For decades, James Bond games have struggled to find a consistent identity. Some leaned heavily into action, others focused on espionage, and a few tried to balance both with different levels of success. With 007 First Light, Hitman developers IO Interactive deliver a modern Bond adventure that understands what makes this character so iconic in a similar way to how MachineGames respected the Indiana Jones IP with the Great Circle. Rather than simply recreating moments from the movies, First Light builds an original interpretation of Bond while blending cinematic action, stealth, and globe-trotting adventure into a package that earns the “00” status.
First Light feels like Uncharted meets Hitman with a dash of charm found in No One Lives Forever (remember that one?). It is packed with spectacular action sequences, high production values, and a clear respect for the source material. While it succeeds in many areas, it occasionally falls short of fully embracing the mechanics it introduces.
Globe-trotting Adventure
First Light is Bond at his most reckless and green. This is an origin story where Bond is working toward achieving his “00” status over the course of a 15-20 hours narrative. In usual 007 fashion, Bond gets drawn into a larger conspiracy and has to chase the rogue 009 agent across the world. It also features a timely commentary on the nature of AI, technology, and humanity, which I believe elevates the themes beyond the standard villain discourse. Without going into spoilers, this is an interesting and fun story with well crafted twists that is above the average action adventure title.
The campaign is linear. While most missions offer opportunities for exploration and multiple approaches, many sections are heavily scripted to allow for cinematic action, although this often made me feel like I didn’t have much agency over Bond’s actions. If you like Uncharted, then that should not be an issue for you. However, players looking for more freedom might be disappointed.
The story beats and pacing are well designed. The narrative moves at a decent pace, sending players across a variety of locations including Slovakia, Mauritania, the UK, and more. The narrative does an excellent job balancing espionage and action. Quiet infiltration sequences naturally build toward explosive set pieces that give Uncharted a run for its money, while investigations and intelligence gathering help distinguish First Light from Hitman and dispel worries that Bond is simply another action hero that is trigger happy.
One of First Light’s biggest strengths is its presentation of Bond and characters. Patrick Gibson plays Bond with charisma, wit, and vulnerability in the narrative’s more emotional scenes. Gibson’s Bond is great at establishing its own identity, not trying to match or copy previous Bond incarnations. Gibson is joined by a competent cast, with great performance from Lennie James and Priyanga Burford. There are some misses though. Lenny Kravitz’s character feels shoe-horned in for the celebrity wow factor, while Gemma Chan is underutilised as a glorified NPC. Given her talent and screen presence, it’s disappointing that the game doesn’t feature her character more prominently.
Despite some of these minor challenges, the story remains engaging from beginning to end and provides a solid foundation for what could become a long-running series. Get your popcorn ready, but don’t expect Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
Combat and Stealth
The gameplay is a mix of combat and stealth, although this is accomplished unevenly. The gunplay is excellent. Weapons feel responsive, hefty, and satisfying to use. Firefights deliver enough fun and a much needed change of pace. Bond will also engage enemies in hand-to-hand combat. While melee encounters look impressive, have weight, and use the environment, they often feel awkward. This combat system is not as advanced as the Arkham combat and does not rely on stringing together combos. The absence of a lock-on system creates challenges during close-quarters fights, where the camera angle can also obscure other enemies.
Stealth is the other main pillar. Missions tend to start with infiltration rather than direct confrontation (until the situation escalates), allowing players to sneak through compounds, gather intelligence, and quietly take down threats. Gadgets are essential for incapacitating and confusing enemies, including the Q-Watch which uses electric impulses to “hack” devices. As it stands, there are only electric and chemical types of gadgets, comprising seven gadgets in total. I would’ve hoped to see more variety, although these gadgets are incorporated well in the level design to unlock new ways to tackle stealth.
You can also use Instinct points that are awarded to the player by doing spy actions (like eavesdropping) to Bluff or Lure enemies. This is one of the most engaging mechanics of First Light because stealth isn’t about remaining invisible at all times. Instead, you are sneaking when necessary, bluffing when challenged, and fighting as a last resort. I appreciated this dynamic and it allowed me to get through some challenging situations while also hearing Bond make up the funniest lies.
The inclusion of disguises is a welcome addition, although this is underdeveloped. I rarely felt like I adopted a new identity because costume changes aren’t implemented in a meaningful way. For example, the game counts carrying a tray or wearing a hat as a way to sneak by. It’s an interesting limitation, which I suspect IO Interactive intentionally wanted as a means of avoiding turning Bond into Agent 47.
Stealth suffers from other limitations. Bodies cannot be hidden, which becomes frustrating when guards discover fallen enemies and call for reinforcements, messing up my carefully planned infiltration. As such, First Light sacrifices immersion for the sake of action and pacing, making stealth feel less developed than in Hitman.
Outside of the main campaign, First Light introduces the optional TacSim mode. Here you can challenge your combat and stealth skills by replaying levels with additional scenarios. It’s a fun addition that rewards players with new items and suits, although it currently feels barebones at launch since the amount of available content is limited, especially for those hoping for something closer to Hitman’s Freelancer mode.
In terms of traversal, movement and driving are generally good, although there are minor frustrations here and there. Bond can feel sluggish, particularly when sprinting or transitioning into cover. It’s not enough to affect the experience, but there are moments where responsiveness falls short when the action starts picking up. Car chases are fun and look spectacular, but driving can also feel awkward. Controls lack a certain fluidity and sometime vehicles feel floaty to control, making steering more challenging and inconsistent.
Looks to Kill
This is not Hitman with a brand new coat of paint. First Light has its own visual identity that strikes a balance between graphical fidelity and a vibrant art style. Character models are detailed, environments are richly designed, and the various international locations successfully capture the feel and context of the place, e.g. sunny and warm Slovakia vs. cold and rainy Iceland. It is the most visually exciting Bond game ever made.
All of this is underpinned by IO Interactive’s in-house Glacier 2 engine. I had my doubts about whether it would be able to hit 60fps after watching the initial First Light gameplay trailer. I am happy to say that the game runs exceptionally well on the base PS5. Performance remains consistently smooth throughout at a locked framerate in Quality and Performance modes. I also did not encounter any game breaking issues while playing.
One minor gripe I have relates to the loading times. While not exaggerated, loading screens are longer than expected especially for a current gen AAA title, particularly when restarting from checkpoints. In a game that asks players to retry encounters and experiment, these delays can become noticeable over time.
Earning the Number
007 First Light succeeds where many Bond games have struggled by delivering an experience that captures the essence of the character. Its blend of espionage, stealth, cinematic action, and globe-spanning adventure creates a compelling formula that shows great promise going forward.
While underdeveloped stealth mechanics, restrictive mission design, awkward traversal, and some combat frustrations raise challenges, the strengths far outweigh the weaknesses. Outstanding production values, thrilling action set pieces, strong performances, satisfying gunplay, and great technical performance make this an impressive debut for IO Interactive’s 007.
First Light earns its license to thrill.
8 — Great
Review copy provided by developer/publisher/PR group
