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Bungie's Marathon Is A Polished Extraction Shooter, But That Might Not Be Enough
I've been trying to distill my thoughts and feelings about playing Marathon into something easily communicable and I keep coming back to Season 6, Episode 13 of The Simpsons. In the episode, titled "And Maggie Makes Three," Homer learns that he's become a father for the third time and, in response, reacts with a despondent thumbs up that simultaneously acknowledges that something good has happened but that it also creates the potential for stress, hardship, and maybe even disappointment. I hate to reduce playing an alpha version of the next game from the team behind Halo and Destiny to a reaction meme deployed by millennials in group chats, but the accuracy of what homersadthumbsup.jpg conveys is undeniable.
After around eight hours of gameplay where I faced off against developers, content creators, and members of the press, I left Bungie's Bellevue studio keen to play more of its high-stakes PvPvE multiplayer game. And at the same time, I couldn't deny that I had serious concerns about the experience that its compulsive gameplay loop is couched within. Putting it plainly, I'm worried Marathon could launch as a solid multiplayer shooter that is brimming with potential but thin on content. And in the dog-eat-dog world of multiplayer games, that could be a major issue.
Even in its alpha stage, what made playing Marathon so compelling was immediately evident. It took just one match of running, gunning, looting, and extracting to identify that the core of the experience leverages Bungie's pedigree as a best-in-class first-person-shooter developer. As longtime Halo or Destiny players can attest to, there's a satisfying texture in the moment-to-moment gameplay that makes Bungie's games hard to put down. The satisfying thump of a melee kill or the glee that comes from sticking an enemy with a plasma grenade has carried Halo through multiple generations. And deep loot-based progression layered on top of that gives Destiny a gravitational pull that's hard to escape. Marathon has all that, but within the framework of an extraction shooter. For those not familiar, this is a relatively new flavor of multiplayer shooter that takes the thrills of PvP and marries it with the tension of battle royale to create a game about dropping in, grabbing resources, and then making it to an extraction point to get out with your goodies in a single life.
Continue Reading at GameSpotBungie's Marathon Releases In September On Same Day As Another Big Game
Bungie's new shooter Marathon was the focus of a livestream event today in which the company shared lots of new information about it, including a release date. Marathon will launch on September 23, which is the same day that Gearbox's highly anticipated Borderlands 4 arrives. It's expected that GTA 6 will follow soon after, potentially in October.
Marathon, which is a successor to Bungie's 1994 game of the same name, is headed to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. The game supports cross-play and cross-saves for all platforms.
Also during the livestream event today, Bungie announced that a closed alpha test for Marathon will begin in April--here's how to sign up for the Marathon closed alpha.
Continue Reading at GameSpotMarathon Closed Alpha Begins In April, Here's How To Sign Up
As part of the Bungie's reveal showcase for its next game, Marathon, the studio announced a closed alpha test and confirmed how players can sign up for access.
The Marathon closed alpha starts later this month, and players can join the Marathon Discord channel for a chance to get in. Bungie said its teams will be "actively engaging" with the Discord channel, including conducting live Q&As and generally discussing the project directly with fans.
Marathon is a team-based extraction shooter. It's a successor of sorts to Bungie's 1994 game of the same name. Whereas Bungie today is better known for its work on the Destiny and Halo franchises, the original Marathon was one of Bungie's first big successes when it was released for Mac and Apple Pippin.
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Trails Beyond The Horizon Deluxe And Collector's Edition Preorders Available Now
Trails Beyond the Horizon Deluxe Edition
Preorder at AmazonTrails Beyond the Horizon Collector's Edition
Preorder at NIS America Online StoreThe latest entry in the Trails RPG series, Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon launches on PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC later this Fall. Publisher NIS America has not yet announced a specific release date, but fans who are eager to secure their copy can preorder Trails Beyond the Horizon now. If you plan to add a physical copy to your collection, there's the $60 Trails Beyond the Horizon Deluxe Edition and a $100 Collector's Edition, both of which include the game and a few exclusive extras.
Trails Beyond the Horizon Preorder BonusesNo preorder bonuses have been announced yet, but considering the Deluxe and Collector's Editions include a selection of extras--and the Collector's Edition, in particular, is likely to sell out--it's worth preordering them soon to ensure you get all the goodies. We will update this section if any preorder bonuses are announced.
Trails Beyond the Horizon Deluxe Edition $60 | Releases Fall 2025The Trails Beyond the Horizon Deluxe Edition is the only physical version of the game available to preorder. It includes a boxed copy of the game plus a mini art book and a download code for a digital soundtrack, all for just $60. It's available to preorder on PS5, PS4, and Nintendo Switch.
Preorder at Amazon Trails Beyond the Horizon Collector's Edition $100 | Releases Fall 2025A Trails Beyond the Horizon Collector's Edition is also available exclusively from the NIS America store. It includes everything from the Deluxe Edition, plus a steelbook case, a physical copy of the soundtrack, an acrylic clock and standee set, and a collector's box.
Preorder at NIS America Online StoreTrails Beyond the Horizon is the third game in the Trails Through Daybreak arc, which kicked off a new story arc in the long-running series, making it a good jumping-on point for anyone interested in checking out the massive Trails franchise for the first time. You'll need to catch up on Trails Through Daybreak and Trails Through Daybreak II before playing Trails Beyond the Horizon--but that's an easier task than jumping back to the very beginning of the series. Both Daybreak games are available at Amazon.
Continue Reading at GameSpot