Classic Marathon 2 is one of those old games where I can tell pretty quickly that it was made with a very different idea of what a first person shooter should be. I am playing the 1995 Bungie game Marathon 2: Durandal through the modern Aleph One version, so the original game is still here underneath the updated presentation and controls. I am sent by the AI Durandal to an alien world filled with ruins, hostile creatures and the remains of an ancient civilisation. The story is a big part of the experience, but most of it is told through terminals instead of constant cutscenes, so I have to actually pay attention to what I am reading.
The shooting is still pretty enjoyable for such an old game. I get a good selection of weapons and each one has a reason to use it, rather than everything just being a stronger version of the gun before it. There is also a proper physics system, so jumping, explosions, momentum and moving through water all matter. I like that the enemies are not completely passive either. Some of them move quickly, some attack from a distance and others can put me under pressure when I am already trying to work out where I am supposed to go. It feels more involved than I expected from something made in 1995.
The level design is probably where I have the strongest reaction. Some areas are genuinely clever, with switches, terminals, lifts, doors and different routes making me think about where I have already been. The outdoor sections and underwater areas are also a nice change from the dark corridors that I normally expect from an old sci fi shooter. At the same time, the game can be very cryptic. There are moments where I am wandering around wondering what I missed, and the map layouts can be difficult to remember. I like having to explore, but there is definitely a difference between being challenged and simply not knowing where the game wants me to go.
The story is another reason I think Classic Marathon 2 holds up better than some older shooters. Durandal is constantly talking to me through terminals, and the relationship between him, the player character and the alien races gets more complicated as I go along. I have to actually read the messages because the game does not stop everything to explain the plot to me. I like that because it gives the whole thing a more mysterious feeling, although I can also see it being frustrating when I just want to shoot things. The world feels like it has a history beyond whatever mission I am currently doing, and that makes the exploration more interesting.
The modern version also does a lot to make the game easier for me to play today without completely changing it. I get widescreen HUD support, optional filtering and perspective improvements, positional audio and smoother frame rate interpolation while still using the original game data. It also supports single player, online multiplayer, LAN play, co op and Workshop support, which gives me a lot more options than the original hardware ever could. I really like the fact that I can experience the old game without having to fight against ancient hardware or awkward setup just to get it running.
The biggest problem is still the age of the actual game. The environments can look very plain now, the enemies are basic by modern standards and some of the movement and level design decisions take a while to get used to. I also think the story can become confusing if I am not paying close attention to the terminals. The modern improvements make the game much easier to enjoy, but they cannot completely hide that this is still a 1995 shooter. I have to be willing to accept some old fashioned design choices, especially when it comes to navigation and how little guidance I get.
Overall, Classic Marathon 2 is a really good way for me to experience an important old sci fi FPS without having to deal with the usual problems of playing a game from the 1990s. I like the strange story, weapons, physics, exploration and the way the levels make me actually think about where I am going. The dated visuals and sometimes frustrating navigation hold it back, but the modern Aleph One version does a great job of making the original game feel usable today without stripping away what made it unique. The fact that the whole thing is free also makes it much easier for me to recommend, especially when I want something that feels very different from modern shooters.
Rating: 7.6/10
