Game Review: ‘007 First Light’ is the best Bond game ever made
The idea of a modern James Bond video game felt strangely impossible. Bond remained one of the most iconic figures in entertainment, especially after the end of Daniel Craig’s era as Agent 007. But gaming never truly found a consistent way to reinvent him after the legendary era of GoldenEye 007, and some low-budget games were made just to keep the rights. Different studios tried; some games captured the action, others captured the gadgets, but very few understood the actual idea of what it means to be James Bond. That story is not just about shooting enemies or driving expensive cars. It is about confidence, improvisation, charm, danger, espionage, spying, being hidden, and the feeling that every mission can be compromised at any second. That is precisely why 007 First Light immediately felt like the perfect project for IO Interactive to work on.
IO Interactive spent years mastering stealth secret agent sandboxes through the Hitman trilogy, creating maps built around infiltration, social manipulation, disguises, and careful planning to achieve your objective. When IO announced they were making a James Bond game, my expectations were very high almost immediately.
What works for them is that instead of adapting an existing movie or retelling a familiar story, IO chose a much smarter direction. The story is about a young James Bond before he fully becomes the legend everyone knows. This version of Bond is talented but reckless, arrogant but inexperienced. He is still learning how to survive inside the brutal world of MI6.
The original story of 007 First Light is what makes this game special
Rather than portraying Bond as an untouchable super-agent, this game introduces him as someone still earning his place inside MI6’s training program. He is skilled in combat and naturally charismatic, but he lacks discipline and isn’t concerned with the outcome of his actions. His tendency to ignore orders constantly creates classical friction with his superiors, especially during training exercises and early field assignments.
This younger Bond story works because the game shows that vulnerability makes confidence more interesting. Patrick Gibson’s performance as 007 captures that balance extremely well. His Bond uses traits of multiple cinematic versions of the character. There is some of Daniel Craig’s physical aggression, hints of Roger Moore’s charm, Sean Connery’s classical secret spy vibe, and parts of Timothy Dalton’s cold intensity. Yet the performance still feels original enough to stand on its own, and it makes sure that Patrick Gibson is his own Bond.
The main story is very fluid, and it quickly evolves from simple training missions into a much larger conspiracy involving a former MI6 operative connected to the collapse of the 00 program in the past. Without going into spoilers, the game constantly shifts between moments full of espionage thrillers, adventures, and high-stakes action spectacle. One moment, Bond is infiltrating elite social vacation resorts, carefully extracting information through conversation and manipulation. The next moment, he is escaping secret facilities, fighting enemies inside moving vehicles, or surviving shootouts.
The pacing works surprisingly well for most of the campaign because the game keeps introducing new situations before repetition settles in. Different locations help enormously. The game moves through luxurious hotels, crowded markets, training compounds, castles, rooftops, and hidden intelligence facilities, each designed with strong visual identity and cinematic flair. Thanks to that, we don’t feel tired with repetitiveness like with Hitman games. The game also nails smaller Bond details that many adaptations forget. Bond does not simply move from gunfight to gunfight. He drinks, flirts, manipulates conversations, improvises plans, and occasionally fails.
Some sequences intentionally slow the pace down to focus on atmosphere or character moments, helping the world feel more believable and evolving. There is a memorable emphasis on Bond learning the rituals associated with becoming “James Bond,” whether it is dressing formally, handling social encounters, going through training, or adapting under pressure.
The tone occasionally changes as well. Occasionally the game aims for grounded espionage realism similar to the Daniel Craig films. Then suddenly it shifts into absurdly explosive action scenes that feel closer to classic Sean Connery/Roger Moore adventures. Surprisingly, this inconsistency does not ruin the experience. It’s completely the other way around.
The game captures danger, elegance, tension, confidence, and spectacle better than almost any previous Bond game. Most importantly, it creates a version of James Bond who feels worth following into future sequels.
The gameplay uses known and original mechanics
The gameplay of First Light is more than I could’ve imagined. I really expected it to be heavily influenced by the Hitman series, but First Light uses only partial elements of the gameplay. It also uses gameplay mechanics from Uncharted, some known projects like Assassin’s Creed, the Batman Arkham series, and some original ones.
Unlike Hitman, where patience and precision dominate every encounter, First Light constantly pushes players forward. Stealth still matters, but the game encourages improvisation and classical James Bond momentum. Missions rarely expect perfect, silent execution. Instead, the game embraces espionage, where plans collapse, enemies adapt, and Bond survives through instinct and creativity. So basically, you’re experiencing the iconic James Bond mission, but you can resolve it any way you want.
The stealth system is what we expect from the 007 game. Bond can infiltrate restricted areas, eavesdrop on conversations, manipulate environments, disable security systems, and use disguises in certain situations. All to his advantage.
Combat, however, is where the game feels dramatically different from IO’s previous work. The melee system takes inspiration from the Batman Arkham games, focusing on perfect counters, environmental attacks, and aggressive bouncing between enemies. Bond can slam opponents into walls, improvise using objects during fights, and quickly transition between hand-to-hand combat and guns.
The gadget system also deserves praise. Bond gains access to classic spy tools, including hacking devices, cool super watches, gadgets, smoke-based tools, and more experimental equipment. Using them creatively often creates the most entertaining ways to go through the missions.
Visually, the game is stunning. This is probably IO Interactive’s best-looking title to date. Lighting, reflections, architecture, and environmental detail. All of it looks realistic. Expensive hotels genuinely feel luxurious. Markets feel crowded and alive. Nighttime sequences are filled with cinematic atmosphere.
Furthermore, the soundtrack deserves special recognition, as well. The music mixes orchestral Bond-style themes with modern thriller ones extremely well. Several scenes become significantly more impactful because of the score. Additionally, Lana Del Rey’s First Light song is one of, if not the most, Bond-themed songs.
Final thoughts on 007 First Light
The overall experience remains extremely entertaining because the game understands one crucial thing. Being James Bond should feel cool. This new Bond game rarely loses sight of that goal, and it achieves it every single time.
007 First Light carried enormous pressure on its shoulders. It had to revive James Bond in gaming, establish a new version of the character, and satisfy fans of both cinematic versions as well as players who wanted a perfect secret agent experience. As we have it, the game succeeds at those goals.
This is a gaming masterpiece. The story doesn’t lose focus, the villains are a great challenge, and the gameplay doesn’t struggle between cinematic spectacle and gameplay freedom. What matters most is that 007 First Light finally gives players the feeling of truly becoming Bond instead of simply controlling him. The game captures the fantasy of becoming a spy better than almost any previous adaptation.
IO Interactive could have easily made a safer project by turning Bond into another version of Agent 47. Instead, the studio pushed toward something more original, experienced, more emotional, and far more ambitious. Most importantly, First Light feels like the beginning of something much larger. For the first time in years, a James Bond game does not feel like another experiment trying to use the past and make money from nostalgia. It feels like a genuine modern reinvention of the franchise.
After so many years without a truly great Bond experience in gaming, that alone makes this one of the most important releases of the year. I wouldn’t be surprised if this game received a GOTY nomination. All we can do now is expect a sequel where we’ll get to experience even more amazing Bond stories that we can shape in any way we want.
My rating for this game: 5/5
007 First Light is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, and PC. It will also be available on Nintendo Switch 2 later this year.
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