Off the Shelf Media

For the first time in over a decade, James Bond is back within the world of videogames with 007 First Light. An odd hiatus to be sure, as many of the various 007 games over the years had great success as well as highly loyal cult followings for many years to come. Bond’s last appearance in the videogaming space was 2012’s 007 Legends from the now-defunct developer Eurocom and publisher Activision. Bond’s last appearance, in short, was an absolute disaster; a total mission failure. 

Without spending too much time regaling you with the tales of Bond’s past videogame exploits; a lot was riding on Hitman developer IO Interactive to get this one right. Do they “earn the number” or are they just another casualty of Triple-A studios’ delusions of grandeur? Grab your laser watch, exploding cufflinks, and hop in the death-trap sports car, and let’s begin our mission. 

Gameplay: 1

For those who are familiar with IO Interactive’s bread-and-butter series, Hitman (especially its modern iterations), this will either be a great thing or a not-necessarily-so-great thing. 

Players will often find themselves in a large, open area with various branching pathways that offer different approaches to achieve the objective. For example, Bond can sneak into a restricted area via an open window or an unguarded side door, or charm his way past the guard at the front entrance. Additionally, he can blend into the environment and eavesdrop on nearby Non-Player Characters’ (NPCs’) conversations. Eavesdropping on one of these conversations might help locate a hidden entrance, a key item, or the mission’s target itself. 

Much of this specific part of the gameplay loop is almost identical to Hitman. I didn’t mind the similarity to IO’s flagship series. I remember when this game was first announced several years ago. Upon seeing IO Interactive’s name underneath the signature “007” gun logo, I was immediately excited. There aren’t many developers better at creating a game based around stealth and espionage than IO Interactive has been over the years. 

Understandably, many fans of those classic James Bond videogames specifically might have a hard time buying into the systems found in Hitman games. The previous James Bond games of yore were action games to their core. From Goldeneye 007 to James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing, most of these titles featured almost wall-to-wall action sequences. 007 First Light is a much slower burn compared to the bombastic titles of the past. While those old games did feature sections that required Bond to be stealthy or actually be a spy, 007 First Light definitely puts more of an emphasis on the spy aspect of Bond than the previous titles. 

The infiltration system makes use of a system utilizing “Instinct”, essentially ‘tokens’ players can acquire to spend on various actions when confronted by guards. Instinct is obtained by simply playing the game correctly, doing things like performing successful stealth takedowns or eavesdropping, and successfully gaining new information. Bond can use this Instinct to bluff, charm, or intimidate various NPCs as he makes his way to his objective, to varying effects. The maid telling you to leave the staff area? She can be charmed and will allow you to stick around and continue on to your objective undisturbed. That tough but dumb guard in front of the entrance to the VIP area? You probably can’t intimidate him, but you can probably bluff him and divert his attention away from his post so Bond can slip past. 

Fear not Double-Oh purists, action is not entirely missing from this game. This isn’t one of those subversive titles that takes something popular and attempts to totally flip the script on the player. There is a very intricate and addictive combat system in this title. 

Players can dispatch enemies with hand-to-hand combat, firearms and, of course, some of Bond’s signature gadgets. While infiltrating an area and trying to keep a low profile, Bond can only engage in hand-to-hand combat if he runs into any trouble. Luckily, the hand-to-hand combat system in this game is phenomenal. Devs at IO said they took inspiration from the Batman: Arkham series. For me, however, the combat is almost identical to Sloclap’s critically acclaimed 2022 martial-arts action title Sifu. For those unfamiliar: one button punches, one button dodges, one button parries, one button grabs, one button blocks attacks. The enemies glow a certain color when they do a unique attack, informing the player to dodge or parry. Once an enemy has sustained enough damage, a combination of two buttons will perform a finisher. Got it? Good. Now go out into the field and incapacitate some henchmen! 

