A diamond in the rough.
Ok, so basically I got this game on a whim, simply because I know it has a hardcore cult following and was made by bungie, the creators of Halo (so there must be something worthwhile in the game) I got it the day it came out. I never played Doom. I don't like old shooters. I like Marathon. Come to think of it, I'm not exactly sure WHY I like Marathon. I mean, sure, it's a solid shooter with a great story, but the graphics and gameplay aren't all that impressive after all this time. And yet, I found myself, for no good reason, unable to to put this game down until 5 am on the first night I had it, afterwards weeping softly into a pillow and screaming "I CAN'T QUIT YOU!!!" to my xbox.
So, the graphics. Yeah, not that great. But, they do have their moments, and all the characters have a distinctly memorable stylized look. There is also some really cool art thrown in between levels. Also worth noting is that they went back and bumped the game from 30 to 60 fps. This is kinda weird. It makes the game really fast paced, and can apparently make people nauseous. I personally never felt ill at all from the game, and I know many people who get sick to their stomach from playing it, but continue to do so.
It's that good.
The theme song played in the menu is bad ass and will get stuck in your head, but otherwise the sound in Marathon is pretty sparse.
The gameplay in Marathon is just plain fun. You blow dudes up. You can dual weild shotguns. Nuff said. The only thing preventing this game from scoring higher is the fact that you may spend time wondering what to do next in the single player.
Marathon is a game that will last you a long, long time. It has a great sci fi story (which will actually probably last you long than a regular retail game, or even Halo 2) and it is really fun to see the similarities between Halo and Marathon. With a great community of new and old players a like, a great campaign, and a surprising fun multiplayer, you'd be hard pressed to find a better way to spend 10 dollars than Marathon: Durandal.