Summary
Bungie is not a stranger to receiving controversy for its approach to many things, from changes made toDestiny, toMarathon’s shift to an extraction shooter. As one of the oldest and most impactful studios in the FPS genre, it is a developer always looking to push the envelope, and that doesn’t always go down well with the community at large.
In its quest to make a mark, Bungie has been responsible for creating unmistakable visual designs, withHalo’s Master Chief an iconic character in gaming. The recentMarathongameplay reveals have reignited plenty of discussions about the game, but one of its most controversial aspects may also be its biggest win.
Marathon’s Striking Art Style Is Both Loved and Hated
Bungie kicked off a lot of discussion within the community when itrevealedMarathonin new gameplay trailers, showing a first look at the extraction gameplay. While plenty of comments were focused on the mechanics, plenty more were about the incredibly vibrant art direction, with opinions divided betwen love or hate.
Strong, saturated, contrasting colors make up the bulk ofMarathon’s palette, with little in the way of gradients or blending.Marathonis a game about standing out, using design language that blends glitchy retro themes, motion capture visuals, and the periodic table. There is little room for the game to be mistaken as anything else, which has been a strength ofBungie’s impressive design evolution over the decades.
However, this powerful statement of a design has not gone down well with some, citing the bold art style as a core reason for not being interested. Yet, the opposite is true for many others, who may have been indifferent to the game before, but now, with a fresh look, are excited tojump intoMarathon’s world. One interesting sentiment seen online is from people who were previously not extraction shooter players, but want to tryMarathonjust for its unique look.
The power of strong art direction is often a double-edged sword. It will instantly resonate with some players, and put off others. But even by putting players off, it can work to Bungie’s advantage, generating discussion about the game, where it is more likely to reach a wider audience, and those unfamiliar withMarathonmay want to know what all the talk is about.
Marathon’s Art Direction Should Be a Masterclass in Design for Other Studios
Bungie’s art direction has always been top tier, leading the industry with simplistic, yet iconic, design templates that have been picked up on by other game studios.Halo’s Master Chief inCombat Evolvedhelped to make the game into the classic it is today, forming the bedrock for futuristic super-soldier designs in shooters. EvenDestiny’s many and varied Guardians proved that Bungie can take that principle of simple, but iconic, and make an entire universe that has lasted over a decade.
Love it or hate it,Marathonpushes the needle forwardin art direction by offering a very stark palette that makes this new game instantly recognizable to people who have only just seen it. There is little else out there that looks likeMarathon, and while that may change in the future, right now it lets Bungie carve out a niche for the title.
Studios looking to make a splash should take note of this move. Not by copyingMarathon’s design, but by thinking outside the box on how they can make a game that speaks so much to certain people. Marathon has thrown out the rulebook on how to make a safe visual style with wide appeal, and very few studios have the luxury of being able to do this the way Bungie can, but it should not stop them from trying.
