I don’t have the most personal relationship with 007, but I respect the series for its longevity. We’ve seen the iconic spy in a variety of films and games before, but not as IO Interactive’s latest game, 007 First Light, does. No, this is James Bond at his youngest, a man capable of great things and on the cusp of a legacy that’s been built into something of a legend in 2026.
IO Interactive seems like the perfect studio to tackle 007, too. Its work on the Hitman series over the last two decades has proved that it knows how to deliver impressive, mechanically sound sandbox games. Without the base, I don’t believe we’d see such a great game delivered this week.
Welcome To His Majesty’s Secret Service
We hold James Bond media to a high standard and have for ages, especially the films. However, games based on the famed spy failed to match that pedigree. IO Interactive’s work on the Hitman series helped pave the way for this new and exciting foray into the world of Bond.
With Patrick Gibson as the lead, this story tells how James Bond enters into His Majesty’s Secret Service after being noticed during a mission that went south. We’ll follow him as he earns his codename during the opening hours, and it surprisingly serves not only as an introduction but also, in spectacular fashion, as a showcase. Gibson’s take on the character works well for this game and gives us someone who’s clearly got a talent for the world he’s about to become a part of, showing he can take hits and still get back up. It’s nice having someone who’s not so perfect or untouchable taking on insurmountable tasks.
A New Bond Experience
Having Bond at his youngest allows for an excellent gateway to showcase a new iteration of Bond, someone known for being a suave, smooth-talking, and precise spy, capable of great feats against an assortment of enemies and agencies. Going through the motions to earn your number didn’t click with me in the trailers, but sitting down with the game is another story. What I appreciate is that this take may be the earliest we’ve seen of the character, but with Gibson, they nail the character we’ve all come to know.
The entire supporting cast is strong and serves as a perfect counter to Bond. Characters like Moneypenny, Q, and Greenway are some of the standouts you’ll meet. Lennie James, in particular, serves as a former 00 agent who trains recruits and steals every scene he’s in. But really, it’s hard to find a character that doesn’t stand out.
The villains are probably the weakest link here, and if there’s one thing that I didn’t gel with, it’s that we don’t get enough time with them to really make them feel memorable. Famously, IO Interactive loves to use celebrities in its games. Lenny Kravitz is a villain, but sticks out as being my least favourite character in-game.
Thankfully, the dialogue is smart, witty, and often perfectly crafted for every encounter. Whether I was watching a cutscene or incidental dialogue in the field, it is apparent that IO took note of what works and makes the series work. I’m here for a game like 007 First Light that knows when and where to insert humour to defuse a situation.
007 First Light Is The Best Bond In Years
And as much as I love the world and characters, 007 First Light’s gameplay is a mix of linear and open-world levels. Whether you’re a fan of Uncharted games or Hitman, there’s a striking balance between the two that mostly works. It really comes down to preference here because I personally love the linear levels more than the rest. However, the open-ended, sandbox-style levels are equally fun, if not as predictable.
The gunplay is solid, but there are a lot of ways you can approach a situation that make shooting somewhat of a last resort. James Bond is known for an assortment of tools and gadgets, and you gain access to them here, which pair well with melee.
Melee is a major proponent of your arsenal. You can dodge, block, and parry attacks, and use environmental items in a pinch. Bond also has finishers once you whittle down an enemy’s health. If you like being aggressive, there’s ample room to improvise when facing enemies, such as charging at them, kicking weapons away, and so on. I liked mixing combat with tried-and-tested gadgets, so feel free to approach combat however you like.
Scanning an area for enemies while using tools to plan how you want to engage feels right out of a Bond film, and being able to hack devices in a pinch or release a dart to poison your enemy doesn’t get old. Q’s wizardry is one of the best tools you’ll want to make full use of in the field, as it adds a distinct flavour compared to the movies.
You can also recreate your missions by hitting up Gemma Chan’s Selina via TacSim mode. These AR missions allow you the freedom to approach a mission in a completely new way and serve as a great way to experiment and master the odds against James Bond. The recreation lets you bring all the tools, gadgets, and firearms you want, so it’s a nice way to shake up the challenge ahead.
There are rewards you can unlock by completing challenges, like new outfits. You also have challenge leaderboards and a progression system. Whether you work on missions or escalations, there’s always something to do. Escalations include challenges, and each tier increases in difficulty. Additionally, there are operations you can tackle that serve as open-ended missions, giving you more freedom in how you approach a situation.
Verdict
IO Interactive’s 007 First Light is easily the best Bond game we’ve seen. Rare’s GoldenEye 007 was momentous when it launched, and it’s stuck around the zeitgeist because it was a portal into Ian Fleming’s world of shaken martinis and spy thrills we’d never seen before. What 007 First Light feels like is a playable, limited spy series that transports the player into a gripping and memorable espionage story.
[The publisher provided a copy of the game for review purposes.]
Reviewed on: PlayStation 5
I appreciate how the article highlights Patrick Gibson’s portrayal of James Bond, showcasing a younger and more vulnerable side to the character. Having played the Hitman series, I can see how IO Interactive’s experience with sandbox games translates well to this new Bond game, particularly in the way they’ve crafted the story and characters. The mention of Lennie James as a former 00 agent who trains recruits has piqued my interest, and I’m looking forward to experiencing the game’s smart and witty dialogue for myself.