Choose Marathon
Choose Marathon if you want the Adjustable Text Size, Subtitle Options, and Color Alternatives side of the pairing. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 87.7% positive across 29,474 reviews.
Marathon vs EMPULSE
Marathon and EMPULSE both land in Action on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Action games on Steam. Both released in 2026. Marathon scores higher on Steam reviews (87.7% positive) than EMPULSE (73.2% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose EMPULSE
Choose EMPULSE if you want an Early Access game with DualShock Controller Support. On Steam, it's currently about 75% cheaper on the Steam Store. 1,562 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Marathon and EMPULSE sit in Action on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Marathon |  EMPULSE | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026 | 2026 |
| Genres | Action | Action, Early Access |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | 39.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 87.7% positive (29,474 reviews) | 73.2% positive (1,562 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer |
| Developers | Bungie | 1047 Games |
Side by side
- Both are Action games on Steam.
- Both released in 2026.
- Marathon scores higher on Steam reviews (87.7% positive) than EMPULSE (73.2% positive).
- EMPULSE is currently ~75% cheaper on Steam than Marathon (9.99 USD vs. 39.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Marathon is Deck Unsupported, EMPULSE is Deck Playable.
Marathon vs EMPULSE — FAQ
- Which is better, Marathon or EMPULSE?
- On Steam reviews Marathon scores higher (87.7% positive) than EMPULSE (73.2% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Marathon is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Are Marathon and EMPULSE similar?
- They overlap on Action on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.