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It is no secret that Marathon has struggled to gain mass appeal throughout its lifespan, having quite a high barrier to entry that sadly alienates casual and new players – especially those who have experienced the player-friendly Arc Raiders as their first extraction shooter.
Bungie, however, seems to have understood this and is trying to crack open the tightly locked door blocking new players from enjoying the game; its metaphorical crowbar of choice is the new Symbiosis update, which brings a heap of new features to welcome players new and old alike.
This is an update that the community has wanted new information on for weeks now, and we have finally got it in the form of a full trailer showcasing all of the bells and whistles of this behemoth update – and let me say, I am extremely excited.
A dedicated PvE mode has been a player request for a while now, and given Bungie's experience not only in its previous endeavours, Destiny and Destiny 2, but also in Marathon itself through the form of Vault Breaker, it is a fair ask; and Bungie certainly answered. Marathon will be getting a full, permanent PvE mode in this update called Expedition.
Expedition will be a Co-op roguelite PvE experience that will see you progressing through stages of differing levels as you acquire "flash boosts" that upgrade your shell with unique buffs to help you as you progress through the levels as they get increasingly more difficult, forcing you to adapt and think on your feet. I think this is a great addition; Bungie can really shine with PvE experiences, as we have seen before, so I place my trust in the studio to pull this off – and even as someone who isn't too bothered about PvE, I will for sure be giving the Expedition game mode a shot.
Alongside this new game mode comes a much-needed refresh of the perimeter zone of New Cascadia, giving runners an improved and more open playground to enjoy. This update to the perimeter will add even more areas that can be explored, opening up the playing field to areas we haven't seen before, such as burrows and the reservoir, along with revamping the environment and adding fungal-like parasites wrapping over the buildings and cliffs.
The environment isn't the only thing changing, however, as you'll also embody an entirely new runner shell on your exploration: The Bishop. The Bishop is a seemingly UESC-inspired, combat-oriented, direct fighter who specialises in shutting enemies down with precision and speed.
Armed with (what I believe to be) a hack-throwing knife/grenade and a leap similar to the Vandal shells, he traverses the battlefield with ease and locks down his prey, ready to (again, what I can gather) release his prime ability, which is a lightning-fast unsheathing of his sword to strike through enemies.
These are the main points I can ascertain from the trailer; however, his kit could very well be quite different or have other abilities alongside the ones I have mentioned, so take this information with a tiny grain of salt until we have official news regarding our new shell.
The new mode, map, and shell require a few more things: weapons to wield. The trailer showcases (my personal favourite) the Maveric, a hard-hitting western-inspired revolver derivative that seems accurate from the hip and during ADS (some Destiny fans may recognise some inspiration, too), alongside the throwing knife, hack grenade, and flamethrower.
I am extremely excited to see all of these in action, and I think the addition of new weapons was needed, as I have begun to get slightly bored of the current rotation in-game – not that it's bad, it's just that it needs a little freshening up, so to speak.
On December 8th, you will then be able to take these new weapons into the second mode added in this update, Deathmatch. I don't think this mode needs much explaining, but just to clarify, it will be an all-PvP mode, the first of its kind in Marathon, and will be focused solely on killing as many enemy runners as possible, with Arachne's higher-up Charter being the announcer, which I thought was very fitting.
If this all sounds too stressful and combat-oriented, you can always take a break in the new social hub called "Limbo". This allows players to interact in a full 3D world, similar to games like Destiny and Warframe. Wind down with friends, practice your aim, or duke it out in friendly bouts to improve your gun-fighting skills.
The best part for new players is that, if you are unsure if you want to play Marathon, there is a full free week when Symbiosis drops where you will be able to download the full game and play all it has to offer, so there is no reason not to drop into Tau-Ceti and do some running.
Along with this free week, a set of "crew up event challenges" will be available to encourage you and your friends to hop in and earn some sweet rewards in the process. If you do decide to do this, your content will also carry over to the main game if you purchase it afterwards.
Phew, that is a lot! I can't wait for December 8th, and I commend Bungie's hard work; it is clearly putting a lot into Marathon. It is seen, and it is appreciated. If you want to purchase Marathon beforehand, head over to Steam and buy it for £34.99 (but if you are unsure, I recommend trying the free week first).