If we take a look at the history of 007 video games, saying it’s been a rocky one would be an understatement. The truth is, there are only a handful of them out there that have really stood out, to the point that GoldenEye, back in the 90s, is still considered the best. Well, that’s no longer the case. IO Interactive has done more than revive the franchise with 007 First Light. It has crafted one of the best action-adventure experiences of the generation, given us a love letter to James Bond, and delivered an unforgettable spy thriller that has all the staples of this legendary franchise.
Just like Daniel Craig’s arrival as the charismatic and martini-drinking agent, Patrick Gibson dons the suit of Fleming’s James Bond in 007 First Light. Yet, instead of shoving us straight into a full-fledged agent, we see the beginnings of the legend, and in the most incredible way possible.
007 First Light takes us back to the origins of this renowned spy and tells the tale of how he earned the 007 name. Now, while I know IO Interactive is more than capable of telling compelling thriller stories, as we experienced in the World of Assassination trilogy, the studio’s storytelling capabilities are on a whole different level for this installment.
The journey begins with Bond going on a mission as an aircrewman, when things go incredibly wrong, and he ends up in enemy territory. From there, a mysterious figure from MI6 contacts him, and by doing some improvised sabotage and impressing the agency, he gets recruited into the recently revived 00 program.
After one of gaming’s best training montages that is actually playable, relevant to the plot, and also serves as a tutorial without feeling too mechanical, which is quite the achievement, Bond gets his team of fellow 00s in training, and the hunt for the rogue 009 begins.
Without going into spoiler territory, 007 First Light delivers a proper espionage thriller full of action sequences that eclipse any of the modern 007 films we’ve seen in the past decade. Of course, this is all thanks to the superb storytelling, which has all the trademarks of a good spy narrative, and also an excellent cast of characters, where every single one, from Q to M, to Moneypenny and MI6 staff, enhances this 15-hour plot even further. Yet, I must say that Patrick Gibson as Bond and Lennie James as Greenway steal the spotlight in every scene they appear, and Gibson is truly one of the best Bonds we’ve ever seen.
The truth is that I’ve missed the days when a game’s story had me glued to my chair. While I admit that several modern video games have delivered compelling narratives, it often feels as if they focus on either the story or the gameplay, rarely both. 007 First Light, on the other hand, shines equally, and reaching the end credits was the most satisfying thing for me as a gamer, especially one who’s been hungry for a proper story that had me hooked in every scene.
The Always Resourceful Spy
Story aside, let’s move to the other half of what makes 007 First Light stand out so much: its highly varied gameplay.
Initially, I thought I’d be playing a Hitman title with a less stoic protagonist and a more solid narrative—I was terribly wrong. While the World of Assassination DNA is there, 007 First Light distances itself from it by providing not only refined stealth mechanics that make Agent 47 look like a rookie at times, but also some of the best playable action sequences I’ve seen since the days of Uncharted.
Bond, as a fledgling MI6 member, has access to several gadgets and some combat techniques for both close and long-range engagements. For his more spy-oriented kit, you have your trusty Q-Watch and Q-Lens. The former lets you hack all sorts of devices in a level, and the latter is akin to 47’s instinct, which shows interactable items, enemies through walls, and other things that will help you as you make your way through some of IO Interactive’s most memorable levels.
Beyond those pieces of equipment, you also have a plethora of gadgets, of which you can choose from two to three to bring on a mission. You have a camera that sends out shockwaves to stun foes, a dart launcher that sends enemies into a nauseating frenzy, and even a pen that fires a missile. It was great to have different choices, yet also some limitations, as the game often encouraged me to bring the right tools for the job. Yet, I do admit that the laser and mini-missile were my favorites, though.
Leaving the spy tools to the side for now, Bond is also a master when it comes to close combat and firearm usage. For the former, the studio crafted an excellent melee combat system, with some finishers that remind me of the sheer brutality and impact of those that Sam Fisher executed in Splinter Cell: Conviction. Yet, it’s not just spamming the melee button for the sake of it. Bond is also capable of grabbing enemies, pushing them, kneeing their heads repeatedly, and throwing all conveniently placed mugs at their faces.
The other part of combat revolves around guns, and I have to level with you here: I did not like the gunplay—at first. Of all the praises I’ve given to IO Interactive and what they did with World of Assassination, I always thought guns felt a bit janky. Initially, that’s how they felt in 007 First Light, but the truth is that it slowly grew on me to the point that I was turning stealth sections into a shootout. The studio really improved some of the weak points we saw in Agent 47’s latest missions and refined its shooting systems to make Bond feel like the expert marksman he is.
