Marathon

Quick Overview
Marathon is Bungie’s modern revival of its classic sci-fi series, but instead of a traditional campaign shooter, this version is a PvPvE extraction FPS. You drop into the dangerous world of Tau Ceti IV, scavenge loot, fight enemy forces and rival players, then try to extract before losing what you brought in. Bungie’s official site describes it as a survival extraction shooter from the creators of Halo and Destiny, and the game is currently marked Available now.

What makes it different is the risk-reward loop. Every run is not just about getting kills; it is about deciding when to push deeper, when to escape, and whether your gear is worth gambling. Steam also lists solo play, crews of two or three, Runner shells with unique abilities, moddable weapons, contracts, ranked mode, and raid-like Cryo Archive challenges.

Who Should Play This Game?
Play Marathon if you enjoy high-stakes online shooters where every match can turn into a tense survival story. It is best for players who like extraction games, tactical PvP, looting, build crafting, and team communication. The game lets you scavenge alone or with a crew, but the real appeal is making smart decisions under pressure: fight, hide, negotiate, betray, or extract before everything goes wrong.

Skip it if you want a normal single-player story campaign like the old Marathon games. This is a live online extraction shooter, so it depends heavily on PvP, internet connection, gear loss, seasonal progression, and replaying runs. It may also be frustrating for players who dislike losing loot after a bad fight or ambush.

Performance on PC
Marathon needs a modern but not extreme gaming PC. Minimum specs list Windows 10 64-bit, Intel Core i5-6600 / Ryzen 5 2600, 8 GB RAM, GTX 1050 Ti 4 GB / RX 5500 XT 4 GB / Intel Arc A580, DirectX 12, and broadband internet. Recommended specs list Intel Core i5-10400 / Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB RAM, RTX 2060 / RX 5700 XT / Intel Arc A770, and DirectX 12.

Storage is more important than the Steam page first suggests: Bungie’s support page lists the Steam file size around 25.30 GB, but says Steam may need around 52 GB during installation or preload because of downloaded and unpacked files. It also notes that Marathon does not officially support laptop configurations, even though laptops meeting or exceeding the minimum specs may still run it.