Arc Raiders and Marathon get compared a lot. Sure, they are both extraction shooters, and share a most likely similar price point, but they both are aiming to try and take a niche genre to the mainstream. To be fair, Arc Raiders has proven a valuable success, with a level of polish and fairness, that is not often seen in the industry.

After watching countless hours of streams of Arc Raiders and getting our hands on Marathon playtests, we came to a very important conclusion. These games are total opposites. To compare these two games directly would be like comparing Call of Duty and Destiny.

If you envision a Venn diagram for the player base, Marathon fans are on the left and Arc Raiders fans are on the right. The middle is where the more open-minded people are. This is a guide to help you figure out where you are in this.

Here is a detailed list of why these games are so different and which one honors your playstyle more.

• 1. The Vibe: Grounded Realism vs. Existential Dread
• 2. Perspective: Immersion vs Information
• 4. Matchmaking: The Safe Space vs The Wild West
• 4. Movement and Combat Loop
• 5. Buildcrafting: Gear vs. Hero Identity
• 6. The Competitive Ceiling
• FAQ
• Final Thoughts

↖ 1. The Vibe: Grounded Realism vs. Existential Dread

While both games have very good art direction, they both try to elicit very different feelings.

Arc Raiders (The Grounded Survivor): You have been put in a post-apocalyptic world where nature has regained control of it. What you see ect gives a scifi world vibes but just enough for it to also seem real. The feel of it leans into a world of rustic ruins and basic machines while nature dominates and makes it feel familiar.

Marathon (The Psychological Horror): This game goes completely off the deep end. The distant future on the colony of Tau Ceti has been long abandoned and leads highly into deep psychological horror where the elements of transferred minds and bio cybernetics come into play.

For the fans of Soma and its great earthly existential questions Marthon will also speak to you. As Arc Raiders gives us the more common Thunderdome using reclaimed earth over the ghost ship. When given the choice, exploring a ghost ship wins over strolling a forest every time. Stylistically obviously.

↖ 2. Perspective: Immersion vs Information

Here we see the first and most noticeable difference, and it alters the entire flow of gameplay.

Arc Raiders (Third-Person): This perspective gives openings for peeking around walls and not exposing yourself. It also makes it a little more cinematic and gives a broader view, but on the downside the scare factor diminishes. You will have more information than a given person should have.

Marathon (First-Person): With Marathon, you remain in first-person. When you are in an abandoned building and trying to remain undetected. Having limited view means your standing there having to completely turn and face an enemy is very nerve racking. Highly motivated shooters feel like this

↖ 4. Matchmaking: The Safe Space vs The Wild West

One of the major differences with the two games is arguably the most controversial.

Arc Raiders: Matchmaking Based on Player Behavior

Embark Studios has incorporated a unique system whereby players are classified in terms of their activity

Example: If you are very aggressive and hunt others players the game puts you in a lobby with other sweats. If your style is more passive and you do quests and PvE then you can expect your lobby to be filled with more players like you

The unfortunate thing is we've seen players spend whole levels without shooting a single other player. We get that this system seems fair, however, it really takes away the unpredictability. The extraction style shooter is definetly missing the tension that comes from knowing you are in a non-safe lobby.

Marathon: The Danger of the Unknown

Marathon has the opposite design philosophy. As Game Director Joe Ziegler said, there are no special rules that separate violent players from non-violent ones.

The Philosophy: Everyone has the same experience. That tension—not knowing whether the player who is waving at you through proximity chat is actually nice or just waiting to betray you—is what the game is all about.

The Reality: It's violent and brutal. The game has fewer social contact aid options, and you're in a more dangerous world. It's not a game where you can rely on your safety or protective matchmaking.

↖ 4. Movement and Combat Loop

Looking at the movement mechanics, the intended audience is clear.

Here are some key differences between Discord's Arc Raiders and Marathon:

Arc Raiders places movement and tactical positioning into the background while rewarding patience and tactical positioning, while Marathon does the complete opposite focusing on ability shooting. The overall pacing is strongly reminiscent of Apex Legends (fast, dynamic, and intentional).

Quality of Life Differences Worth Noting:

Reviving: A common complaint in Arc Raiders is that when a team member dies, they might very well be out of the game, so they may have to extract, and then that member is left spectating until the game ends. In Marathon, however, fully eliminated members can be revived, keeping the running active. This can turn into some real zero-to-hero clutch moments.

The Rook Loadout: A feature in Marathon includes a and free loadout called Rook, which comes with a stealth perk. This allows certain NPCs to not aggro, and easily makes budget runs feel more viable and offers a more intriguing strategic element to the game.

↖ 5. Buildcrafting: Gear vs. Hero Identity

For those that enjoy tweaking numbers and mechanics, you will enjoy this feature. The customization can be super deep.

In Arc Raiders, you have a basic set of tools ( grenades, barriers, zip lines) and a skill tree. The tree gives some goals, but we collectively hit a wall and thought end game nodes were uninspiring. Survivor, tool user, and limited build variety.

Marathon is leaning into Bungie's space magic roots. Hero Extraction Shooter.

Runner Shells: Instead of a default, you choose a Shell that has a set role.

The Depth: Over 28 unique weapons with a variety of supporting mods, the mix and matches become significant. You could get an implant that makes you invisible after a kill, or a mod that pushes enemies back when you shadow dive.

Adaptability: If you run out of the best mods for that 1 shell, the game encourages you to swap to a different shell with more resources, keeping the loop fresh.

↖ 6. The Competitive Ceiling

Lastly, let's address what becomes of you when you get good. Arc Raiders has trials and leaderboard features. Besides bragging rights, the game has more adventure than sport.

Unline the Arc Raiders game, Marathon is introducing a Ranked Mode based on the performance and how much loot players extract. It doesn't take a genius to understand that Marathon is purposely created to fit that itch and give the players a Rank that encourages grinding to prove that they are the best at the game.

↖ FAQ

Q: If I only enjoy PvE, can I play Marathon?

Yes. But, matches are made so that if you are playing PvE you will be matched with aggresive PvP players so be careful. It will be in your best interest to Penguin walk, utilize the Rook class abilities, and make use of social tools to avoid being killed by player aggressors, unless you are using a stealth class.

Q: Is Arc Raiders only for casual players?

Not at all. If you are a more Aggressive player you will be matched against players that play more Aggressive. The game is very challenging at that point. But, the reward for playing more Aggressive will be that you have more opportunities to play the game casually, and that is the main distinction.

Q: For Freed yaggy players, which game is best?

Marathon is a much better game for solo players than Arc Raiders because the Arc Raiders game lacks freedom. The movement abilities and stealth options of Marathon allow such players to escape aggressors and outsmart entire squads.

↖ Final Thoughts

It's great for the genre that each game will find its own audience.

Play ARC Raiders if:

• You like Third-Person tactical gameplay
• You'd rather fight NPCs than real players
• You like post-apocalyptic settings with survival mechanics

Play Marathon if:

• You want the First-Person view for more immersion and tension
• You want advanced build crafting, movement tech, and hero abilities like Destiny and Apex
• You want real danger in a competitive setting and unfriendly matchmaking

For us, Marathon is the monument we've been looking for. Bungie's iconic shooting combined with a Bowser-like world and a loop that rewards skill is all we want. Not that we're saying one is better than the other, but we know which game we'll be playing in March.