Comparison

Classic Marathon vs El Paso, Elsewhere

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Classic Marathon

Relive a classic first-person shooter experience with this enhanced port. Explore 27 levels, battle alien forces, and engage in various multiplayer modes. Features include high frame rate support, HD sprites, and cross-platform multiplayer.

Highlights
  • 27 levels across six chapters
  • Multiplayer with up to 8 players
  • Exploration, puzzles, and extermination missions
  • Console-quality gameplay
  • 7 unique weapons
  • Cross-platform multiplayer support
Read full description

Classic Marathon® is the first in the original epic trilogy of first person shooter games that defined the genre. Experience the pulse-pounding action as you defend the Marathon from the alien Pfhor. Play with your friends and enemies in Every Man for Himself, Capture the Flag, King of the Hill, Cooperative, or Kill the Man With the Ball. ENHANCEMENTS • High frame rate support • Updated HD Sprite set • 3D positional sound with HRTF • Texture parallax mapping • Multiplayer cross-play with Linux, Mac, PC, and Steam FEATURES • 27 levels divided into six chapters. • LAN-based multiplayer with up to 8 players. • Missions include exploration, puzzles and extermination. • Console-quality gameplay. • MFi controller support. • 3D Touch and haptic feedback. • Dynamic reticle and High-resolution textures. • 7 unique weapons including: .45 Magnum Mega Class pistol M.75 Assault Rifle/Grenade Launcher Zeus Class Fusion Pistol TOZT-7 flamethrower ... and the devastating SPNKR-X17 rocket launcher ===== "Being naked in space stinks. Lucky for you, Mr. Security officer, you are dressed in active military uniform, complete with a Cyberheadª helmet. Your Cyberhead device is your interface to your surrounding environment." ===== STORY • Defend the UESC Marathon colony ship against the aggressive Pfhor • Play the role of the cyborg security officer • Witness the rampancy of Durandal, the ship-board A.I. • Uncover the surprising secrets of the Pfhor and the UESC Marathon ===== "Carnage is as easy as point and shoot. Different weapons are characterized with different dynamics. It is unwise, for example, to use the rocket launcher in close combat." ===== Visit us at http://www.marathon-ios.com Follow us on twitter http://www.twitter.com/blezek Source code for this app is also licensed under the GNU General Public License (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html). See http://www.marathon-ios.com for details. ===== "Move fast, seize the initiative, wield superior firepower, dive into the melee, anticipate enemy movements, slaughter the defenseless, endure." ===== BUNGIE™, MARATHON® and the Bungie and Marathon logos are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Bungie, Inc., used with permission.

About

El Paso, Elsewhere

Engage in a supernatural neo-noir shooter featuring slow-motion gunfights against vampires, werewolves, and other creatures. Explore a reality-shifting motel beneath El Paso and uncover an emotional story of heartbreak and revenge.

Highlights
  • Cinematic bullet-time action
  • Battle supernatural horrors
  • Immersive neo-noir story
  • Explosive combat with unique weapons
  • Dynamic and destructible environments
  • Original hip-hop soundtrack
Features
Read full description

El Paso, Elsewhere. A supernatural neo-noir shooter filled with monsters, mystery, and slow-motion action. Fight your way through a haunted, reality-shifting motel, now mysteriously 46 floors deep beneath El Paso, Texas. Hunt vampires, werewolves, fallen angels, and other terrifying creatures in cinematic slow-motion gunfights inspired by action classics. Uncover an emotional neo-noir story of heartbreak and revenge as you face Draculae—the vampire lord you once loved. WHY YOU’LL LOVE EL PASO, ELSEWHERE: • Cinematic bullet-time action: Slow-motion dives, dodges, and gunplay. • Face supernatural horrors: Battle vampires, werewolves, and fallen angels. • Immersive neo-noir story: Fully-voiced campaign filled with drama and mystery. • Explosive combat: Use holy-fire Molotov cocktails and dual pistols. • Dynamic environments: Destroy objects and enemies with realistic physics. • Original hip-hop soundtrack: Featuring RJ Lake & Xalavier Nelson Jr. From the acclaimed creators at Strange Scaffold, makers of Life Eater and I Am Your Beast. Download now and dive into neo-noir chaos.

