Marathon has four maps, or zones, that will be playable in the full game, each one offering players different threats, gameplay styles, and chances for loot, as well as story elements that help contextualize everything. Marathon's maps are all set around a science-fiction colony, Tau Ceti IV, struck by a disaster and overrun by robots from the UESC. Below we'll cover all the different map zones, what they have to offer, and what you can expect in gameplay terms.
You can play two of the maps in the Marathon server slam event, as explained below!
All playable maps and zones in Marathon
There will be four playable maps in Marathon, three of which will be available early on, and one of which is accessible in the Endgame. Marathon refers to maps as "zones", but the principle is the same: these are large levels that you can drop into. We'll go into more detail, but those zones are:
- Perimeter: A more beginner-friendly map set on the outskirts of the colony.
- Dire Marsh: A disaster point based around a central complex with an action focus.
- Outpost: A smaller, more vertical map building around a structure called the Pinwheel.
- Cryo Archive / Marathon Ship: The hardest location and endgame zone, with increasingly challenging vaults.
Of these four maps, Perimeter and Dire Marsh will be playable during the Marathon Server Slam. Outpost and Cryo Archive won't be playable until the game's full release.
Perimeter
Described as the most beginner-friendly map in Marathon, Perimeter is set on the edges of the main colony, with more safe areas and playing to stealth. Contextually, this is an area of expansion, where the colony was pushing outwards when disaster struck.
Dire Marsh
Sometimes referred to simply as Marsh, this zone is an epicentre for whatever disaster hit Tau Ceti IV. It includes the Anomaly, an alien entity or force emerging from the ground, and focuses on a central complex. Dire Marsh is mainly about straightforward action than anything else, with maps and enemies that play to that.
Outpost
The Outpost area is a functioning enemy UESC base, with various security measures and weather hazards for the players to navigate around. It's a smaller map, but makes up for it with greater verticality, all based around a structure called the Pinwheel. The contained environment means it's harder to go unnoticed, either by players or robots.
Cryo Archive
The final, endgame area of Marathon is set on the enemy ship itself, and by all accounts won't be accessible from the start, having to be earned. It has the best loot, but also features the most challenging enemies and hazards from all other maps, contained with frozen region and seven increasingly challenging (and rewarding) vaults to be opened. The developers have also implied that there's something dangerous in the ship that the UESC may be keeping locked away - whatever that means.
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