Sure, here’s a reimagined version of your article:
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You ever feel like a game just misses the mark? That’s kinda what’s up with Marathon. Bungie thought, “Hey, let’s bring it back as an extraction shooter!” but… not everyone’s on board with this. It’s like they threw a party and forgot to invite half the guests. Meanwhile, all eyes are turning to ARC Raiders. I’d probably do the same if I was disappointed, right?
So, extraction shooters, huh? Tricky waters. Some games like Escape From Tarkov just nail it, while others sink before they even leave the dock. Marathon seems to be in the latter camp, unfortunately. ARC Raiders, on the other hand, is like, “Hey, watch me go,” and everyone’s like, “Whoa, not bad at all.”
ARC Raiders has this cool backstory, crafted by folks from the Battlefield series. Funny thing is, even though they launched The Finals first, ARC had been cooking longer. It kinda morphed from something simple to this big extraction game. People are suddenly hyped, and I totally get why.
And, you know, both Marathon and ARC have this vibe of shifting from one style to another. But weirdly enough, ARC gets the thumb’s up while Marathon’s kinda like a shrug. Marathon fans admire the artistic vibe but aren’t vibing with the gameplay itself. Thousands signed up for its alpha, but kinda bailed quick. Could be a sign they.need.to.change.stuff.
Part of Marathon’s struggle might be its past. It was this beloved IP, and now it’s like a strange new animal. ARC doesn’t have that baggage. It’s fresh, no grand expectations, and features like home base and proximity chat are total crowd-pleasers. Bungie was cautious with chat features, probably scared of toxic stuff, but maybe it’s holding them back?
Bungie plans changes for its next alpha, like tweaking aim assist on PC. It feels like they’re still finding their footing. I mean, they’ve got a history of rocky starts, like with Destiny. But then those games found their feet and, but maybe bad timing with ARC sneaking in as the new cool kid.
ARC Raiders’ release couldn’t come at a worse time for Bungie. Comparisons are inevitable. And, honestly, ARC’s word-of-mouth buzz is challenging Marathon’s big-budget push. Marathon could still turn it around. But man, that shadow ARC’s casting? It’s a long one. Let’s see if Marathon can step out of it.
