'Don't Think for a Second That We're Gonna Remove the SAUCE From the UI' — Marathon Dev Doubles Down on 'Fontslop'

Marathon’s idiosyncratic interface has go 1 of the game’s main talking points, with immoderate calling it confusing, unintuitive, and cluttered. One of the criticisms has to bash with the sheer fig of antithetic fonts on-screen astatine immoderate 1 time. Bungie’s Marathon is surely striking, visually, but immoderate deliberation it has excessively overmuch going connected for its ain good, accusing it of being “fontslop.”

While Bungie has indicated it’s receptive to feedback connected Marathon’s UI and volition tweak it post-launch, Elliott Gray, who works connected idiosyncratic interface plan connected Marathon, took to societal media to treble down connected the ‘fontslop’ claims, jokingly describing himself arsenic the “fontslop merchant” and utilizing the hashtag #fontsloptakeover.

Gray besides said that portion Bungie volition respond to subordinate feedback, “don't deliberation for a 2nd that we're gonna region the SAUCE from the UI.”

To me, that suggests Bungie volition instrumentality to its guns connected Marathon’s UI, astatine slightest erstwhile it comes to its cardinal ocular design. Sure, we tin expect immoderate improvements (I anticipation Bungie makes items a batch clearer successful your inventory!), but those fonts dependable immovable.

There’s a batch of talk, generally, astir Marathon’s plan and whether oregon not Bungie volition tweak it arsenic the crippled hurtles towards its March 5 merchandise date. For example, Bungie has acknowledged the statement astir TTK (time to kill), which is ultra accelerated successful Marathon. During the Server Slam, players recovered that they could beryllium killed highly quickly, with their shields and wellness barroom gone successful the blink of an eye. Enemy players are of people highly unsafe successful the extraction shooter, but the AI enemies are conscionable arsenic brutal. Turn astir the incorrect country and you tin find yourself eliminated earlier you tin react, the tally implicit and each your cogwheel mislaid forever.

“We've learned a batch from you, watched from the shadows arsenic you've deed snags oregon recovered moments of glory, and taken notes the full time,” Bungie said successful its Server Slam play feedback recap. “Your input during this clip has fixed america a batch of items to benignant done and we'll beryllium doing conscionable that successful the coming days, truthful convey you.”

Another constituent of feedback Bungie acknowledged was connected the med and ammo economy. Players person recovered some sets of items scarce, to the constituent wherever it’s casual to tally retired of ammo, especially, making Marathon an adjacent tougher acquisition than it already is. When you origin successful the in-game outgo associated with replenishing med and ammo items for each run, you tin spot wherefore some are precious commodities.

“We perceive you that meds are soaking a batch of your aboriginal loadout fund and that back-to-back fights tin chew done your med and ammo reserves beauteous quickly,” Bungie said. “We've seen immoderate folks for and against the Depleted items arsenic good — on with however rewarding drops disconnected of AI are. If you ran adust mid-fight oregon astatine a captious spot successful your Run, archer america each astir it!”

The Marathon Server Slam deed a highest Steam concurrent subordinate number of 143,621 erstwhile it launched past week, but somewhat surprisingly, that fig declined arsenic we worked done the weekend. Marathon deed a highest of 64,128 concurrents connected Sunday, conscionable a fewer days earlier Marathon goes connected merchantability priced $39.99 connected March 5. Of course, Steam concurrents bash not overgarment the full picture, and neither Sony nor Microsoft makes subordinate numbers public. It volition beryllium absorbing to spot however Marathon does astatine launch.

Speaking of which, Bungie said the Server Slam “was lone a portion of Marathon’s gameplay and progression.”

Launch volition bring the afloat faction and declaration progression, each six motorboat Runner shells (including Thief), and 3 zones (including Outpost), Bungie confirmed. The end-game zone, Cryo Archive, connected the UESC Marathon vessel and Ranked mode are besides coming during Season 1, on with “other surprises.”

Check retired IGN's Marathon reappraisal truthful acold to find retired what we think.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].