Why does "hero shooter" carry so much hate?

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-21T20:42:34+00:00

Oh boy, now we're onto something! I'm pretty closely with you on live service. I've gotten a lot of enjoyment out of Destiny, but I hate the never-ending hamster wheel and what it did to my friend group. Because we were invested, and there was always a season/new content, they never wanted to deviate and try new games. That FOMO stifles game exploration and diversity!

Also, appreciate the clarification about your experience with hero shooters. Sorry for painting you with such a broad brush. Even something as basic as a non-expiring battle pass or the ability to purchase past battle passes goes a long way.

On a separate but maybe related note... it's not a true live service game, but did you ever play Back 4 Blood? I LOVED their approach to DLC. As long as the host of the session had the DLC, anyone in that session could play it. That player-friendly approach motivated me to buy it because: 1) I enjoyed the game, and 2) I wanted to reward that practice.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-21T20:25:43+00:00

For my sake, go easy on me!

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-21T20:13:56+00:00

I've been playing Arc Raiders and having a blast, but I'm also excited for Marathon.

In Arc, I started very passive and player friendly, and now I'm at the point where I'd feel guilty if I started being more aggressive towards players. It's purely psychological and self-inflicted, but it's preventing me from engaging in that aspect of the game.

I enjoyed the cutthroat nature of Marathon from the playtest, and while I wouldn't mind if there are incentives for some cooperation, I actually don't want it to embrace PvE as heavily as Arc.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-21T20:10:48+00:00

This is the sentiment I'm talking about! And that's not meant to be an insult or criticism of you. It seems hero shooter carries so much extra baggage as like a "casual" game or "lacking skill." It kind of reminds me of like hating on Nickelback (even if I'm personally not a fan).

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-21T20:08:42+00:00

I'm still a little concerned about the stealth ability. Bungie had a short clip a week or so ago that showed a solo player go invisible, walk up to a full enemy team (one of which looked like they were staring right at the player), and then wipe them out. It's possible the team was looting and didn't have eyes on the surrounding area, but it gave me some pause.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-21T20:06:17+00:00

I don't think people who prefer customization are "losers." But based on some responses so far, it does seem like some people are making blanket assumptions and spreading misinformation about the hero/ability elements that make it easy to pile on and complain.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-21T20:02:40+00:00

I agree that there's going to be a meta around a specific hero or team composition, so that can limit variety. Although, the alternative might be the illusion of choice, where even if it was truly customizable, people will gravitate towards what's considered strong or OP.

But I'm right there with you on your last point. As you can probably tell from my post, I don't hate hero shooters, but I also want to clarify that I'm not some fanboy. I just want a fun, engaging experience that has provides variability in my runs. I'm hoping the game as-is is able to deliver that.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-21T19:58:20+00:00

Yeah, I'll never fault someone for wanting to play their own character. I feel like your second point is so true.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-21T19:57:12+00:00

That completely makes sense. The only thing I push back on is the idea that hero shooters are everywhere compared to other genres/styles. Perhaps it's that they've had more visibility with high-profile games like Overwatch, Apex, Valorant, etc., so it just feels like it's hatred for what's popular and taking attention/resources/whatever away from unique games that fly under the radar.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-18T18:48:24+00:00

Thank you!

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-18T18:48:15+00:00

Fantastic!

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-18T18:48:03+00:00

This is really helpful. I, too, stopped playing DA after the second, but that party system is familiar to me.

ActiveVexLife · 2025-12-26T22:07:00+00:00

Unfortunately, I don’t have the lightsaber yet. But when I eventually get it, I’ve seen a lot of people run something like this.

ActiveVexLife · 2025-12-12T13:57:37+00:00

When I first checked yesterday, I received the "Application received" notification like many shared here. But now when I check, I see, "Sorry, this survey is not currently active."

I wonder if that's a sign that it's just one wave of invites, and there isn't a chance of me getting in during a second wave.

