excited about the game than I have in a very long time. I'm still not fully sold on it, but the John Williams-esque soundtrack, good vs. evil sword battles, and being an outlaw in wild space entice me after all.

Renegades has its "Jedi" in Aunor, and its "Sith" in Dredgen Bael (who sounds like he's trying to emulate Adam Driver as Kylo Ren a bit too much for my liking), and it looks like they will come to blows with their "lightsabers" (Praxic Blade, a new Exotic sword). And for the first time, I felt moved.

I have some Star Wars burnout like seemingly everyone else, but lightsabers are always going to be cool. Destiny has had swords for many years now (about 10, actually), but the ability to swing and sway the blade to deflect incoming fire is just so naturally Star Wars and out of place in Destiny, but it's so cool that I don't mind how out of place it may be.

The Lawless Frontier activity is one of the big new additions in Renegades, where you as a Guardian are taking on "shady jobs" in the lawlessness that has become Mars. This includes being a Bounty Hunter like Boba Fett, hunting down high-value targets, and getting loot. This feels more Destiny-ish to me, so sign me up.

I have no idea if, or for how long, Renegades will hook me back into Destiny. This summer's expansion, The Edge of Fate, was fine, I guess. But according to Steam, I haven't opened the game since August. And judging by SteamCharts, I am not alone.

I'm still relatively sure my days of Destiny 2 being a habitual game that I play multiple days a week are over. I'm just hoping for a good story to move things forward after The Edge of Fate's revelations, and I don't know if this Star Wars-themed stuff is going to do it.

For now, I'm cautiously optimistic that Renegades will be cool enough and Star Wars enough (but not too much) to bring me back in the fold, so I'll be there on launch day Dec. 2 to try it all out.

The post Destiny 2’s Star Wars-flavored Renegades DLC still doesn’t make sense to me, but I can’t deny how badass it looks appeared first on Destructoid.