{"id":1518464,"date":"2026-03-06T00:03:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T00:03:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/UPwcCGsw4PwNoAMdKFnYNj"},"modified":"2026-03-06T00:03:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T00:03:20","slug":"marathon-day-one-check-in-thief-impressions-broken-deluxe-edition-bonuses-and-so-many-assassins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/marathon-day-one-check-in-thief-impressions-broken-deluxe-edition-bonuses-and-so-many-assassins\/","title":{"rendered":"Marathon day one check-in: Thief impressions, broken Deluxe Edition bonuses, and so many Assassins"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Marathon’s out, and if you’re looking for reviews, you won’t (or shouldn’t<\/em>) find any yet. We’re all getting started with Bungie’s extraction shooter alongside everyone else, though I do have 21 hours with this past weekend’s server slam<\/a> under my belt.<\/p>\n

That was enough time for me to come around on Marathon’s brand of high-stakes shootouts after a pretty ‘meh’ first impression. I’m loving the guns, adoring the maps, and only slightly irritated by the amount of loot juggling required.<\/p>\n

That’s still where I’m at day one of the full Marathon shabang: retreading faction quests I completed during the playtest, building up a cache of biomass and unstable lead to trade for free healing and ammo, and playing a lot more solo than I did previously.<\/p>\n

It’s the wild west<\/h2>\n

If you’re curious, Marathon remains a shoot-on-sight game<\/a> on launch day. I’ve been blasted a handful of times by players who caught me off-guard, ambushed a few Vandals who thought sprinting headfirst into a compound was a wise move, and negotiated exactly one truce. Indeed, a lot of folks are keeping proximity chat on and mics plugged in.<\/p>\n

During my second match, I killed an Assassin player and heard the footsteps of another just a few seconds later. On a whim I blurted out “I just beat this guy and could probably kill you too, but I’m good to just leave if you are.” He agreed, unaware that I was completely out of ammo and healing kits. We met up again at an extraction point and shared a friendly exit.<\/p>\n

So far, a few shells stand out as community favorites for solo play: Assassin and Vandal. Assassin’s popularity is pretty obvious\u2014becoming near-invisible every 90 seconds is a solo player’s dream\u2014and Vandal’s double jump and extended slide are powerful movement advantages. Vandal’s arm cannon is also one of only three direct damage-dealing abilities.<\/p>\n

Thief impressions<\/h2>\n

Thief is the sixth runner shell that wasn’t playable during the server slam, so I focused on getting some playtime with it today. It’s an interesting build that’s not so much suited for combat or movement like the ever-popular Assassin and Vandal, but a mix of intel and trickery. Here’s the full kit:<\/p>\n