Now the tools are in your hands! Review

Now the tools are in your hands!

In Marathon you saved the colonists from the evil Pfhor, in

Marathon 2: Durandal you reawakened the ancient clans of the S’pht,

now comes Marathon Infinity placing you firmly in control of your own

destiny.

Marathon Infinity actually has two facets to it. It contains a

twenty level scenario entitled “Blood Tides of Lh’owon,” Bungie’s own map

editor “Forge,” and the all-powerful physics tool “Anvil.” Marathon

Infinity is a Marathon addict’s best friend. By selling us

their level editor, you too can make your own Marathon world.

First, let’s begin with “Blood Tides of Lh’owon,” Bungie’s continuation of

the story line. Unfortunately, for someone who has played the earlier

parts of the series, this scenario just isn’t long enough. It does have

some new additions to both the plot line and your arsenal.

In Marathon 2, you were under the direct control of Durandal, the

rampant AI. You now have freed yourself of that obligation and left

Durandal to fly around the universe in his refitted Pfhor vessel, “Boomer.”

Unfortunately, he’s just not going to leave you alone. Tycho is back and badder then

ever. You remember Tycho… one of the three surviving AI’s from the

original attack on the Marathon. (And you thought Doom-type games

couldn’t have a plot!) Now, you play ping-pong between the two dueling

computers. Sometimes you’re fighting for Tycho, attacking Durandal and

killing the Bobs. Sometimes, you’re on Durandal’s side, out to protect

himself and kill the Pfhor. Each level, you have different objectives, but

be warned, don’t anger either computer, they have no problem transporting

you into the vacuum of space.

Some other new additions include one new weapon and better equipped Bobs.

The Bobs are the humans that you rescued from the Pfhor slave ships. In

Marathon 2, they got pistols and then got revenge. In Marathon

Infinity they’ve got vacuum suits, plasma guns, and an attitude. When

they are on your side, they are a definite boon, but watch out when you’re

against them; it’s not a cake walk to kill these guys anymore. The big

news, however, is the new weapon (dance of joy). You now get to use a

fully automatic, deadly accurate Flechette gun. It shoots faster than a

jackrabbit in a dog race and is a lot more accurate than your old battle

rifle. Happy Hunting.

At this point you’re asking, “What could be better than that?” Well, I’ll

tell you. Ever wanted to design your own levels? What about your own

enemies or, dare I say it, weapons? The benevolent programmers of Bungie

have now given you that power. The designers are letting you have the tools they

used to create the Marathon universe, and leaving the ongoing saga

up to you.

Forge is the map-making tool. Ever wanted the Pfhor to raid San Francisco?

What about your school? Well, now you can make that dream a reality.

Forge allows you to create the polygonal backgrounds seen in the

Marathon series. Easy to use, the only limit to the maps you make is

your imagination, and your time.

Forge is only one piece of the puzzle. While it allows you to manipulate

the levels themselves, Anvil allows you to edit everything else. It allows

you to edit the shapes, sounds, and physics of the environment. As you play

around with it more and more, you can create new creatures, new weapons,

and new sound effects. You can also edit the physics of the game. Make aliens

act differently, lower their health. You can even effect shots, i.e. make

a gun shoot a dead body that bounces, screams, and explodes. (I’ve seen

it!) With Anvil and Forge, all the power is in your hands.

Kudos for Bungie on a job well done. Marathon Infinity is the last

game that will be released on the Marathon engine. Bungie knew that there

was still a call for more levels and more carnage, so they offered their

own level editors. Once you master these tools, the adventure will never

truly end.