Screenshots

Classic Marathon3 screens
El Paso, Elsewhere4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: El Paso, Elsewhere at every 3 days against Classic Marathon's every 2 months. El Paso, Elsewhere also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.5) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Classic Marathon sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and El Paso, Elsewhere sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

El Paso, Elsewhere holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 630 and 755 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Classic Marathon's written reviews are positive against 82% of El Paso, Elsewhere's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Classic Marathon ships an update every 2 months, El Paso, Elsewhere every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Classic Marathon versus El Paso, Elsewhere: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterClassic MarathonEl Paso, Elsewhere
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (630 ratings)4.7 (755 ratings) — better
Positive reviews76.2% of reviews81.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings630755 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size125 MB2.7 GB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperDustin WenzFrosty Pop

Customer experience

Classic Marathon

All ratings612 ratings
Positive87.1%
Neutral4.2%
Negative8.7%
Written reviews282 reviews
Positive76.2%
Neutral6.7%
Negative17.0%

El Paso, Elsewhere

All ratings744 ratings
Positive93.0%
Neutral2.4%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews222 reviews
Positive81.5%
Neutral7.2%
Negative11.3%

User reviews

Classic Marathon

From 630 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Faithful port of a classic game
  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay and controls
  • 💡 Appreciated free version with optional HD upgrade
  • 🎮 Great with controller support
  • 🕹 Nostalgic experience for longtime fans

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
  • 🕹 Challenging touch controls
  • 🔒 Lack of customization options (e.g. invert Y-axis)
  • 🔋 Drains battery quickly

El Paso, Elsewhere

From 755 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent gameplay
  • 👍 Great story and characters
  • 🎨 Fantastic art style and visuals
  • 🎵 Awesome soundtrack
  • 🕹️ Smooth controls and mechanics

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches (e.g. softlocks, invisible barriers)
  • 🎮 Suboptimal touch controls, need for customization
  • 💰 Paid full version after demo
  • 🇨🇳 Lack of Chinese language support

Bugs and requests

Classic Marathon

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Saves not working properly
  • Weapons becoming black boxes
  • Screen tinting issues
  • Crashes on newer devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add multiplayer support
  • Implement more control customization options
  • Port the entire Marathon trilogy
  • Provide support for custom maps and mods

El Paso, Elsewhere

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Elevator not working in level 28
  • Frankenstein enemy health gets stuck in level 27
  • Character movement issues during chapter name display
  • Crashes on iPhone 6 Plus

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add controller support
  • Implement cloud save functionality
  • Increase frame rate cap
  • Introduce a free-to-play zombies mode

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Classic Marathon

One-time10
  • HD Mode$0.99
  • Master Chief Mode$0.99
  • Enhanced Reticules$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Just a tip$0.99
  • Not the smallest tip$1.99
  • A good tip$2.99
  • A pretty good tip$4.99
  • An excellent tip$7.99
  • The best possible tip$12.99
  • Better than the best tip$20.99
1 purchases

El Paso, Elsewhere

One-time1
  • El Paso, Elsewhere$4.99

Questions

Is Classic Marathon free?
Classic Marathon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is El Paso, Elsewhere free?
El Paso, Elsewhere is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Classic Marathon or El Paso, Elsewhere?
El Paso, Elsewhere is rated higher. Classic Marathon averages 4.5 out of 5 from 630 ratings, while El Paso, Elsewhere averages 4.7 from 755 ratings.
Do Classic Marathon or El Paso, Elsewhere have ads?
Neither Classic Marathon nor El Paso, Elsewhere shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Classic Marathon or El Paso, Elsewhere?
Classic Marathon ships an update every 2 months, and El Paso, Elsewhere every 3 days. Most recently, Classic Marathon was updated on November 1, 2026 and El Paso, Elsewhere on November 8, 2026.

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