No matter what Bungie Studios does these days, many Mac users consider the pinnacle of their gaming achievements to be the Marathon series of first person shooters. Marathon enthusiasts have kept the flame alive with Rubicon, a game that continues the Marathon story. Now Rubicon X is available for download — what’s more, it’s free.
First released 12 years ago, Marathon was an intricate story that transported players to the 28th century, where players assume the role of a security officer who must defend human colonists from a race of aliens called the Pfhor. At the time, the game was lauded for its use of then-novel concepts like new multiplayer modes, dual-wielded weapons and more.
At the time of its original release in 2001, Rubicon was billed as the largest Marathon scenario project ever created. It featured hundreds of new textures, more than a dozen new characters, new scenery, weapons and lots of solo levels.
Rubicon X’s developers describe the new release as “a complete overhaul of the original” featuring new, high-resolution artwork, new and updated maps, “and enough surprises to feel like a whole new game.”
Marathon add-on scenarios and total conversions are nothing new, but Rubicon X is exceptional. It’s a completely new game that makes use of Aleph One, an open source descendant of the same engine that powered Bungie’s Marathon 2. Aleph One is available for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux operating systems, and also works with Intel-based Macs, through a variant that uses Simple Directmedia Layer (SDL). Visit the Rubicon X Web site for links.