Bungie's art director explains Marathon's controversial new look

As we reported yesterday, the bold art direction for Bungie's new Marathon game is causing some controversy. The vibrant palette and glitchy UI design influences is dividing opinion among fans.

Some see the style as a breath of fresh air that could bring new life to hero shooters, particularly as Marathon will be a rare extraction game available on consoles as well as PC. But others see it as too much of a departure from the grungy style of the original Marathon games from the 1990s.

What's the thinking behind the art style? Art director Joseph Cross has already explained his approach in a social media post, where he described the new Marathon art style as "Graphic Realism" (see our pick of the best game development software if you're looking to start work on your own project).

In a post on X written back in 2023 during development of the game, Joseph says of the style: "On one side, it's about a simplified/deconstructed universal design language, strong graphic design and color statements, and limited materials. The other side is about realistic proportions & scale, implied functional & detail, and a generally grounded world."

"We're focused on creating visual "brand" of science fiction, that (hopefully) feels fresh and stands the test of time," he adds.

Joseph said the team looked back at games from past generations for inspiration while also looking forward. He cites influences like Metal Gear Solid 2 and the hugely influential Wipeout alongside more recent titles Death Stranding, God of War and The Last of US. He also name checks Mirrors Edge, Aeon Flux, Ghost in the Shell, Otomo, Koji Morimoto, The Designers Republic, Chris Cunningham as part of the "stew".

Joseph goes on to add: "The work of Alberto Mielgo and the affect Into The Spiderverse had on Blockbuster animation has given us a ton of strength and confidence to take more visual & creative risks. There are also a ton of influences outside of games. Product and apparel design, photography, science, conceptual art, cinematography, sports like Formula 1 and MotoGp etc. are all big sources of inspiration."

Marathon Art Style Breakdown - YouTube

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A Marathon gameplay trailer will be released on Saturday 12 April at 10am Pacific time. There's no news yet on the possible release date or price. The game will be released for PlayStation, XBox and Windows but not Mac this time around.

For more on Bungie's approach to game art, see our interview focusing on Destiny 2: The Final Shape. And for resources for your own work, see our guide to the best digital art software.

For new releases beyond gaming, don't miss the trailer for the upcoming Netflix Eternaut adaptation.