Marathon Server Slam Shows Conflicting Opinions on Extraction Shooter Experience
The Marathon Server Slam shows conflicting opinions about its futuristic extraction shooter experience. The Server Slam event has ended which provides the community their initial opportunity to test the Bungie IP revival through extensive gameplay. The game has created a major player split because it transitioned from its original shooter style to extraction gameplay. The team has completed their first extraction of Marathon through their extensive gameplay experience which covered looting and extraction activities.
The Visuals and Atmosphere ask whether it serves as artistic expression or functions as visual vomit. The visual direction of Marathon is perhaps its most contentious point. The game has improved from its Alpha tests to its current state according to players. The exterior design presents sharper visuals while the game develops its unique identity which makes it distinct from Escape from Tarkovs realistic graphical style. The audio design together with the music work to create an intense atmosphere which achieves high standards.
The feedback shows that most viewers believe the visual presentation of the artwork exceeds their capacity for appreciation. Critics have described the neon soaked high contrast color palette as visual vomit that can be physically straining to look at. Some players find the world appearance of plastic to be too clean which makes it feel distasteful instead of showing a futuristic society. Players experience disorientation through the combination of muddy textures and a Field of View (FOV) setting which remains too close irrespective of maximum settings.
Gameplay Loop PvE vs PvP Competition
The Gameplay Loop demonstrates Player versus Environment (PvE) gameplay against Player versus Player (PvP) competition. The game currently suffers from an imbalance between its Player vs. Environment (PvE) and Player vs. Player (PvP) modes according to the current state of balance.
The AI enemies show extreme levels of aggression. The players reported that they became victims of PvE mobs who killed them before they encountered another player. The fast enemies show quick reactions while the shielded variants require extreme firepower to defeat. Bungie wanted to create a world which felt dangerous but current AI settings create an oppressive environment which disrupts player extraction activities.
The players who participate in PvP battles state their main complaint as the unavailability of direct combat encounters. The combination of map size and player count together with lethal AI who eliminate squads brings about matches that end without any player contact. The fighting resolves itself too quickly. The Time to Kill (TTK) in this game operates at an extremely rapid speed which surpasses the Alpha version. The game lets players achieve hero moments through 1v3 clutches but causes instant player deletion when players try to loot. The game system lacks the gradual tactical suspense which third person shooters like Arc Raiders implement.
Anyone who has played Destiny will find Marathon to be almost identical. The weapon system delivers precise gunplay through its weapons which include the BR33 Volley Rifle that resembles Bungie BXR and Pulse Rifles. Shotguns currently deliver strong performance which enables players to control close range combat.
The movement system has received negative feedback from users. The game includes advanced mechanics which allow players to perform sliding and dashing but its sprint system works through temperature cooldown mechanics which require players to walk during recharge time. The fall damage addition to a game with futuristic suits and thrusters has confused many players because it breaks the immersion of a sci fi running experience.
The first negative aspect which all Server Slam participants agreed upon exists in the User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) components. The inventory system functions as a chaotic system which manages inventory between items. The item icons for different items behave almost like duplicates which forces players to hover over all items across the game to identify each piece. The game ends up becoming unplayable because of the death sentence which occurs in situations where players need to act swiftly.
The experience of console users suffers from even greater problems. The game needs players to use a joystick for looting because it limits them to cursor control instead of providing a D pad system which causes looting delays. The in game HUD displays excessive information through its combination of colors and numbers which adds extra cognitive burdens to players during intense situations.
The economy needs players to extract loot which they will use to upgrade Factions and purchase gear after they wipe. The player experience becomes problematic because players need to handle inventory Tetris as they try to manage their extremely limited inventory and vault space.
The Rook class which serves as the starter shell creates tension between players. The class exists as solo queue only which prevents players from teaming up with friends during their gameplay. The decision to restrict access to the game has upset social groups who wanted to play together to discover all aspects of the game.
Finally, there is the elephant in the room: the price tag. Many players find it difficult to accept Marathons $40 entrance fee because Arc Raiders. the game does not offer enough unique content or polish to warrant a premium price tag especially when the extraction gameplay loop can feel like a chore simulator opening boxes slowly and waiting for individual items to load.
pros
- Gunplay The gunplay delivers a satisfying experience which maintains the distinct Bungie gameplay experience.
- Audio The sound design together with the musical score creates an outstanding audio experience.
- Solo Potential The game allows skilled solo players to defeat entire squads because of its fast time to kill mechanic.
- Progression The faction system enables players to retrieve their lost equipment through its protective mechanism.
- Optimization on Mid/High end PC hardware can run the game with satisfactory performance.
cons
- UI UX The system suffers from confusing icons which combine with poor console controls and disorganized menus to create navigation problems.
- Visual Clarity The system presents a visual overload through its excessive color saturation combined with confusing visual elements that create visual vomit effects.
- PvE Balance The artificial intelligence acts too aggressively while maintaining excessive durability which prevents players from enjoying PvP matches.
- Movement The system's sprint cooldowns and fall damage create an experience that does not match its intended design.
- Price The market offers some good free to play competitors which make the $40 entry fee an expensive barrier.
The game creates division among players. The shooting mechanics function well yet Marathon experiences problems from its flawed design elements and its difficult to use interface and its uncertain visual identity between its graphical style and its gameplay experience. The game needs extensive polishing work to reach its required price value because it exists as a lesser product compared to Arc Raiders.
Pc Version Tested.
