Bungie’s Marathon isn’t actually a new IP. Before the Halo and Destiny maker invented some of the biggest FPS games we know today, it took another swing at the sci-fi genre. Competing with the likes of Doom and Quake, the original Marathon is a piece of ‘90s videogame history that you need to play. With the new, extraction version of the series coming soon, and a Marathon alpha not far away, you can easily do just that.
The Marathon release date can’t come soon enough. Now that Bungie has finally shown us how this bold extraction FPS game plays, all that’s left is to wait. You don’t have to twiddle your thumbs for too long, however, as a Marathon alpha is right around the corner. Not everyone can get in and it’s for North America only, but it’s as close as you’ll get right now.
If you don’t manage to secure a spot in the alpha, don’t worry, because you can play the entire original trilogy for free right now. Dubbed ‘Marathon Classic’ and ported by Aleph One Developers, these are modernized versions of some truly old-school shooters. Each game has the original data files, optional widescreen HUD support, 3D filtering/perspective, positional audio, and 60+ fps interpolation.
So while these versions of the Marathon trilogy look and play the same, Aleph One has given each some modern features to help make them smoother experiences. It’s worth reiterating that these are ‘90s shooters, and won’t play like Bungie’s modern Marathon, but you can still experience where the series came from.
You can find the first game in the trilogy here on Steam, with the rest accessible after searching ‘Classic Marathon.’ If you’d also like to sign up for the new Marathon’s alpha, just join the Discord here and type /alpha in the alpha_access channel to be in with a chance of taking part.
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