Comparison

Classic Marathon vs Control Ultimate Edition

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

Control Ultimate Edition

Engage in a supernatural third-person action-adventure where you wield telekinetic powers and transforming weaponry to combat an ominous enemy. Uncover the dark secrets of a secretive government agency and fight to regain control of a world under threat.

Highlights
  • Supernatural combat
  • Transforming weaponry
  • Telekinetic powers
  • Uncover mysteries
  • Explore hidden world
  • Challenging boss fights
Features
Read full description

A corruptive presence has invaded the Federal Bureau of Control… Only you have the power to stop it. The world is now your weapon in an epic fight to annihilate an ominous enemy through deep and unpredictable environments. Containment has failed, humanity is at stake. Will you regain control? Winner of over 80 awards, CONTROL is a visually stunning third-person action-adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Blending open-ended environments with the signature world-building and storytelling of renowned developer, Remedy Entertainment, CONTROL presents an expansive and intensely gratifying gameplay experience. CONTROL Ultimate Edition has now been adapted to iOS. We have implemented touch controls and made changes to the in-game UI and game mechanics, like aiming and puzzles to provide a great experience for supported touch devices. The game renders beautifully through Metal and supports Ray Tracing on supported hardware. Key features UNCOVER THE MYSTERIES: Can you handle the bureau’s dark secrets? Unfold an epic supernatural struggle, filled with unexpected characters and bizarre events, as you search for your missing brother, and discover the truth that has brought you here. EVERYTHING IS YOUR WEAPON: Unleash destruction through transforming weaponry and telekinetic powers. Discover new ways to annihilate your enemies as you harness powerful abilities to turn everything around you into a lethal weapon. EXPLORE A HIDDEN WORLD: Delve deep into the ominous expanses of a secretive government agency. Explore the Bureau’s shifting environments only to discover that there is always more than meets the eye… FIGHT FOR CONTROL: Battle a relentless enemy through exciting missions and challenging boss fights to earn powerful upgrades that maximize abilities and customize your weaponry. CONTROL Ultimate Edition on iOS supports the following MetalFX features: MetalFX TAAU - Temporal Anti-Aliasing and upscaling MetalFX Frame Interpolation Ray-Tracing is supported on devices with M3+ or A19 Pro with 10Gb of memory.

Screenshots

Classic Marathon3 screens
Control Ultimate Edition4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Classic Marathon at Free against Control Ultimate Edition's $2.99. Classic Marathon also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.0) and review sentiment (76% vs 62%). Control Ultimate Edition's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). On ratings volume, ads and device support 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

Classic Marathon is free to download; Control Ultimate Edition costs $2.99 up front. Classic Marathon sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Control Ultimate Edition asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Classic Marathon holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 630 and 338 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Classic Marathon's written reviews are positive against 62% of Control Ultimate Edition's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Classic Marathon ships an update every 2 months, Control Ultimate Edition every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Classic Marathon versus Control Ultimate Edition: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterClassic MarathonControl Ultimate Edition
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.5 (630 ratings) — better4.0 (338 ratings)
Positive reviews76.2% of reviews — better62.3% of reviews
Number of ratings630 — better338
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#3 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.1
Further details — not scored
Size125 MB568 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperDome-C Studio LLCRemedy Entertainment PLC

Customer experience

Classic Marathon

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

Control Ultimate Edition

All ratings290 ratings
Positive73.4%
Neutral6.6%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews308 reviews
Positive62.3%
Neutral11.0%
Negative26.6%

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

Control Ultimate Edition

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
None

Control Ultimate Edition

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Classic Marathon free?
Classic Marathon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Control Ultimate Edition free?
Control Ultimate Edition costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Classic Marathon or Control Ultimate Edition?
Classic Marathon is rated higher. Classic Marathon averages 4.5 out of 5 from 630 ratings, while Control Ultimate Edition averages 4.0 from 338 ratings.
Do Classic Marathon or Control Ultimate Edition have ads?
Neither Classic Marathon nor Control Ultimate Edition shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Classic Marathon or Control Ultimate Edition?
Classic Marathon ships an update every 2 months, and Control Ultimate Edition every 5 days. Most recently, Classic Marathon was updated on October 22, 2026 and Control Ultimate Edition on October 23, 2026.

Other comparisons