so, i loved the first Marathon, posted about it earlier this year and everything. M1 was a slow, intricate and isolating FPS that stood in stark contrast to the shooter boom it rode in on, miles away from the growing run n' gun direction. there was a focus on ammo management and timing movement animations to counter small fights strewn across bizarre, claustrophobic environments. it fucking ruled and what a sequel could do had me front and centre, more please.
im now playing Marathon 2 and it's... not that at all. enemies are everywhere, ammo is constantly showered on you, several levels have allies running around adding to the chaos. M2 is going in a far more actionized direction and taking a few notes from its contemporaries, even the level design isn't nearly as alien or obtuse. im not sure about this change, maybe it's because im extremely familiar with this era of FPSes but the elements that M2 is leaving behind were what made Marathon, Marathon to me. i liked the spartan ambushes, i liked getting lost in locations that'd make architects cry. perhaps M2 was always meant as the better expression of bungie's intent but so far, M2 just plays like other 90s FPSes; in some ways lesser due to it.
don't get me wrong, the writing's still fantastic and M2 clears M1's visuals in every way, and im not finished yet, but it's a bit disappointing having to suddenly draw comparisons to Marathon's peers whereas the original marched to its own drum in terms of gameplay. this is the Doom 2 approach to FPS sequels; bigger, louder. Marathon wasn't Doom. hopefully this first third isn't the entire idea.