Easy to learn and not as easy to master, 007 First Light tests your ability to ‘throw hands’ early and frequently. Be prepared to watch Bond hit the floor like a sack of potatoes more than a few times on your first playthrough. The combat is brutal, and the PS5’s controller makes proficient use of the haptic feedback provided by modern controller technology. The player feels the weight of every punch they are landing or being landed on them. Adding to the weighty and entertaining melee combat, the way Bond employs his fighting skills is highly contextual. Use a finishing move on a guy next to a table? Guess what? He’s getting thrown onto once you press those two buttons. Near a window? A toilet? Literally any solid object that has been smashed or broken in any action movie? Bond’s going to use it. The melee combat system in 007 First Light makes for some downright awesome combat sequences that rival some of the best in gaming history, plain and simple. 

The third layer of this game’s intricate combat system involves the use of Bond’s signature gadgetry. The latest and greatest from MI6’s Q Branch is here. There’s a laser watch that can cut locks or stun enemies. There’s a stun grenade disguised as some Bluetooth earbuds. There’s also a phone that shoots darts that make NPCs nauseous. Any and all of these can be used in a multitude of ways both inside and outside of combat. The dart phone can make a guard abandon their post. The laser watch can cut through a special padlock, opening an otherwise blocked pathway. You know, spy stuff! You use the spy gadgets to do the spy stuff! 

Players are limited to the number of gadgets they can bring with them on a given mission, adding to replayability and forcing players to consider the threats they might go up against versus the tools they may need. You cannot have a James Bond game without the ample use of gadgetry, and IO Interactive hit the mark here.  

“But when are we able to simply draw our weapon and slime every enemy in our path?” You might be asking. Don’t worry, there is plenty of gunplay here to go around. And yes, James Bond, too, has the ability to slow down time to make laser-precise shots on moving targets. Add James Bond to the list with Nathan Drake, Arthur Morgan, John Marston, Jin Sakai, etc, etc of heroes capable of influencing the very fabric of time in order to hit their mark. These all-out action sequences are marked on screen with a message that says”‘License to Kill”, showing the player and Bond that they are able to fire at will. This feature makes sense in-game, as it prevents players from borrowing another feature from Hitman games: absolutely slaughtering every NPC on the map. The wholesale killing of various random people wouldn’t make sense for Bond to do for obvious reasons, with a primary one being that he’d blow his cover. 

The pure action sequences are fun, tense, and challenging on even the normal difficulty level. Enemies are intelligent. They will communicate, flank, and employ other advanced combat tactics over the course of a firefight. Players are encouraged to stay nimble in these combat sequences, as cover can deteriorate or the enemy will eventually make a move. 

With these challenging, tense combat encounters come a great many tools to counter them, however. For one, Bond is able to throw an empty weapon at enemies as a means to stun them, making one’s weapons effective even after they have run out of ammo. 

Plenty of environmental hazards can be utilized against enemies at any given time in a shootout. Whether it’s the always reliable explosive red barrels or catastrophically weak infrastructure, Bond is able to utilize the environment in a plethora of ways early on in the game. I remember one of the earlier shooting sections sees Bond chasing after a plane on a runway. When I finally realized I was playing the game incorrectly after dying several times was when I started noticing all these red barrels and gas tanks sprinkled throughout the environment. The game wants you to use these things, as the overwhelming odds against Bond require doing something like blowing up a large fuel tank. Without the massive explosion the fuel tank provides, Bond is not able to secure a path to escape the 20+ heavily armored enemies bearing down on his location. 

While the infiltration portions of the game are very open-ended, the combat sections felt less diverse. In some of the more crowded, enclosed locations, there are lots of opportunities for chaos with various environmental hazards. In the wider open locations, however, the strategy is more ‘shoot this explosive barrel, run here. Shoot that explosive barrel. Run there. Trigger the next cutscene.’ 

All told, the combat in this game is great fun. It’s a system I am still trying to master, which definitely adds to the game’s replay value by default. To spend more time with the combat system without having to endure the story’s cinematic slow-burn, IO included a “Tac-Sim” mode. This mode consists of various virtual simulations where Bond can hone his abilities as one of MI6’s elite field agents. These missions include infiltrations, melee combat, and gunfights. Players can complete these missions with escalating difficulties for a wide range of rewards. These include new outfits for Bond or skins for his gun. That’s right. Not cosmetics for purchase in a shop menu. Just like old times, you have to earn that Golden Gun with your blood, sweat, and tears. Are we so back? I’m thinking we’re so back. 

