Score
Gameplay:	4
Graphics:	4
Sound:	5
FunFactor:	5
PlasmaFactor:	6
Overall:	4.8

Marathon: Durandal Review
August 18, 2007 by Phil Carpenter

Time to take a walk down memory lane. This series was the Doom killer for the Mac. One of the first games where you could dual wield weapons and utilize a secondary fire. This is where Bungie really cut their teeth. Walk with me, as I take a look back at Marathon: Durandal.

 

 

Wander, Shoot, Repeat.

 

Marathon: Durandal is an updated sequel of the game that put Bungie on the map, Marathon, now available on the Xbox Live arcade. Freeverse has polished the game in an attempt to bring it to a new generation of gamers. Being over 10 years old, Marathon does show its age. The gameplay of Marathon: Durandal is basic early first person shooter fare. Wander around shooting enemies until you figure out either where the exit is or find the key to open the exit. Like other early first person shooters, such as Doom, Wolfenstein 3d, etc, the AI is simple, usually patrolling a set route, then standing and shooting at you. The maps are fair, but a few are a bit vague as to where you are supposed to go. The controls are clumsy, you click the joystick to swim, you cannot jump at all, and there is no button to reload, but movement and aiming are decent. The story is relayed to you by cryptic computer messages, which give you very little information on what you need to do.

The online multiplayer is weak, with only 8 players allowed per game and small, cramped maps to play on. There is, however, a plethora of game types available, both competitive and cooperative. The gameplay was acceptable when it was originally released, but now it just falls short of being entertaining longer than about an hour, if at all.

 

Oww my eyes!

 

The graphics in Marathon are a bit harsh. Even with updated higher resolution textures, the visuals in Marathon: Durandal wear on your eyes. The frame rate is a bit high, and many people have complained of headaches and in some cases dizziness and nausea. The characters, items, and enemies are all sprites, and though most of them have been redrawn, the game still looks dated.

 

At least it won’t hurt your ears.

 

The audio qualities in Marathon: Durandal are passable at least. The music is decent, but nothing special. The sound effects are mediocre. This is one area where Freeverse could have polished more. Overall, the audio isn’t horrible, but it doesn’t compare to any current game in the slightest.

 

hmmm…

 

This game is fun for a limited amount of time. The maps are confusing and offer little to no help in finding your objectives. The online multiplayer is repetitive on such small maps, and the story mode is average. For marathon fans looking for an update, this game is a good value. For anyone else, this is merely a glimpse in the past of first person shooters. The genre hasn’t been around long enough to really be retro, so now it’s going to have to be just plain old.

 

Look what I made you mommy!

 

This is a look back into the beginnings of the first person shooter genre. It definitely gives you a gauge as to how far the development of the genre has come. Also, without this game, we might have never had a Halo. This is the game not only showed us Bungie’s true potential, it’s also the spiritual predecessor to Halo. It’s about on par with Doom, which is also available on the Xbox live arcade. This is like seeing drawings by a famous painter from their parent’s fridge. Rudimentary, needing refinement, but gives some insight into what they could be capable of.

 

 

A decent way to kill some time.

 

Overall, Marathon: Durandal is not a bad game, it is just pales in comparison to any of the current generation of first person shooters. It’s a decent value at only 800 Microsoft points; just prepare yourself to not be wowed. Nothing completely awful, but substandard all around compared to today’s games.