007: First Light - A Confident, cinematic reboot of the James Bond Mythos

IO Interactive delivers a bold origin story that moves beyond traditional shooter design.

Update: Jun 9th, 2026 01:56 CEST

007: First Light - A Confident, cinematic reboot of the James Bond Mythos

James Bond has been around for over 70 years, ever since Ian Fleming wrote 007’s first adventure, thereby launching one of the most significant film franchises of the 20th century. This franchise has spawned other media, such as comics and video games; the latter is a realm where the famous secret agent is deeply beloved. When IO Interactive announced it was working on a James Bond video game, the possibilities sounded incredible. Its latest trilogy, Hitman: World of Assassination, while featuring a format that experimented with a very unique narrative, presented a sandbox that remains impressive to this day. Although the franchise is currently in a shaky phase in the film industry, 007: First Light, the new installment in video game, offers a fresh and updated vision for the 21st century.

You know his name

007: First Light is an action game that puts you in the role of James Bond. The game serves as the character’s origin story, drawing on many elements from the novels and films but giving them a fresh take. Here we have a 26-year-old Bond who begins as the sole survivor of a recovery operation in Iceland. Upon encountering mercenaries, defying orders and the odds, Bond rescues the kidnapped scientists. This catches the attention of M, head of MI6, who seeks to reactivate the 00 program—which was suspended just over a decade ago—and sees significant potential in the young man. Here, Bond becomes the seventh candidate and is taken to train under the guidance of John Greenway, and with that, an adventure around the world begins, taking us to Malta, London, Slovakia, and Vietnam. The game’s narrative takes about 14 hours to complete, but it features the same intrigue and plot twists one expects from Bond films.

As for the gameplay, 007: First Light is a unique blend, as it constantly evolves as the story progresses. If I had to make a comparison, it would be a mix of Hitman, with elements of Uncharted and even a bit of Watch_Dogs. The game completely departs from the core concept we’ve had of a James Bond game since the ’90s, where it was essentially a shooter in which Bond seemed more like a soldier than a secret agent.

The World Is Not Enough

The game’s structure helps Bond fulfill his role as a spy, allowing him to sneak into restricted areas, investigate, and explore environments as part of his mission. Here, you can really see the foundation and structure that IO Interactive has built up over the years with the Hitman franchise. Each level is meticulously crafted, brimming with details and interactive elements—whether objects to distract enemies or simply different routes to reach the same destination. Bond can navigate both open areas and restricted zones; it’s in the latter where you can be as stealthy as possible or, if you have the energy, use Bond’s classic charm to deceive someone who’s already spotted you. Sometimes, reaching the objective or knowing exactly where to go next isn’t so obvious, so the game also requires, at certain moments, keen observation as well as lateral thinking on the player’s part. That said, don’t worry—if you’re accompanied by an NPC, they’ll sometimes give you clues so you don’t get stuck.

To complete these missions, we’ll also have the classic assistance of Q and his technology. 007: First Light provides us with two very unique items for this adventure. The first is the Q-Watch, a watch that allows us to carry up to three different gadgets: from darts that will make a character feel sick and move, to the classic laser beam and smoke bombs, among others. These require either chemicals or electricity to be used, elements that are readily available throughout each level. On the other hand, we have the Q-Lens, a pair of special glasses reminiscent of Batman Arkham’s detective vision, but without overwhelming our view—they simply highlight potential enemies, NPCs we can interact with, or objects we can pick up.

A View to a Kill

And while there are all these elements of investigation and stealth, combat is the other major part of 007: First Light. Confrontations with enemies can take two forms: when trying to sneak through restricted areas, you can either use your gadgets to distract them and slip past, or engage in hand-to-hand combat using strikes, blocks, and counterattacks. Usually, hand-to-hand combat is fairly similar, though occasionally you’ll face enemies who are a bit stronger and tougher, meaning that failing to block properly or dodge a grab can prove fatal.

Once the situation escalates and the enemies decide to turn things up a notch, that’s when the sections where gunplay becomes crucial kick in, and the License to Kill is activated. The shootout sequences, at first, tend to be somewhat complex, but they’re closer to previous Bond games, where bullets are flying everywhere. Here, the gameplay becomes, to a certain extent, more realistic: it’s more common to run out of ammo for a weapon and have to take one from an enemy. Enemies will be armed with weapons like submachine guns, assault rifles, shotguns, and even sniper rifles. When you run out of weapons, you can throw the weapon as part of a strategy. While some enemies are heavily armored, Bond has a skill that allows him to slow down time and thus take a more accurate shot—quite useful when facing multiple enemies. Similarly, when you’re in stealth mode, you can also use your Q-Watch and gadgets to help you, though this is balanced so that, for example, some armored enemies remain unaffected.

Nobody Does It Better

One of the most important aspects of 007: First Light is its cast. It’s often the case that when a franchise is adapted to another medium, certain details feel off—not because they actually are, but because we’re used to seeing specific faces and images. In this title, IO Interactive takes a risk by telling a story that’s new and different from what we’ve seen with 007, featuring a Bond who’s much younger than the one we’ve seen on screen, along with a new cast and characters.

Patrick Gibson as James Bond is truly a success, offering a take on the character that—while more confident and less refined than his cinematic counterparts—possesses the charisma the role demands. The supporting cast is equally impressive; together with Gibson, they carry this reboot and this new chapter in the agent’s story, which also serves as a fresh take on what we already know. Priyanga Burford, as M, presents a version who, while still a capable leader, is more open in her hope for Bond; Kiera Lester, as Moneypenny, portrays her as a true strategist within MI6 rather than M’s secretary, while Alastair Mackenzie, as Q, is an interesting and even more sophisticated version than we’ve seen in previous films. This cast, along with Lennie James as John Greenway—a completely new character for the franchise—brings life to a title that is very well written and far more cinematic than any previous Bond video game.

In this regard, the game’s visuals also make excellent use of the capabilities of current-generation consoles. In terms of textures, characters, and environments, the game runs smoothly, with the visuals being quite impressive. Along with this, there are several nods and hidden details in the environments referencing Bond elements and films—any fan will be able to spot some extremely obscure references and details, if they pay close attention. With a few exceptions—where characters drink as if their windpipes don’t have to move at all—the motion capture and performances make the game an impeccable cinematic experience. Damn, even the intro song after the first mission is full Bond.

However, it’s on the technical side where there are a few issues. The game runs smoothly and is enjoyable—there’s no doubt about that—but moments like loading times, especially when a “Game Over” screen appears, become noticeably longer than when you’re playing normally. On the other hand, there are also moments when the enemies’ AI just isn’t the sharpest, causing some battles or investigations to get stuck in little loops, which breaks the immersion a bit. That said, it’s nothing a future update can’t fix.

Everything or Nothing

Although the game has a relatively short story, lasting about 14 hours, it offers enough content to keep you coming back for more. One such feature is the variety of collectibles scattered throughout each level, as well as various in-game challenges. This is designed to give players an extra reason to return and tackle the missions in a different way than they did the first time.

Added to this is the Tactical Simulator, a module that allows you to improve your combat skills and revisit specific points in missions you’ve already completed. Here, too, you’ll find a wealth of challenges to overcome, as well as upgrades and outfits that can be unlocked for these levels.