007 First Light review – the ultimate James Bond video game

The creators of Hitman bring James Bond back to the world of video games, with a wholly original story starring a younger version of the world’s most famous superspy.

At time of writing there’s still no real clue as to who is going to be the new cinematic James Bond. Dune director Denis Villeneuve will helm the next film but we’re worried that he’s not the right man for the job. He’s an exceptionally skilled director but there are many facets to Bond and we’re not sure there’s a single joke in any of Villeneuve’s films – unless you count unironically paraphrasing Life of Brian in Dune: Part Two.

There have been so many clones and parodies over the years it’s easy to lose track of what makes the Bond film series work, with Hollywood increasingly pushing it into being a straight action franchise. But developer IO Interactive, best known for the Hitman series, clearly know exactly what makes Bond tick, with 007 First Light proving to be considerably more entertaining and authentic than many of the recent movies.

It’s pointless to say that Patrick Gibson, who portrays Bond in the game, should also be the new movie version of the character, because he’s too young, but his performance, and that of the rest of the cast, is superb and the centrepiece of what is one of the best licensed video games of all time.

The premise of First Light is that it’s not in continuity with the movie series, but it does take considerable influence from it, and to a lesser degree the original novels, including the music, the traditional intro sequence, and the relationship between Bond, M, Q, and Moneypenny. Although the latter is actually Bond’s superior, since he starts the game as a twentysomething naval recruit, before fate brings him to the attention of MI6.

As has been clear since the game was first unveiled, this has nothing whatsoever in common with the classic GoldenEye 007, but shares quite a bit of DNA with Hitman. It’s a third person action game where the majority of levels take place in small open world areas, where you have an objective but are rarely given any specific instructions on how to achieve it. Although there’re also shorter, linear action sequences and some that are a mixture of the two, where you’re spoon-fed instructions in a more Red Dead Redemption 2 style fashion or engage in some Uncharted style platforming.

As an example of a more open-ended section, at one point you’re trying to get into the VIP room at a club, which has several solutions, including sneaking around in the vents, picking up an unattended tray of drinks and pretending you’re a waiter, or eavesdropping on a conversation that gives you a clue as to how to bluff your way in. Sometimes you can just punch or shoot your way through but not usually, and certainly not in this case.

There are no side quests as such but you can find and do other things not directly connected to your mission, which can open up new dialogue options or, for example, an extra way to sneak up on enemies when a fight breaks out.

The game makes a clear distinction between areas where you’re free to do whatever you want and those that are restricted, and you’ll get thrown out if you’re discovered or attacked if it’s somewhere you really shouldn’t be. In most cases you don’t have authority to use your gun unless the enemy opens fire first, so while there are plenty of more linear action sequences a lot of the time you’re relying on your wits and not your Walther PPK (which is never referred to as such, despite a lot of licensing for other products, including a pleasing variety of classic British cars).

Surprisingly, you can’t move bodies, but otherwise the stealth is slick and enjoyable, as you use a Q-watch to hack machinery and CCTV cameras, as well as temporarily disorientate people or laser open padlocks. There’re a few other gadgets too, but you can only bring a set number with you at a time, and there’s generally less reliance on them than you might think.

Despite being a relatively minor part of the game, the melee combat and gunplay are very good, with the former based on a simple colour-coded system of dodging and countering incoming attacks. It feels very physical and all the levels are impressively destructible, as you electrocute goons by slamming them into servers or smash them into mirrors and see the picture frame next to it sway in sympathy.

One shoot-out in a museum gallery, dominated by blood red lighting and the shadows of ancient statues, is so visually impressive it’d be a shame if they didn’t copy it for a future movie. While a later boss fight, where you’re trapped in a shed filled with fireworks, is also visually clever in a very cinematic way.

We didn’t expect much from the car sections, since that’s one thing IO has no experience in at all, but they’re actually good fun – especially when you commandeer a bin lorry and smash it through the heart of Kensington, Blues Brothers style. There’s a wide variety of different vehicles too, including an escalation of the bin lorry concept later in the game that comes with a wonderful musical moment.

