“Licensed to Thrill”
There’s been a healthy bit of discourse in gaming circles surrounding the latest Bond game, 007 First Light. Compared to IO Interactive’s beloved Hitman series, fans of the studio found the more cinematic experience of playing as MI6’s most famous agent lacking compared to the open-ended missions Agent 47 undergoes. But for non-Hitman fans, First Light’s gameplay fits Bond like a well-tailored dinner coat.
Bond games have existed since 1983’s James Bond 007, with mixed results over the years. It’s been quite some time since we’ve seen an original tale set in the Bond universe. Typically, games starring Ian Fleming’s secret agent are based on a film, most notably the N64 classic GoldenEye. IO Interactive was up to the task, setting the story during Bond’s training and early missions before he earned the 007 moniker.
For King and Country
This younger Bond is cocky, but not quite capable. He often relies on luck as much as skill, and there’s a boyish playfulness to his quips and one-liners that belies a man not quite taking his job as seriously as he should. Throughout the roughly 15-hour main story, we see events from Bond’s early career that shape both him and his relationship with the rest of MI6. Fresh off the set of Dexter: Original Sin, actor Patrick Gibson comfortably steps into the iconic role with aplomb. While I doubt it’s in the cards, I hope Amazon is seriously eyeing the young actor as a possible candidate to carry the torch forward in the live-action films.
While IO Interactive’s games have never focused on narrative or cinematics, First Light is a different story. From the jaw-dropping opening title sequence featuring an original song by Lana Del Rey to the quiet moments as Bond learns to tie his first bow tie under the guidance of a much more fatherly Q, this is a Bond game that oozes style. Clever editing and hidden loading screens abound as mission briefings and cinematics seamlessly transition into new locations and story beats. The opening tutorial montage alone is a masterclass in cinematic storytelling through gameplay.
Plot-wise, First Light tells a comfortably relevant and timely tale about unchecked AI usage and overreliance on technology when that technology may have ulterior motives. As AI usage in games is a hot topic right now, it’s refreshing to see a studio take a more nuanced and cautionary approach to how this transformative technology could potentially play out in our lives. But don’t worry, this is still a classic Bond caper through and through, one that sees our hero travel across the world, flirt with beautiful women, and blow up beautiful locations in equal measure.
Gameplay That’s Stirred, Not Shaken
First and foremost, this game is about stepping into the shoes of the iconic James Bond. As such, some game design choices that may seem baffling on paper make a bit more sense. For example, Bond can’t pick up and hide bodies. This can sometimes make stealth gameplay frustrating, as enemies stumble upon their knocked-out buddies. Similarly, enemies seem to have very short-term memories and will casually forget being shot at so long as Bond hides behind a corner for a few minutes.
These shortcomings feel like deliberate choices, ones that understand the fantasy of being James Bond isn’t about carefully hiding in a bush and dragging corpses into trash cans. Bond is defined by improvisation, by doing what works in the moment. That carries over to the gameplay, as almost every section can be completed through stealth, combat, or puzzle-solving. And when sneaking fails, it’s perfectly fine to fall back on fisticuffs.
Gunplay is surprisingly rare, only granting Bond a “License to Kill” if his enemies fire their guns first. Even then, the game emphasizes cinematic action, as guns are almost always limited to a clip or two. This encourages players to stylishly take their enemies’ weapons rather than hoard ammunition. Melee combat is a simple punch/parry/dodge system you’ve seen a million times before, but with every stage filled with an almost comical number of destructible objects, fistfights are always stylish and fun.
Each of these systems flows through levels divided into distinct sections. You’ll usually encounter open-ended areas where you gather information or look for clues, eavesdropping on people around you for hints and breaking into places you shouldn’t with the help of your gadgets. These open-ended segments have multiple solutions. While it’s easy to get by with a tranquilizer dart to a guard’s neck and walk right past, it’s much more in character—and far more satisfying—to do some detective work, steal a fake ID, and talk your way past the guards like a true 00 agent.
Besides exploring and getting into fights, Bond often finds himself in very Uncharted-like climbing and traversal segments, complete with bombastic in-engine cutscenes that Nathan Drake would feel perfectly comfortable in. The way all three gameplay styles weave in and out of each other feels especially appropriate for this style of spy fantasy.
Your Powers of Observation Do You Credit, Mr. Bond
First Light wraps everything in a stylish presentation that’s well worth every Moneypenny spent. While capable of great beauty, the art direction sometimes struggles with more mundane settings. Areas like corporate office towers, sewers, and warehouses aren’t particularly interesting to look at. Nevertheless, most levels take place in far more visually striking environments, and the studio’s in-house game engine really shines during these moments. Levels set in the bustling streets of London are particularly impressive, and the large crowd scenes borrowed from Hitman help bring these locations to life.
Audio-wise, perfect. No notes. The restrained use of the iconic Bond theme means the two or three times it appears feel absolutely earned. The sound design is big and bombastic, with authentic weapon effects and appropriately exaggerated explosions capping off Bond’s latest mishaps.
As far as performances go, almost everyone brings their A-game to the core cast. Besides the aforementioned Patrick Gibson, actor Lennie James brings a special world-weary gravitas to Bond’s mentor and training commander, John Greenway. The only disappointment is the confusing inclusion of Lenny Kravitz as a famous South African arms dealer. Kravitz just isn’t up to the task alongside his more seasoned castmates, and he stands out for all the wrong reasons.
Just Being Disarming, Darling
Like James Bond himself, this game’s negatives are easy to wave away thanks to just how charming the whole affair is. Bond’s quips and flirting almost always elicit a laugh, despite the ridiculous situations he finds himself in. The relatively short campaign means each mission offers something new and different. I’m often reminded of something my college screenwriting teacher once told me: “Editing IS writing.” What isn’t there is just as important as what is. By not dragging things out, we’re left with a really solid 15-ish hours full of variety and surprises. Very little feels repeated or repetitive.
For gamers who want to dig deeper, IO Interactive has included a set of missions that reuse environments from the campaign, each with timed challenges and objectives. The developer has promised to support these with new missions after launch, but for my purposes I saw little reason to dive into them. As a straightforward video game without the Bond fantasy, it feels limited compared to Hitman, and I can understand why fans of that series are disappointed by what’s offered here. 007 First Light is meant to be a game you play through and move on from, and here’s hoping we get plenty of sequels in the future.
That leads me to one of the game’s more disappointing aspects: it doesn’t quite stick the landing. After what feels like three missions in a row that could have served as the finale, Bond’s adventure ends relatively quietly, leaving many unanswered questions. The uneasy feeling that we may get the “true” ending through DLC stops me from giving this game a completely glowing review. Still, as the first step toward a new franchise, 007 First Light is, for my part, one of the most engrossing licensed games in years.
While an argument can be made that the gameplay isn’t as deep as its sister series, Hitman, that’s clearly not what the developer was aiming for. Instead, the developers delivered the definitive take on the fantasy of being the infamous British spy. Immersion is the name of the game here, and in 007 First Light, you are Bond. James Bond.
