- Primary Subject: Marathon (2026 Launch Version)
- Key Update: Bungie’s Marathon launches in a stable state with fixes, new features like push-to-talk, and planned Duos mode, while delivering an unexpectedly tense solo experience.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: March 19, 2026
- Quick Answer: Marathon feels terrifying solo due to intense AI, high-stakes PvP, and constant tension, making it play like a horror game despite not being designed as one.
Marathon has really had me in a chokehold for the past few days. As someone who has spent a huge chunk of time in Destiny 2, with over 1,000 hours, this is the next game I hope to sink even more time into. Still, after the game’s turbulent development and that god-awful plagiarism issue, I was left wondering how a game like Marathon could keep up with other big players in the extraction shooter market, like Embark’s ARC Raiders.
Thankfully, those concerns don’t really show up in the launch version. Bungie has clearly been hard at work addressing most of the game’s issues, including adding push-to-talk and planning a Duos mode next. The situation with the artist was also resolved, and the good news is that she is now part of Marathon’s development as a visual consultant. Everything feels settled, and Marathon is finally out in the wild for everyone to enjoy.
Safe to say, I’m having a blast after racking up nearly 100 hours since launch. Rookie numbers, sure, but I have never been this invested in an extraction shooter. I only spent around 60 to 70 hours with ARC Raiders and already felt like I had seen most of what it offers. Marathon still hasn’t brought out its big guns, which makes me even more excited for what’s coming next.
While I can confidently say that Marathon is a great game, I do have one concern: Playing solo is terrifying.
Marathon is a Horror Game
Right off the bat, Marathon is not for the faint of heart when playing solo. As someone who’s used to doing things alone, even in ARC Raiders, doing a run solo is a nightmare on its own. It feels like being bombarded with multiple pieces of information at once, and you’ve only got yourself to rely on. The entire planet of Tau Ceti IV is out to kill your Runner shell, from aggressive UESC AI robots to even the game’s toxic flora that can spew poison and kill you at a moment’s notice. It is exhausting and stressful, but also the most fun I’ve had in a game so far.
Unlike ARC Raiders, where the perspective is in third person and lets you see threats in front of you and beside you, Marathon’s first-person approach actually heightens the tension and creates moments of pure dread. Not knowing what’s behind you or what might come around a corner is terrifying, especially when things start to feel too safe.
My first true fear was playing the game Solo in Dire Marsh, my least favorite map in the game. It’s mostly covered in a shrouding fog, heavy rainfall that dampens noise, and perfectly placed claymores. I’m enjoying the Recon shell, partly because of her good intel potential. I could see enemies coming from a mile away with my spider-drone and scan, but I sure as hell was not expecting a legion of UESC robots ganging up on me, resulting in my shell’s premature end.
The game’s AI enemies are no joke. Even Bungie decided to tone them down a bit from their recent patch. Even after that, they’re still not the type to spend most of your resources on. You’re only inviting more and more UESC robots to come at you, and worse, being prey to a bloodthirsty player looking for someone to kill.
The runs that followed taught me plenty of lessons. I didn’t have to kill every UESC robot I saw on the map. Instead, I had to pick my battles. Otherwise, my favorite Deluxe Bully SMG would get lost in the ether or taken by another runner.
So I relied on my trusty knife to take down UESC patrols, but dealing with Commanders and higher-tier robots is terrifying. I had to play stealthily, like that one moment in Alien: Isolation. One wrong move invites the full might of whatever enemy is nearby, and I’d watch my poor Level 2 Shield melt in seconds.
Marathon’s PvP is a Different Kind of Terrifying
Now that I know how to deal with the game’s impressive display of AI enemies in PvE, there’s one other horrifying encounter that I’m always afraid of: PvP.
I admit I was never that good at Destiny 2’s Trials of Osiris; in fact, I don’t usually dabble in its PvP realm. I’ve always enjoyed the game’s breadth of PvE content, like Raids, Dungeons, and whatever Bungie offers in its seasonal story content. My aim is bad, and with Marathon being another Bungie game built on their proprietary Tiger Engine, my aim hasn’t improved at all.
The high TTK (time to kill) of Marathon also adds to the horror feel. You’re almost always at the losing end when an enemy spots you first. Whenever I’m done dealing with AI enemies, I’m always worried that the next person who hears my gunshots is an actual player. Dying while I’m fully kitted with blue and purple gear is frustrating.
PvP in Marathon is a different kind of beast. You’re not just dealing with one player; you are dealing with the rest of the lobby. While PvP isn’t actively encouraged in the game, there’s barely anything you can do once a firefight breaks out. Combined with my bad aim and atrocious gear, I’m at a disadvantage, which is why sticking to the shadows and avoiding firefights is my ideal kind of run.
But that’s the thing, that option itself adds to Marathon’s tension. The mere sound of another player’s footsteps when I’m inside a building scares me, and when everything goes silent, I know I’ve already become a prime target for a random invisible Assassin. Before I know it, they’ve already locked their sights on me... and just like that, my good run is over.
Then again, despite the frustrations and sheer horror that await my solo runs, I’m always itching to go back for one more. That’s what Marathon has captured in me: the addiction to make each run better than the last. Most of the time, it works. Running around the Outpost map (Marathon’s third zone) as a Rook shell is fun. The number of sneaky kills I’ve pulled off has probably ruined someone’s day, and with my low-risk, low-reward loadout, I’ve racked up multiple valuable pieces of gear from fallen players, scavenging piles of bodies with my low-level equipment. Then again, all it takes is one squad to take me down.
Marathon doesn’t have the familiar scares of a Resident Evil or Silent Hill game, but it does a damn good job of keeping you on your toes when playing solo. Paired with Bungie’s brilliant sound design, I’m always worried my Runner shell is going to perish at any moment... and I relish that feeling.
With Cryo Archives, the upcoming endgame raid map coming sometime this week, I expect those horror stakes to rise even further, especially with enemies like the S’pht Compiler likely to ruin plenty of runs, not just mine, but those of other ambitious players as well.
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