Marathon's Outpost is an extraction map masterclass that has me even more excited for Cryo Archive

Marathon doesn't make the best first impression with its beginner Perimeter map, and I think that's part of the reason why some people bounced off it during the Server Slam. It's not bad, by any means, but there's a lot of dead space and relatively simple POI encounter design. It's not Marathon at its best, basically (besides some lovely visuals). Starting off simple before adding more complexity in later maps was no doubt Bungie's reasoning, but it's not the strongest way to go about hooking players in.Dire Marsh, the second map you'll unlock, takes things up a notch, with more intricate, tightly packed POIs. In other words, there's more PvP and tension throughout the map, which sees you trying to avoid unnecessary shootouts and soundtraps.And then there's Outpost, the third of the base game maps that launched a day after release for players level 12+, which can take a good few hours to reach. Again, requiring player investment to reach the strongest bits of your game isn't ideal for player retention but I can understand why a map like Outpost is gated somewhat. It is a significant step up in terms of difficulty and complexity.It also makes Bungie's vision for Marathon that much clearer. Similar to Arc Raiders' Stella Montis, Outpost is a very small, close-quarters map that is designed with challenge in mind. You'll run into players frequently and there's tons of cover to mask your approach or reposition during a shootout. It's dynamic, flows well, and it's intense, as any gunfire or loud actions (double jumps, abilities, and so on) can potentially lead to other players catching wind of your location.

It's also basically two maps in one. There's the ground level, complete with airfields, factories, shipping yards, and whatnot. And then there is the Pinwheel—a close-quarters gauntlet accessed through a puzzle.Around the map, you can find special keycards which can be used to lower the security and breach the UESC tower at the centre, which contains heaps of high-end gear. So, the idea is that you'll start a match on the ground, looting and trying to find keycards, then head up to the Pinwheel, where you'll face even more bots and likely more, better-prepared players with their eyes on the same prize. It's a captivating loop that forces all of Marathon's mechanics to converge in a perfectly mixed cocktail of organised chaos.

And that's not even where Outpost's peculiarities end. The facility is on the fritz and the environmental defences are down, causing the Heat Cascade (inferno rain) to scorch the ground periodically. If you're outside, you'll want to run to a building as fast as you can, which is where things get interesting. In the middle of a shootout? Perhaps you abandon it to get to safety, or maybe you risk hanging around to shoot your opponent as they drop everything to find cover.Outpost also doesn't have the traditional crew extract points. There's only a guarded extract site on the ground floor, which encourages players to fight over the exit while also defeating the UESC that spawns. Otherwise, your only option is to find a Master Clearance code from terminals or the Tox Warden boss to extract from the Pinwheel area. Even leaving the map is somewhat of a puzzle, then.It's a truly great piece of map design, from each of the POIs on the ground level to the Pinwheel, and all the activities between them. What's most exciting is that it sets the stage for Cryo Archive, the first major drop on the Marathon roadmap, which the community is currently trying to crack an ARG puzzle to unlock.From Bungie's teasing, Cryo Archive feels like the Marathon equivalent of Destiny 1's Vault of Glass moment, where they really get to flex their design chops and set the tone going forward. There will be puzzles to solve and, by the looks of it, a terrifying Compiler boss hiding aboard the Marathon ship. Set in the bones of an extraction shooter, I'm curious how Bungie can weave in all these mechanics and potentially a drop of cooperation between rival groups. Outpost gives me hope that they can pull it off and continue to expand on what makes Marathon unique in the genre.