Classic Marathon

This is because while Marathon's plot is a very well executed sci-fi piece, and (in spite of not agreeing with some thematic points) one of my favorite video game storylines altogether, I don't believe you should force yourself to play the game solely for it, which might indeed be counterproductive to any possible enjoyment of the game.

To compensate, Marathon features a host of unique mechanics not found in any other FPS of its time.

Combat in Marathon defies the stereotype of classic FPS games being faster than their successors.

The lighting, texture work, and worldbuilding do a lot of heavy lifting to make the really abstract environments you explore feel like they somehow serve some kind of purpose.

The soundtrack is moody and ominous, perfectly complementing the dark corridors and sterile alien architecture.

The game introduces several systems that were forward-thinking for its time, including vertical aiming, environmental hazards like vacuum exposure, and a HUD that provides detailed information such as motion tracking and shield levels.