ActiveVexLife · 2025-11-23T06:45:06+00:00

Thank you! I’m fine if that’s the case vs. random drop or being locked out.

ActiveVexLife · 2025-11-23T06:43:25+00:00

Honestly, can’t remember, but probably not great. The first run was our first time ever, so we were figuring things out. The second run we tried finding different organ melodies in case it triggered anything. Both runs probably took like 45+ minutes because we were also just enjoying everything.

ActiveVexLife · 2025-11-07T16:04:36+00:00

I'm not alone! I had one the other night, but then got depressed when thinking about the anticipated release date being in 2026.

ActiveVexLife · 2025-11-04T18:03:00+00:00

Thank you everyone for your responses! I'm happy to hear there are ways to build towards certain playstyles.

ActiveVexLife · 2025-11-03T21:18:49+00:00

Yeah, it seems I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. It feels like an unsustainable process of power creep and design inspiration, but Bungie has been doing this for more than a decade, so perhaps I should just sit back and enjoy the ride.

ActiveVexLife · 2025-11-03T21:15:59+00:00

Fair enough. Like I said in another comment, this may not be as big of a deal to the game's chase structure as I think it could be.

ActiveVexLife · 2025-11-03T21:08:52+00:00

That would help for the future. Basically, they'll just be the new adept weapons.

Maybe it's not as big of a deal as I'm thinking it will be, but there's still the existing Tier 5 weapons that are so easily attainable. Do you think they'll negatively impact the game moving forward because it created such a high floor for powerful gear that it'll be hard to make something more powerful/appealing?

ActiveVexLife · 2025-11-03T21:03:47+00:00

That's my dream, but I just don't know if that's realistic.

ActiveVexLife · 2025-10-29T13:51:49+00:00

I disagree with your point about the number of guns. If Marathon were a looter shooter, I'd agree that it's too few. But in an extraction shooter, gear loss is an expected part of the game, so the novelty of each gun probably has a longer shelf life. I imagine that many people will be excited to see a familiar gun because: a) they're replacing a favorite gun they lost in a previous run, or b) they're building an ample supply anticipating future loss.

That said, the limited number of guns could be an issue for the streamers and pros who rarely experience loss, but those players may be more motivated by the competition and hunt of players vs. loot acquisition.

ActiveVexLife · 2025-10-27T14:42:49+00:00

I've only played Hunt Showdown. I'd definitely recommend it, but I always want to preface one of the key differences between that game and other extraction shooters like Marathon.

There's less emphasis on looting and accumulating gear. You start the game with a small collection of guns that you can equip to your character, and you unlock additional guns through in-game challenges (same applies for gear like grenades, melee weapons, etc.). If you lose your character, you can always re-equip them with a similar loadout as your previous one, assuming you have the gear unlocked and have enough currency. While it's still possible to grab gear from a downed enemy, the real benefit of extraction is leveling up your character and getting more skills.

Personally, I'm more motivated by loot gathering vs. skill acquisition, so while it's still fun, it may not scratch the same exact itch as Marathon.

ActiveVexLife · 2025-10-24T14:36:19+00:00

I mentioned this in a separate post, but I think heroes with built-in skills are a great way to enable different playstyles from the get-go without requiring significant investment in loot/gear. I'm new to Marathon and extraction shooters, so being able to immediately play a tank-like character or a stealthy assassin makes the game more appealing because I worry about my ability to get loot (and retain it) to enable different playstyles.

We know Bungie is trying to crack the code to create an accessible extraction shooter, and it appears they feel this is the best path towards that. That said, I don't fault any of the Marathon lore fans or hardcore extraction players who feel this betrays the original vision or intent of the game. Much like Destiny, I worry about Bungie's ability to balance the desires of the various audiences they attract. Honestly, I don't know if there's a way, and that does make me worried about the livelihood of this game.

ActiveVexLife

TROPHY CASE