The last time Bond graced our screens in a video game, he was a pixelated husk chasing nostalgia (007 Legends, anyone?). Fast forward over a decade, and the team behind Hitman—stealth savants IO Interactive—have strapped a Walther PPK to Bond’s hip and dragged him back to the shadows. But this ain’t your dad’s Bond.
007 First Light rewinds the legend to his reckless, unproven days—before the Aston Martins, before the catchphrases, before the number. This is a green recruit with a chip on his shoulder, and IOI’s betting you’ll care about how he earns his license to kill.
Spoiler: it ain’t pretty.
🎮 Gameplay: Where Hitman Meets Bond, Minus the Wig Swaps
Let’s get one thing clear: 007 First Light isn’t a reskinned Hitman. It’s a mechanical cousin with sharper teeth. Gone are the goofy disguises and explosive rubber ducks. In their place: tension-soaked stealth, bespoke gadgets, and cold decisions that define your Bond.
Each mission is a sandbox of deception. A Slovakia chess tournament doubles as an espionage crucible. A London gala masks a web of lies. One moment you’re schmoozing diplomats; the next, you’re backflipping off a balcony, silencing a guard mid-air. Bond doesn’t hide in closets—he weaponizes the room.
The Instinct system replaces Hitman’s “detective vision” with something smarter: you read the room, spot exploitable behavior, and improvise. Think Splinter Cell conviction meets MI6 snark.
Combat is sparse, but punchy. Gunplay is tight, brutal, and earned—every bullet has a narrative cost. This isn’t Call of Duty: Tuxedo Ops.
🎨 Visuals & Sound: Bold Choices, Bond-ish Consequences
The art direction walks a tightrope: moody Euro-noir interiors mixed with colorful exteriors that feel almost too bright for Bond. Some fans are side-eyeing the palette—like Bond accidentally wandered into a Watch Dogs expansion. Still, the detail is rich, and environments feel alive, not just dressed-up corridors.
The Glacier engine works overtime here, pulling off reactive AI, volumetric lighting, and spaces that genuinely reward exploration. Sound-wise, it’s restrained but effective. The score simmers under your actions. No bombastic horns—just tension, grit, and the occasional musical wink.
⚙️ Performance: Running Clean… So Far
Preview builds show off smooth 60 FPS on current-gen consoles, no glaring bugs, and fast reloads (vital in a game where failure is frequent). Of course, day-one patches are a given in 2026, but IOI has a solid track record here. Just pray they don’t cram it full of live-service filler post-launch.
📖 Story & Characters: Bond Before the Bravado
This isn’t the smug, suit-slick killer we know. This Bond bleeds, fumbles, hesitates—and that makes him human. You start as a 26-year-old naval officer thrown into the MI6 grinder. You’re not given the number—you claw your way to it.
Mentor figure Greenway is your cynical Obi-Wan. M, Q, and Moneypenny show up in stripped-down, early-career forms, not just exposition vending machines. The plot drips Cold War paranoia, but with modern teeth—AI surveillance, political deepfakes, rogue nations, all wrapped in classic Bond moral murk.
If IOI sticks the landing, this could be the most personal Bond story ever told in games.
📆 Release, Platforms & Wallet Damage
Launches March 27, 2026, on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2. Standard edition is $70. Deluxe? $80. Collector’s? A back-breaking $300—for a golden gun replica that’ll sit on your shelf like guilt incarnate.
✅ Final Verdict (Preview Build)
The Good:
- Finally, a Bond game with mechanical depth and narrative ambition
- Smart stealth mechanics that reward creativity over chaos
- IOI’s signature level design is back and better dressed
The Sketchy:
- Some visuals feel too clean for Bond’s usual grit
- No word on open-world or replay systems yet
- That Collector’s Edition smells like a corporate shakedown
Who Should Care?
Stealth junkies, espionage nerds, and anyone tired of Bond as just a sexed-up action figure. If you want a Bond story that earns its bullets and builds its legend one bad decision at a time, 007 First Light is worth watching.
🎯 Score (Early Preview)
8.5/10 – IOI’s Bond origin story aims high, shoots smart, and just might make you care about a spy before he becomes a legend.
