Recent reviews by ThinkMachine

For some background: I'm pretty much new to the extraction shooter genre and have never played any previous Bungie titles. I mostly stick to single-player games, since multiplayer often overwhelms me, and trust me, I've bailed on quite a few. The only one that managed to keep me hooked for a little while was The Finals (28.6 hours logged) before things got too sweaty and I decided to take an indefinite break.

But after stumbling upon Marathon's convoluted sci-fi lore and unique art style, I decided to give it a shot. This is my experience so far:

• First things first: kudos to Bungie for experimenting with something genuinely novel. The art style and lore give a real sense of purpose to explore and push further into the story. This story SHOULD be expanded upon in future seasons, ideally with an option to replay past season missions. It would go a long way in helping returning players catch up, people like me who tend to drift in and out due to work committments.

• Presentation-wise, the art direction is stunning... The intros, CGI cutscenes, and loading screens are all eye candy. The aesthetics are genuinely pleasing. Consider me a fan.

• As for the in-game world, Dire Marsh looks beautiful during the day, almost like a research outpost on an alien planet. At night, though? Terrifying, and I mean it in the best way. I love that night in this game actually feels like night, and that surviving without a flashlight in certain areas on Dire Marsh is simply not an option.

• Speaking of scary, I had a genuinely memorable encounter while playing as Rook last night. I spawned inside a very dark room near the edge of Dire Marsh at night. After scavenging the room, I stepped outside and came face-to-face with a hazy, pale humanoid figure, with what seemed like multiple hands, staring directly into my soul 💀. It was so dark I wasn't even sure what I was looking at. I froze dead in my tracks, said "nah," and stood there before finally mustering enough courage to take a step forward. That was a mistake. The thing immediately leapt at me, I pulled the trigger and dropped it dead. That scared the hell out of me. 11/10, Bungie, I will play again. Never expected a moment like that from a multiplayer game. Dire Marsh is easily my favourite map so far. I have yet to visit Cryo Archives, though.

• New player onboarding is where the game lets itself down. It took me a while (and a few YouTube videos) to figure out basic things: the different types of loot, how power-ups work, how to throw a grenade, or that some weapons can be charged up for powerful shots. The game does a poor job of explaining these mechanics, and for a paid live service title, that's a real problem. That said, I can definitely see Bungie improving on this aspect going forward.

• The Season 2 UI is pretty solid overall, except for the home screen. Come on, Bungie! At least make it customisable! 😭 I wanted to change the background. I also wish the menus were a bit easier to navigate, as during my initial playthrough, I got confused a few times just trying to find my inventory.

• Gameplay & Progression is good. I was quickly able to amass a few rare loot and skins for my shell in the initial runs. Bungie gave out a few 6-7 (heh) deluxe sponsored kits to compensate for a short downtime that happened recently. That was a really sweet gesture and a nice surprise! Loved it but I plan on saving them for later use (yes, before the wipes obv). I'm currently grinding solo (as Rook) or duos when I'm around my younger brother).

• Regarding seasonal wipes, I genuinely think this is a step in the right direction. One of the biggest reasons I took long breaks from a few 1-2 multiplayer games I played in the past is how sweaty they got over time, and that kills my engagement faster than anything. Seasonal vault wipes bring a sense of replayability across seasons while levelling the playing field, less pressure of getting obliterated by veterans who've been grinding since day one, and more incentive for newcomers like me to actually stick around and give it a shot.

• Gunplay is superb, the recoil animation feels punchy, and the guns are cool. I hope more guns are added in the future.

• Difficultywise it is idealish, kind of what you'd expect in a first person shooter. UESC drones don't feel like bullet sponges, neither do other runners. Although yeah, it's sometimes hard to land shots, but not incredibly laid back/easy either. It sits in the middle and is mostly skill dependent and boy do I suck at aiming. 😂 Also, UESC drones also sometimes give you a chance to reload before spraying you with bullets, so there is that. Overall the gunplay is good for newcomers who seek challenge.

I guess the review's gone pretty long. But I've conveyed some key points which I wanted to share and believe that a lot of other players might resonate with too. The game is really good and offers a challenging extraction shooter experience! Kudos Bungie, you made a really great game and you got yourself a customer. I am having a blast rn & hope to see more content added soon! ^_^

Peak game for real. Deserves the attention it gets.

An absolutely well-polished, well-designed and well-curated Battlefield I might have ever played.
Everything in this game, the explosions, visuals, breathtaking level design, effects, screams, shaking of ground and other simple elements make it an immersive experience for milsimmers such as myself.

EA and DICE should look forward to prioritizing its further development by adding new gameplay elements and features within the game, this helps in keeping the playerbase actively engaged and makes other people keen and curious to try it out.