Marathon’s latest round of closed technical testing is unravelling as we speak, and in social circles, the inevitable leaks are surfacing. While Bungie has been quick to plug the more serious leaks, comments have made it to social media platforms and are staying up for all to see.
On Reddit, users breaking their NDA (or sharing content from others who have broken their NDA) have uploaded clips and screenshots from the Marathon tests. These have already been taken down, but the opinions and comments from those playing the game are still up and represent a mostly positive reception.
Latest Marathon Leaks Are Looking Good
In the newest Marathon leaks to hit the social space, users seem to be experiencing mixed feelings about Bungie’s floundering extraction shooter. Earlier this year, Marathon was delayed by Bungie amid a wave of issues, leaving prospective fans out in the cold and unsure of what would happen next.
This was after information surfaced regarding stolen art appearing in Marathon, which was addressed by Bungie.
As Marathon came crashing down, we heard information from employees at Bungie concerning the free-falling morale at the studio.
At the start of October, it was revealed that a new closed technical test would take place under NDA, with Bungie inviting several hundred players to experience the evolution of Marathon behind closed doors. Inevitably, information has leaked from that closed test.
On Reddit, one user praised work done on factions and quests, while another bagged on some weird mechanics, such as paying credits to remove attachments from your weapons. The latter user also hated limited stash space, poor audio, and the continued existence of ‘bullet magnetism’.
Those comments came after 25 hours of playing the NDA’d Marathon, and ultimately the user stressed that they’re ‘still enjoying the game but (they) hope it receives the time in the oven that it needs.’
Another, who may or may not be directly experiencing the technical test, wrote, ‘Our friend says he had zero expectations but has not been able to put the game down since the playtest began. He said the solo experience is a borderline horror experience.’
Others regarded the game as a ‘significant improvement’, while some pointed out that ‘basic, minor things’ are still being overlooked, like some button mapping elements and directional audio mechanics.
Those who managed to see the leaked Marathon gameplay footage suggested that ‘it looks better than the alpha’, while another who didn’t play the first round of tests said, ‘It’s pretty decent and I’m actually having fun.’
Could Bungie genuinely be turning around the perceptions of Marathon? Might this ‘social extraction shooter’ be a success after all? Let me know what you’re thinking on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that Kojima could have made a Matrix game
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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