In the early 90s, Marathon's graphics were exceptionally pretty.
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Whether or not you will be satisfied after reading this article depends entirely on what comes to your mind when you look at the image above:
Yuck! What kind of graphic is that?!
– Sorry, you won't be happy here, free or not. It's best to read about which free games are currently available at Epic.
That's a great marathon, how great! Back then I was still young and fit!
– Be happy, you've come to the right place. The good news for you: Marathon is now available for free on Steam.
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Go to Marathon's Steam page
What kind of game is Marathon?
Don't worry, you sports fans: you don't have to get up from your desk and dig out your running shoes. Instead, the shooting takes place here in an uncomplicated manner according to the old custom.
The setting of the 1994 sci-fi shooter is quickly summarized. Aliens have invaded the UESC Marathon space station in the Tau Ceti system and as head of security you now have to live up to your qualifications on your CV, i.e. you grab a weapon and complimented
the aliens from the ship.
Simple and entertaining – that At least 92 percent of Steam users like itwho have submitted a review so far. In addition to the retro feeling, the dark atmosphere and a good plot for the time are mostly praised.
A game from Bungie – but somehow not
Marathon was once developed by Bungie, who would later make a big name for themselves with Halo and of course Destiny 2. The porting of Marathon for today's computers was carried out by a group called Aleph One Developers
developed, but always with Bungie's blessing.
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On the website You can even find the project already the complete marathon trilogy. Only the first part is currently available on Steam, but it can be assumed that the successors will be released later, which should make Marathon better known as a brand again. And for a good reason.
A whole new marathon will be released in 2025
Marathon will officially continue next year, as Bungie itself is currently developing a shooter with the same name, but… completely different from his ancestor will be.
Because the 2025 marathon will be a PvP extraction shooterto match the current zeitgeist and challenge top dogs like Escape from Tarkov or Hunt: Showdown.
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Marathon: Bungie is bringing back a relic of the 90s as a PvP extraction shooter
But there are still a few parallels to the original. Once again you find yourself in the Tau Ceti system, more precisely on the planet Tau Ceti IV. Colonists have disappeared there and your task is to track them down, recover alien artifacts and confront strange AIs.
In terms of gameplay, you can expect the usual fare including loot collection and a large map, which you have to successfully leave after completing your goals without giving up the spoon first.
It is not yet known when exactly the marathon will start in 2025. But the platforms are already certain and you won't find any big surprises here: PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S are all served.
If the prospect of another extraction shooter doesn't appeal to you, you now have three classic first-person shooters that you don't even have to pay for.