It’s relatively uncommon, but you’ll also get into full-blown gun battles and over-the-top Bond set pieces, filled with explosions and implausible plans, like chasing a cargo plane in an airport ladder truck. That’s a chase that ends up with you climbing aboard and fighting on the wings… before you use your watch to hack the aircraft controls, allowing you to bank it left and right – crushing enemies beneath boxes – while you’re still fighting.

Despite how well everything works this is not a pure action title. Instead, it’s a game that takes its time with everything, leaving you plenty of opportunity to experiment with level solutions, but also to talk to other characters and soak in the ambience. Gibson’s performance is praiseworthy on several levels, not least because his Bond walks around with a permanent smirk on his face. He’s a cocky, overconfident smartass (just as Bond always is) and yet you still like him and actually feel sympathy for him.

The game keeps the background lore of him being an orphan but it’s vague when it comes to exactly how posh he’s meant to be – although his irresistibility to women is as strong as ever and while the game isn’t sexually explicit it doesn’t shy away from Bond’s womanising. He goes through a lot in the story and it’s impressive that IO takes the time to show his reaction to things like his first kill and how he’s affected by the deaths of his allies (including a line about preferring to repress his emotions rather than cry, which clearly isn’t just a joke).

Bond feels more like a real person than he does in most films and it’s encouraging that the game understands that it’s the dialogue and character interactions that are the most important element in a movie, even an action orientated one. However, at times it does feel like it’s going a bit too far and the pacing can be very languid. Video game Bond already does a lot more actual spy work than his movie counterpart but there’s a surprising amount of casually wandering around and solving puzzles, even at very late points in the story.

First Light is absolutely not a reskinned Hitman and one of its many qualities is how unpredictable and varied it is. One level involves almost Zelda-esque puzzle-solving, while one-off set pieces and action scenes can come out of nowhere at any moment. It’s all done so impressively cinematically too, with a fantastically well-coordinated training sequence that may count as the best training level ever seen in a video game, as it builds up the characters as well as your understanding of the game mechanics.

The game in general is very good at slowly building up the tension, as missions segue from banter and observation to increasingly tense exploration and infiltration, before inevitably ending in violence. Although it is surprising that there’s no sort of score or rating after completing a level, as there would be in Hitman, so while there are achievements for things like not being spotted, the game doesn’t judge you for cheesing it through a level or being a terrible spy.

On a technical level the facial animation is very good and while we did experience two crashes there were no graphical bugs at all, just a few questionable actions from patrolling enemies. Instead, the only real technical problem is the mammoth load times after you die, which feels like you’re back in the PS1 era, reading the data off a CD.

We don’t want to spoil too much of the story, but while you perhaps don’t see quite enough of the main villain he is good. The game is also agreeably unflinching in its criticism of AI, which becomes a major plot point. On a pedantic note, we were also pleased to see the game avoided too many Americanisms, although we’re not quite sure how IO (who are Danish) managed to use the word trainers instead of sneakers but couldn’t stop themselves from labelling a toilet as a ‘restroom’ – in a building purposefully filled with jingoistic British iconography.

Overall, the script is good, although trying to give Bond a one-liner for almost every situation means the hit rate is predictably low. There are some good one though, such as when he’s asked over his earpiece for his status and he replies ‘Happily single.’ There’s also some clever playing around with the classic ‘Bond. James Bond’ quote. The music throughout is excellent too, keenly aware of the expectations of the franchise but sensibly holding back on both the theme tune and the title song by Lana Del Rey, until just the right moment.

If you’re a Bond fan then this is a dream come true, with endless subtle references to the movies and lore, but it’s significant for more than just being a good licensed game. It’s one of the most ambitious and cinematic action adventures of the generation; one that manages to combine dialogue, exploration, and action seamlessly and with only minimal cut scenes (which is a purposeful dig at Metal Gear, because in some ways First Light is reminiscent of a less pretentious Hideo Kojima production).

All of a sudden, it feels like IO Interactive may have been selling themselves short for only focusing on Hitman in the last few decades, because 007 First Light is an exceptional piece of interactive entertainment, that deserves to have a significant influence on the industry at large.

Formats: PC (previewed), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2
Price: £59.99
Publisher: IO Interactive
Developer: IO Interactive
Release Date: 26th May 2026 (Q3 2026 for Switch 2)
Age Rating: 16

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