“Don’t touch that… that’s my lunch!” likely wouldn’t rank amongst most people’s favourite James Bond moments, but it’s one my earliest memories of the franchise. Rewinding the VHS tapes manually of both Goldeneye and Tomorrow Never Dies again, and again, and again. 007 is a cultural icon, which in turn means revered memories, and many an argument over who’s the best Bond. Consequently, IO Interactive had their work cut out when they embarked on their very own interpretation of Bond with 007 First Light.

The wise-cracking, espionage sleuth has had a rather tumultuous time with video games. From the highs of Goldeneye on the N64 and Quantum of Solace on the PS3 and Xbox 360, to the chasm of lows in 007 Legends and 007 Racing, Bond has been through the wringer. Now, in the hands of the Hitman developers, can he make a triumphant return to the pantheon of third-person action games, or will be suffer the fate of Sean Bean being dropped head-first from a satellite?

You Only Live… Once

007 First Light, to my surprise, is a story heavy exploration of James Bond’s origin. Here, he begins a mere crewman on a military mission, with a rap sheet to boot. After the incursion goes awry, Bond is swept into the clutches of MI6, learning the ropes of spy craft through the newly reformed 00 program. Patrick Gibson turns in a fantastic performance as the title character, alongside some sharp writing that walks the line between comedy, seriousness and self-referential quips with ease.

IO Interactive are more known for their emergent gameplay systems, but with 007 First Light, they demonstrate a real nous for engaging storytelling. You’ll meet the usual characters you’ve come to love in M, Q, Moneypenny and the like. They’re all brilliant, especially Q, who’s distinctive silver hair and suave style match his dialogue and quirky inventor persona. But most of all, it’s the original characters in Greenway – a jaded, brutal, brought in from the cold old hand – and the antagonists, that truly shine.

The writers understand a Bond story, perhaps even better than some of the movies. The jokes regularly land, with the satire cutting like Bond’s jawline. Bombastic moments are earned with epic aplomb, with slower moments giving insight into 007’s psyche and willingness to do whatever it takes, alongside the one liners. I came into First Light expecting a competent James Bond retelling without necessarily being blown away. I rolled credits with a heavy heart that it had come to an end.

Spectre of AI

So, we know characters and personal writing is on point, but what of the globe-trotting, catastrophe-averting plot that’s integral to any good Bond story? I’m pleased to report that on this front, 007 First Light delivers the goods. I won’t speak on any specific plot points, as there’s spoilers galore throughout, and this is a journey to be savoured. It begins with James progressing through the 00 program. First, via boot camp, before heading across multiple global locales to uncover a nefarious plot, largely centering upon AI, information control and humanity vs technology.

It’s compelling, thanks in part to the consistent twists. A couple are a bit more obvious, while others are well layered into the branches of the story. Along the way, Bond forms relationships with a host of side characters, all of whom develop his understanding of the espionage world, or teach him some valuable human lessons. Naturally, it wouldn’t be Bond if there weren’t femme fatales involved, and rest assured he’s got plenty of flirtatious banter up his sleeve.

While I felt the story maybe went on a touch too long, it has some absolutely spectacular moments. The bombast and extravagance is off the charts at times. IO make no secret of their reverence for the films, with multiple sequences riffing on some of the most iconic, but with an added flair to make it distinct. 007 First Light is both wonderfully familiar, while being a stunning reimagining of a well-trodden character we’ve all come to know like the back of our hands.

The Spy Who Shoved Me

As 007 First Light has Bond taking the reigns of spy craft, we’d better explore how taking the reigns of him plays out. First Light is an almost 50-50 blend of Hitman and Uncharted, with a light sprinkling of Watch Dogs. If you played much of Splinter Cell: Blacklist, you’ll probably feel right at home. Bond has an arsenal of melee combat options, ranged weapons to drop foes, and a host of gadgets at his disposal to turn the tables.

Melee combat is chunky, with weighty strikes, grapples, parries and dodges. Then there’s the charging tackle, which never ceases to be an awesome sight, launching your ammo-deprived weapon at an enemy’s head, and a handful of more advanced techniques. See a hammer in the environment? You can cannon it. It’s a great sandbox that feels sturdy and fluid, though occasionally the camera can struggle to keep up with group engagements in tight areas.

Gunplay is precise and has an excellent audio feedback loop that sells the concept of being a badass agent. Bond can kick up a weapon from the ground, slow-mo ping an enemy’s head, throw said weapon at another grunt, before transitioning to his side arm and lighting up everyone else. When you get to grips with the sandbox, 007 First Light almost makes it impossible not to feel cool. Enemy fire causes intense flinch, incentivising movement, flanking and using cover effectively, as well as your tools.

To Use The Thunderball or The Goldfinger?

