When darkness falls in a big-budget game, it's typically to set the mood. You're rarely at risk of getting lost or bumping into furniture. Instead you might wander beneath a full moon, its glow diffusing across the clouds, casting the land below in an atmospheric blue tint. Or you might follow a series of helpful light sources placed just so, like will o' the wisps, to ensure you don't stray from the main objective. In these games, nighttime is not a threat, nor a cloak, but a vibe.
Marathon, as always, has taken the tougher route. The centerpiece of its second season is Night Marsh – a familiar map plunged into blackness. There, Bungie treats the nighttime not simply as an aesthetic but as what it really is: a daunting reconfiguration of how you navigate the world.