Of course, there are also stealth sections, which are just as great. Now, while Bond doesn’t have the power of disguises or that murdering stoicism, there are many areas that allow you to infiltrate without alerting a single foe, or maybe taking a few enemies out while you make your way to the other end of the room. At first, I thought it was a bummer that Bond couldn’t hide bodies, but narratively speaking, it makes sense, as our spy is always working against the clock, so there’s no time to shove a couple of bodies inside a closet. The best you can do is give them a good conk in the head and move on.
All in all, the core gameplay aspects of 007 First Light are on a whole different level. While there’s some DNA from IO Interactive’s most recent endeavor, it also feels extremely new and much more refined than ever. I was also pleased that, despite having less of that sandbox feel that Hitman provides, there’s a lot of player freedom to tackle things the way you want, which leads me to my next point.
Espionage, Stealth, and Action, All in One
On top of the outstanding narrative and superb gameplay mechanics, another thing that blew my mind was the mind-blowing level design of each stage.
Since 007 First Light is a spy thriller, it embraces many of the things we’ve seen in the genre, ranging from proper hacking sequences to talking your way out of daring situations, but also some action-packed sequences that can turn the calmest situation into a full-blown encounter of bullets flying everywhere and Bond shooting his lasers to blind every foe before blasting them with whatever gun he encounters. The best thing about this is that all of those things always occur at the same level.
One incredible aspect of how 007 First Light presents its stages is the variety of elements in each stage. To give you a spoiler-free example, one of the earliest levels takes you to a hotel where you need to tail a dubious individual. While that is your sole objective, there are several paths you can take that will eventually lead you to the person. In my case, I had the opportunity to sneak into a floor where the target was spotted or instead steal a couple of keys, open a safe, and fool a few guards to make my way to that floor without sneaking around. Those were only two paths, however, as the game gives you several opportunities, of which you’re free to pursue whichever you prefer.
Opportunities also work like those in World of Assassination, where they have different stages that eventually lead to 47 killing his target in a spectacular fashion, and you can track all of them from your journal, which will mark the next step on the map for you.
Often, I went with the dashing and charismatic route, as I always loved using my instinct to bluff enemies and pass around them unnoticed. However, it was also engaging to look for the stealth route and knock a few guards out as I hacked my way through several locked doors or stuck darts in some civilians’ necks to pickpocket them.
Yet, once you complete some of these objectives that are usually pretty long and have different stages ranging from infiltration to gathering information, each stage throws an action-packed sequence your way. Some, for example, started at a close location and quickly had me driving a truck between London’s alleys as I dodged enemy vehicles. One of my favorites started as a car chase, transitioned to an airport shootout, and then on top of an airplane, where I had to hack the aircraft to cause turbulence and throw enemies off balance. Every level was as impressive as a full-length movie, and they even surpassed some of Bond’s moments on the big screen.
Now, as for the technical aspects, I only have one minor complaint: textures. While the game looks gorgeous, and this new engine can truly create wonders, delivering gorgeous locations packed with NPCs performing different actions, I did notice a few blurry textures, especially in some levels. Yet, they were isolated cases and never truly ruined the experience.
Also, when it comes to performance, I played the game in its entirety on my launch-day PS5, and it always hit solid 60 FPS throughout my playthrough. The only frame drops I experienced were when I transitioned from one scene to another, but that only happened a couple of times. Furthermore, and I kid you not, I only recall seeing one loading screen in the whole game (without counting my restarts after perishing). You can play the game from start to finish without seeing a single loading screen, or at least that was in my case.
The Beginning of a Legend
James Bond is such an iconic figure who, sadly, has experienced a bit of a rocky lifespan in his video game counterparts. However, that has now changed because IO Interactive has revived the franchise in the most outstanding way possible.
Overall, 007 First Light delivers more than just the best James Bond game to date, but also one of the greatest action-adventure titles of this generation. Its solid narrative, superb acting by Patrick Gibson and other well-known actors, the carefully crafted levels brimming with variety and player freedom, and engaging gameplay systems make the return of James Bond an instant contender for Game of the Year.
Review copy provided by the publisher.
007 First Light (PS5 Reviewed)
007 First Light is not only the best James Bond video game to date, but also one of the greatest action-adventure titles of this generation, full of jaw-dropping action sequences, a compelling narrative, and superb acting.
Pros
- An outstanding narrative
- Superb acting
- Engaging gameplay that offers a lot of player freedom
Cons
- A few blurry textures in some levels
