# Review: ‘007 First Light’ adds a new dimension to video game James Bond > Source: > Published: 2026-06-17 17:00:57+00:00 **Getting your** [Trinity Audio](//trinityaudio.ai)player ready...When IO Interactive announced it was making a James Bond game, titled “007 First Light,” it sounded like a match made in heaven. The team behind the “Hitman” franchise was already familiar with the spy genre, with its Agent 47 protagonist, a master assassin who worked for the secretive International Contract Agency. Over the years, the team has built a brilliant stealth system that incorporates an open map and disguises, giving players the freedom to take out their mark. Agent 47 could roam the grounds and discover opportunities to eliminate a target and make it appear like an accident, or could rush in and kill the victim before running out. Whatever IO Interactive created, it would be different from the typical James Bond video games, which essentially let gamers play the movie action scenes. It would take the franchise in new directions, but I wasn’t expecting how complete and original the experience would be. **A NEW TAKE ON A LEGENDARY SPY** Ever since Ian Fleming published “Casino Royale” in 1953, James Bond has gone through numerous permutations. Sean Connery first portrayed the legendary spy as a confident and ruthless Cold War warrior, while Roger Moore added camp and a gentlemanly touch to the role. Pierce Brosnan brought a suave, debonair approach, while Daniel Craig introduced a gritty realism and vulnerability to Bond. In “007 First Light,” IO Interactive introduces players to a young James Bond, played by Patrick Gibson, who is an air crewman who ends up on MI6’s radar after his plane crashes near Iceland. He survives, and, against all odds, single-handedly takes on enemy combatants while rescuing researchers. The narrative updates Bond for the age of artificial intelligence. Billionaire inventor Sir Nicholas Webb has built a quantum computer called Theia, which helps MI6 foil dozens of threats. It has made the 00 agents a thing of the past, but M still believes in it and resurrects the spy program, adding Bond to the list of recruits trained by an old agent named John Greenway. **STEALTH AND ACTION** Through the 10-chapter campaign, players will follow Bond’s journey as he attains 00 status and tackles his first major mission. The gameplay resembles “Hitman” except that IO Interactive introduces car chases, foot pursuits and more action-oriented scenarios. The team mixes these elements with its trademark open-ended spy play. Before each mission, Bond visits Q’s lab, and players choose the tools to bring into each level. The decision opens up pathways and new opportunities in each open map. Much like Agent 47, players explore the environment and spot infiltration opportunities. He can eavesdrop to find gaps in security or use his gadgets to unlock new areas. Players have to keep an eye on each tool’s energy meter because when they run out, they’re unavailable. Bond can refill them by finding chemicals or batteries in the field. No matter what happens, the game tracks the paths that players stumble onto. **IMPROVING THROUGH IMPROVISATION** What’s different compared to “Hitman” is that IO Interactive gives players more room to improvise. If Bond is caught in an area where he’s not supposed to be, he can bluff his way out so that every confrontation doesn’t devolve into a gunfight. It feels more polished and natural this way, instead of the rigid structure of “Hitman.” When Bond does enter combat, the team gives him a bevy of tools and abilities. When he sneaks, he can lure foes toward him to knock them out around a corner. He can’t hide his prey’s bodies, but he can sabotage paths and set other traps. When players do enter gunfights, Bond has an instinct meter that slows time, so they can precisely aim at enemies’ weak points. That’s effective in places, but when faced with an army and holding a gun with limited bullets, which often happens, it’s better to use the environment. Bond succeeds by fighting smarter, not harder. He can shoot explosive barrels or pipes that blast steam, creating an opening for a beatdown. His Q watch can hack fans so they blow enemies off a railing or during a plane ride he can control a craft’s pitch. Even the fisticuffs are great. IO Interactive creates a system that lets players improvise like Jason Bourne so that Bond tosses mugs to create openings for punches. He can charge at enemies, and they’ll see the environment react as shelves collapse or screens break. The melee fighting is just as good as the clever gunplay. **SOME FLAWS** But as much as IO Interactive gets right, the team stumbles a bit when they wander outside its comfort zones. The developers’ boss fights feel clumsy, and the team doesn’t offer much guidance on how to defeat adversaries when they’re seemingly invincible. In addition, the vehicle chases feel a little too much on rails and bland. They feel like missed opportunities for a different type of gameplay rather than just driving in a straight line as fast as possible. Despite the flaws, IO Interactive does so much right when crafting a refreshing Bond experience with “007 First Light.” The plot has unexpected twists and a compelling villain, with surprising depth. Meanwhile, the level designs are fantastic with nice movie-like foreshadowing and the franchise touchstones that fans come to expect, but it’s Gibson and IO Interactive’s take on the character that stands out. They create a video game Bond that stands apart from the ones on the silver screen. He’s idealistic, protective and a bit naive, all traits of a young spy with emotional room to grow. ### ‘007 First Light’ 3½ stars out of 4 **Platform:** PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, PC, Nintendo Switch 2 version coming later this year **Rating;** Teen