Summary
- Bungie re-releases the classic FPS game, Marathon, on Steam for free, showcasing the origin of its FPS pedigree.
- The Marathon trilogy, starting in 1994, codified many FPS conventions and tropes, competing with Doom and Wolfenstein.
- Classic Marathon on Steam by Aleph One Developers has QOL improvements and features, staying true to the original experience.
Bungie and Aleph One Developers have re-released the classic first-person shooter game, Marathon, on Steam for free. Most gamers attribute Bungie's pedigree in the FPS genre to being the creators of Halo and Destiny. While those two series are what Bungie is arguably most well-known for nowadays, the Marathon series is what helped the developer get a solid footing in the gaming landscape.
Bungie's classic Marathon trilogy first started in 1994, released for Apple Macintosh computers. The game was competing with other influential FPS PC games of the 90s, like Doom and Wolfenstein. The trilogy would help codify a lot of FPS conventions and tropes, with all three games being lauded for their innovations. The series isn't as well-known as Bungie's other games, likely due to a lot of its games originally being locked to Mac computers. That said, Bungie has been looking to revive the series with a brand-new PvP extraction shooter and re-releases of the original games on Windows PCs for the first time, starting with the first Marathon game.
The Fan Backlash at Marathon Explained
Bungie's reboot of Marathon is not exactly going to plan, and new changes and rumors have sparked discussions among fans and potential players.
Released as Classic Marathon, it was developed and published by Aleph One Developers, a fan-run team of developers who were working on bringing Bungie's original Marathon trilogy to modern platforms like Steam, and can be downloaded for free. The classic FPS has been enhanced with a number of QOL improvements and features, being built on the original Marathon data files. These include optional widescreen HUD support, 3D filtering and perspective, positional audio, and 60+ fps. Gamers can also opt to play the game the old-fashioned way by turning these features off. Reviewers who previously played the Aleph One version of the game note that the two releases are identical, with this version of Classic Marathon also incorporating Steam achievements.
Classic Marathon is Available on Steam for Free
Classic Marathon retains the original game's experience, where gamers are tasked with fending off aliens who are boarding the colony ship they are stationed on, the UESC Marathon. Marathon was praised for its story-driven nature, complicating the story by introducing not only aliens, but AIs fighting for control of the ship, and a morally questionable protagonist.
In addition to the first game, the second and third games in the trilogy, Marathon 2 and Marathon Infinity, are also slated to be released on Steam. Like Classic Marathon, these games will be released for free. In terms of Bungie's Marathon revival project, it is still currently in development, but the latest update gave fans some insight into its gameplay, such as having a cast of pre-set heroes to select from.