One absolutely dreadful aspect of this game was its checkpoint system. Unlike Hitman, the goal is not to ‘save scum’ your way through the level and reload a save every time a guard spots you. Some of the sequences, however, have an absolutely dreadful way of placing checkpoints. One mission saw me getting ambushed by a mercenary group while on the trail of a criminal overlord. For about 20 minutes, I was exploring this hostile area. I was collecting clues, gathering intel, doing the spy thing. Suddenly, I heard loud and heavy footsteps. Quickly, I realized I was being ambushed by mercenaries I had run afoul of earlier in the mission. They immediately opened fire and turned Bond into a British version of Swiss cheese almost instantly. When I reloaded my checkpoint, I was back at the beginning of the entire sequence. All those clues, all that intel, all that running afoul of a mercenary group was gone. I had to repeat about 20 minutes of gameplay over again. Perhaps these will be adjusted with post-launch updates going forward, but some of these large checkpoint gaps were more understandable. 

Another large checkpoint gap occurs during a mission that sees Bond having to remain at a set post while other agents are closer to the action in the field. Bond, not wanting to wait on the sidelines, decides to abandon his post to see how he can be of greater assistance to the mission. Adding to the challenge of achieving the mission’s main goal, Bond also has to avoid attracting the attention of the several other field agents operating in the area. If one manages to spot Bond, they report Bond’s insubordination to command. I thought I needed to reload a checkpoint here, but I realized the game doesn’t necessarily want or need you to be perfect during these infiltrations. James Bond is not Agent 47. He is not a perfect, undetectable ghost. What the game wants is for you to know how to improvise when your initial plan of action goes awry. For this reason, I understand the gap in checkpoints. I also appreciate encouraging players to, you know, get good at playing the game rather than just incentivizing a high score. 

Some less-than-savory aspects of the game are, unfortunately, the driving sequences. Almost as central to the fabric of James Bond videogames as the gadgetry are the cars. Most games in the series feature various over-the-top driving sequences akin to other great titles of the past, like SpyHunter. It is with a heavy heart that Off the Shelf Media must report that IO Interactive has never really done a driving or racing game before, and they didn’t outsource development of those sequences to a company that has. This results in some very average driving sequences in 007 First Light. 

Plenty of cinematic spectacle to go around during many of these driving sequences, to be sure, but they lacked the feel many of the car sequences in games like 007: Nightfire and 007: Agent Under Fire had. IO had their hands full with the gameplay alone in this title, so they can be forgiven for making some of the driving sections feel ‘tacked on’ at points. I’d like to see IO improve upon this aspect in future entries or post-launch updates. Other components of the gameplay are so robust it makes the not-so-great stuff stand out even more. 

Though IO Interactive mostly succeeds on the presentation here, there are indeed some goofy bugs to be encountered playing almost any AAA title close to launch these days. Crazy physics glitches related to NPCs ragdolling were fairly common, especially during shooting sections. Downed enemies would fall awkwardly and not believably. Some enemies even went flying upon being dispatched successfully. One of the most common, and I mean almost every time I hit an enemy, their weapon would jettison itself into the air at Mach 5. Funny, of course, but this isn’t James Bond 007: Blood Stone or James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing. You’re not going to find an MP5K with 600 bullets saved. Picking up downed enemies’ weapons is tantamount to your success in a gunfight, either to collect the ammo for your current gun or swap an empty one out. It becomes very difficult to acquire dropped weapons when they have been flung into the stratosphere. This bug actually got me killed once or twice, as I had run out of ammo for my weapons, didn’t have enough charge to use my gadgets, and didn’t have enough health to resort to fists. Plenty of dead henchmen riddled the battlefield, but herculean tosses of their weapons meant that I had absolutely nothing available to defend myself. As a result, the remaining baddies were able to successfully dispatch my less-than-equipped Bond.

