After almost five years and a few ups and downs, Bungie's Marathon is now publicly available. As people check out the FPS, fans of Arc Raiders are trying to quell tribalism within their community in the name of simply enjoying more variety on the market.
Marathon and Arc Raiders invite some comparison, with both being sci-fi extraction shooters. They offer a blend of PvP and PvE, have distinct structures for their progression, and use futuristic settings for their backdrops, albeit to very different ends.
You could easily imagine players being entrenched in one or the other, like Battlefield and Call of Duty, but the fanbase of Embark's release is being less combative.
"Two beautiful games can coexist without all this hate for each other," a Redditor says. "If I want an experience more focused on PvE and finding people to socialize with, I will go to Arc, (but I have to admit I preferred the PvE missions in Marathon than in Arc). If I want a fast game with adrenaline-filled PvP, I will go to Marathon."
They include a meme of someone enjoying Arc Raiders and Marathon as if they're both delicious desserts. "Holy shit! Two cakes!" they're exclaiming. The comments are filled with people agreeing.
"If Marathon does well, Embark cannot grow too complacent with Arc Raiders," replies one commenter. "We want this competition, it's good for both us and Marathon players at the end of the day."
People don't even necessarily agree that they're similar experiences. "Embark are putting the focus on PvE and the 'don't shoot' mentality. Marathon is the complete opposite; the devs encourage PvP heavily," as another Redditor adds.
For those who've dedicated themselves to Arc Raiders, Marathon provides a welcome reprieve without losing the social aspects. "After 300h [in] Arc Raiders, Marathon is a nice new game," one commenter states.
Whether you enjoy a game or not, success should always be the hope, especially in the current industry where games and teams can be shut down in the blink of an eye. If you had a problem with Arc Raiders, Marathon might be more your speed, and vice versa, and variety is truly the spice of life.