Of course, it wouldn’t be Bond without a gluttony of inventive death-dealing devices cooked up by Q. First Light has half a dozen or so gadgets, with up to four equippable per mission. While they are more utilised outside of combat, they dovetail effectively as means to even the odds in engagements, and to completely tilt them outside of them. Plus, shoving someone off a ledge with a camera that fires a supersonic pulse is just pure entertainment.

However, none of this would matter if the level design didn’t accommodate the vast array of tools 007 First Light provides you. I can’t even count the number of times I entered a mansion, complex, resort or bar and thought “damn, how am I going to deal with this?”. IO’s Hitman experience pays off and then some, with multi-layered labyrinths that can be tackled in pure stealth, all out warfare, or a panther-like middle ground.

Somehow, the developers resisted the temptation for mandatory stealth missions, to the game’s absolute credit. Screw up the sneaking and you can beat down the alerted enemies. However, you can’t go all John Wick in a crowded gala, which means the game is constantly shifting you between its toolkit. I was worried, as someone who found Hitman’s open-ended levels overwhelming, that it’d feel a bit too similar to Agent 47’s outings, but this is a condensed, refined version of their formula.

From Uncharted With Love

Make no mistake, however, that some of these mission setups will be brimming with NPCs, sprawling corridors and a swathe of guards. 007 First Light encourages you to seek out opportunities, then guiding you through your chosen route. Myself and Rossko compared our routes through the gameplay demonstration level and while he snuck up a pipe after a cheeky distraction, entering the top floor, I found a press badge from eavesdropping a conversation and strolled right through the front door.

Think of it more as flavouring and flair then entirely different cakes. I’ve also discovered paths and means of completing objectives since finishing I didn’t even know existed, so there’s that too. When you’re not slinking through bustling, open areas, you’ll be navigating tighter, more story-heavy sequences. This is the Uncharted-ness of the game, where you’re following a more linear path, traversing cliff-edges or basking in an adrenaline-pumping set piece.

I’m torn between which half I love more. While the organic chaos of the bigger missions is splendid, the set pieces are sensational. Hurtling a bin truck through the streets of London, carefully avoiding trip mines on a scuttled boat, commanding Wreckie (no context needed), blasting through an airport in pursuit of a cargo plane. 007 First Light delivers some of the best thrills amongst the action-adventure genre, with almost ridiculous ease and frequency. A full house from Bond.

Rough Diamonds Are Forever

While most of my feeling towards 007 First Light is universally positive, one aspect did hit me like clicking a rocket pen into my own chest. The game is, unfortunately, prone to some technical mishaps, the kind Q’s lab would be accustomed to. There’s a lot of pop-in in more intensive sequences, like a car chase or during a more visually spectacular set piece (looking at you Vietnam). My Bond was also prone to performance anxiety, once where all of the controls locked up, requiring a checkpoint reset, and twice where a cutscene wouldn’t transition to the next.

I will emphasise, these are relatively minor problems, thanks to a forgiving checkpoint system, and they were a handful of times in a 10-15 hour campaign. The rest of the game is pretty stunning across the board. The range of locations is stellar, with even a London club brought to grungy life to stand alongside a beautiful high-class resort, snow-peaked mountain facility, sun-kissed European streets and everything in between. 007 First Light is gorgeous, even in it’s more lowkey environments and locations.

Moreover, the sense of place is top tier. A chess tournament is absolutely bustling with NPCs, all having conversations, animating through routines, with crowds a part of the makeup of the level itself. It’s a sight to behold and is part of the joy of progressing through the campaign. Character models and combat animations are exceptional, while the lighting and concept work carries so much of the game’s visual palette. If it wasn’t for the infrequent malfunctions, 007 First Light would have passed boot camp with flying colours.

Ready to Die Another Day

I could wax lyrical about 007 First Light for another 2,000 words, or pick apart my other nitpicks for another 1,000. But, truthfully, I want to put all of the “objective” stuff aside and say this: 007 First Light is a thrilling, smile-inducing and thoroughly brilliant time that excels in creating sequence after sequence of fun. It captures the essence of Bond better than some of the films, putting you at the heart of an experience that just wants you to feel like a badass.

Throw your rationality aside for the ride, and you’ll have a blast that could rival GoldenEye’s laser. From throwing grunts off ledges, to unleashing armageddon in a gadget-focused level of pure captivating destruction, IO Interactive just want to put you in a Bond themed playground and let you live out your film wish fulfilment. It’s my game of the year thus far, even despite its admittedly minor couple of flaws.

Do focus, 007, it’s time to earn the number.

007 First Light is available now on PlayStation 5 (review platform), Xbox Series X|S and PC.

Developer: IO Interactive
Publisher: IO Interactive

Disclaimer: In order to complete this review, we were provided with a promotional copy of the game. For our full review policy, please go here.

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