All told, the gameplay is good, dare I say even teetering on the cusp of great. Hitman fans might love it, Bond purists might not. None of these criticisms listed above make the game bad, but they do keep me from being able to call it great definitively. There is a ton to like here for sure, but be prepared for some bugs, and be prepared to truly be “half monk, half hitman”.

Story: 2

I have really loved immersing myself in the story of 007 First Light. Serving as a reboot of the Bond continuity, this title features a younger, less seasoned Bond as he begins his tenure as a 00 Agent. ‘Young Bond’ does not mean we’re set in the past. This version of 007 is a young man in his mid-twenties in our current age. A contemporary timeline involves contemporary issues influencing the game’s narrative and story. 007 First Light does an amazing job of poking at a ‘current thing’ in a creative way. 

In the game’s universe, a British military and tech company has developed a “quantum computer” that essentially utilizes an AI that can effectively stop crimes before they happen. Over the years, this wondertech has helped foil terrorist plots, political assassinations, and even local crimes. Despite this revolution in national security, the folks at MI6 eventually agreed that there still needs to be a human element in the field to do what the computers can’t do. That’s where Bond and the resurrected 00 program come in. 

This iteration of Bond is one of several new recruits into the 00 program after it was shut down for several years. After the advent of this aforementioned quantum computer, field agents were initially rendered obsolete. The commentary made by the story of 007 First Light works here. As we move closer and closer to a society with robots and screens replacing human beings, it’s easy to realize there are definitely some things we shouldn’t replace or don’t have the capacity to replace just yet. It’s a great message to impart using the medium of videogames that doesn’t feel too preachy.

Irish actor Patrick Gibson provides the voice of Bond in this entry, and he does a great job. Not only does he capture the essence of the character with his performance, but he also does a good job of adding the right amount of “youth” to his take on Bond. While he is essentially the same suave super spy we all know and love, Gibson’s delivery still conveys a certain level of inexperience and recklessness that makes his performance that much more believable. Other vocal talents include Alistair McKenzie as Q, Noémie Nakai as the Bond girl Isola, and Lenny Kravitz as an enigmatic and extravagant arms dealer, Bawma. All of the vocal talents in this game are great, and the performances here further bolster the already great work IO Interactive has done.  

This game is a story-focused game through and through. As a result, it might be too slow a burn for those looking to get right into James Bond-related gunplay and driving antics. Players will spend the first several hours of the game being introduced to Bond and the supporting cast. Being a videogame adaptation of a character first popularized on the big screen, the game is very much cinematic in its pacing and its presentation. The fidelity provided by modern gaming hardware means there is almost no distinction between cutscenes and gameplay. This level of graphical fidelity and smooth framerates has been an industry standard for most games for almost a decade. This is the first time we’ve seen this in a Bond game, however. It makes this positive of modern gaming technology even more apparent, as 007 First Light is able to get players as close to an interactive James Bond film as possible. Cutscenes are shot, lit, and presented as if you were watching the latest production from Eon. 

Personally, I loved the way this game eases you into the story and the wider narrative. One of my favorite sequences occurred early on, when Bond is being brought up to speed on MI6 training by his fellow classmates. This part functions as a tutorial, but it is shot and paced like an 80s movie training montage. One moment, Bond is maneuvering a sports car around a challenge course as a driving tutorial. The next moment sees him practicing marksmanship with another agent as a shooting tutorial. The following moment features Bond sparring a fellow trainee in a ring as a melee tutorial. The game does a great job of multitasking at various points. Here, specifically, we are introduced to a dynamic and diverse supporting cast, taught an array of gameplay mechanics, and players get to see Bond himself begin to grow and change into that hardened, suave super spy. Since all of this happens concurrently, this fast-paced sequence speeds up what could have been an even slower burn than 007 First Light already is. 

You know me, I don’t want to spoil anything too deep about the story. To reiterate, this game was made with the story in mind. You are going to get a great story. It’s a James Bond game after all. It may as well be legally required by the British Crown to have a great story attached to any piece of James Bond media. 

Atmosphere: 2

As with many AAA titles these days, the atmosphere provided by the graphical fidelity, sound design, use of lighting, and color is top-notch. Textures look as good as any of the best in modern gaming. Hair, skin, fabric, metal, etc. are all beautifully and believably detailed. There are quite a few moments where the game encourages players to simply stop and take in the scenery around them. These breaks in gameplay could be simply to admire the view or help point out possible pathways to the objective for the player. At any rate, be sure to stop and appreciate this wonderfully crafted world IO Interactive has spent years painstakingly crafting; you won’t be disappointed. 

The game world itself feels lived-in and organic. Many NPCs have a function and a purpose within the game’s world. There aren’t many NPCs who just wander aimlessly on a loop. In my first few experiences with the larger open areas, it felt like every single conversation, every single person around the corner could be some kind of lead. Players are rewarded for exploring and observing every nook and cranny of this world. Either for a collectible or at least a funny conversation between two NPCs that players wouldn’t have been able to hear otherwise. These little nuggets players can locate with a little extra work add to the overall greatness of 007 First Light’s atmosphere. 

Lana Del Rey provides the opening title music for 007 First Light. While it does sound like a cookie-cutter classic Bond theme with swelling strings and bellowing horns, I quite enjoyed it. It almost sounds a little bit too familiar, but it fits the Bond aesthetic well. The music as a whole was great. While it is familiar, familiar is good when it comes to Bond games. The game would not have felt as close to a Bond game as it does without the traditional James Bond score to garnish 007’s journey. Lana Del Rey’s “First Light” sets the musical ‘motif’ for the journey, and that motif is used throughout the course of the adventure. This scoring technique is utilized in most of the Bond films from the more contemporary Daniel Craig era all the way back to the days of Roger Moore and before.

From crowded nightclubs, densely populated slums, desolate alleyways, to the halls of MI6 and Q Branch, 007 First Light is absolutely packed to the brim with beautifully immersive setpieces. Players won’t want to put this game down easily. Come for the fun gameplay, stay for the amazingly gorgeous game world. 

Value: 2

$69.99 is what we have to pay these days for any AAA title at launch. With the amount of game you’re getting for 70-plus bucks, this is worth the price. Any bugs I talked about earlier aren’t going to crash your game or corrupt your save file; they’ll just make for some goofy clips to add to your capture gallery. 

You’re getting a mostly polished, complete title with loads of content and replayability for that 70-plus-dollar price tag. 007 First Light is well worth its price for what you’re getting, which is more than many AAA studios can say after releasing some of their latest titles. 

Duration: 2

You are going to spend a ton of time with this game. For one, ideally, it’s because you genuinely enjoy playing it. Additionally, however, the game is going to make you take your time with it, especially during your first playthrough. I have played the game for over 20 hours, and I still haven’t completely finished it. Your first playthrough could take anywhere from 20-30 hours. 

Worried about having to slog back through your least favorite sections just to get to your favorite part? Worry not, there is a good old-fashioned chapter select menu so you can easily access that area or mission you felt you didn’t explore well enough. Having that chapter select menu almost guarantees players will keep playing 007 First Light for a while to come if they’re able to just hop back into their favorite moments without having to work through the whole game again. 

The aforementioned Tac-Sim mode also greatly increases the amount of time one can spend with this title. Players who really understand and enjoy the mechanics and systems of 007 First Light will get a lot out of the Tac-Sim mode. Even if you aren’t the biggest fan of the systems, the mode further entices players to try their hand at it with the possibility of unique rewards. 

Total Score: 9/10

007 First Light does many things right, and frequently does many things right all at once. This game made me excited for the future of both James Bond in videogames as well as IO Interactive as a whole. Any of the criticisms mentioned earlier aren’t corrosive to the rest of the experience. IO deserves its flowers for this one. The game is worth your time and money. Buy it now and become Bond again. 

Have you gotten a chance to play 007 First Light yet? What did you think? Is it Hitman wearing a James Bond skinsuit? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for reading!