Game intel
007: First Light
Earn the Number. 007 First Light is a thrilling espionage action-adventure game from IO Interactive. Follow James Bond as a young, resourceful, and sometimes r…
This caught my attention because IO Interactive’s Hitman trilogy is still the gold standard for stealth sandboxes, and the idea of that studio tackling James Bond has been living rent-free in my head since the reveal. After watching a live 30-minute demo of 007: First Light at Gamescom (largely the same slice from the State of Play, with a different ending), it’s clear this isn’t “Hitman in a tux.” It’s a narrative-driven action game with semi-open pockets-part sandbox puzzle box, part big-budget thrill ride.
The mission kicks off with a younger, cockier Bond-literally the driver on an op—defying orders after spotting something off. The infiltration slice is where the IOI magic peeks through. Bond distracts a guard by opening a hose, pockets a lighter, sets leaves smoldering in a wheelbarrow, and uses the chaos to climb into a hotel window. It’s classic systemic mischief: simple ingredients, playful outcomes. Inside, identifying a target among suspects is as straightforward as chatting up the bartender. This is polished, familiar IOI territory—comforting for Hitman fans, but also flirting with déjà vu.
Things escalate quickly into a car chase. The handling looks intentionally arcadey with generous drifts and what seems like light routing choice—cutting through a field or a market to shave seconds. Then the demo pivots fully into blockbuster mode: melee takedowns, a slow-mo focus burst, even tossing your pistol to stun someone before scooping it back up. The controversial wrinkle is the “license to kill” rule: Bond doesn’t get to open fire unless enemies pose an immediate lethal threat. On paper, that supports the idea of a not-yet-fully-formed 00; in practice, it risks feeling like a visible design leash unless enemies telegraph threat states cleanly.
The airport sequence leans into pulp spectacle—goons clustered around bright red explosive canisters, a sprint under fire to a plane lifting off, hanging from a fuel hose, then fistfighting on the fuselage. Inside the cabin, the stealth-to-chaos meter swings wildly. The standout gadget: a Q device that lets you tilt the aircraft left or right in real time to unbalance enemies. It’s cheeky, cinematic, and—crucially—interactive beyond a single QTE. This is the flavor of gadgetry I want to see more of: tools that reshape the playspace, not just unlock a door.
IOI frames First Light as a story-first game that periodically opens up to let you solve problems your way. Think controlled sandboxes embedded in a linear campaign rather than Hitman’s full-fat systemic playgrounds. The hotel infiltration and the alternative chase routes point in that direction, and the State of Play epilogue teased branching solutions—gadgets, social engineering, or brute force. If IOI can thread these open beats between authored set pieces without jolting the pacing, we could get the best of both worlds. If not, stealth fans might feel railroaded while action fans wonder why the game keeps slowing down.
Glacier, IOI’s engine, handled Hitman’s dense AI and simulation with poise, and here it looks sharper than the State of Play cut that showed obvious hitches. The Gamescom run appeared smoother, but we’ll need hands-on to confirm. The Switch 2 version is the wild card. Hitman’s original Switch outing leaned on the cloud; IOI committing to Switch 2 suggests a native build, but parity on effects density and frame rate is a big unknown. On PS5/Series/PC, 60 FPS should be the target—these set pieces won’t sing at 30.
Release date locked: March 27, 2026. Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series, and Switch 2. A Digital Deluxe exists and is “free” with preorders, bundling 24 hours of early access, four Bond skins, a weapon skin, and gadget skins. That early-access carrot is the usual FOMO nudge—if you’re cautious, wait for reviews. There’s also a $300 “Legacy” collector’s edition with the Deluxe content, a steelbook and magnet, extra skins, and a replica golden pistol with bullets, stand, and certificate. It’s catnip for Bond memorabilia hunters, but for most players, that money is better spent on, well, games.
IOI confirmed the lead: Patrick Gibson (The OA) as a younger, impulsive Bond. Framing him as a talented upstart—still learning what “00” means—fits the license-to-kill constraint and opens space for character growth. The demo also teased a DGSE agent, hinting at a broader spy web beyond MI6. None of this lands without sharp writing and confident direction; the spectacle is there, but Bond needs wit, rhythm, and moral edge as much as explosions.
IOI is stepping out of its comfort zone. If First Light nails the balance—Hitman-grade problem-solving inside a propulsive Bond thriller—we could be talking about the best Bond game since the GoldenEye nostalgia era, for entirely different reasons. If the “threat-gated” gunplay and over-authored set pieces smother the agency, it may land as a slick but split-identity hybrid. I’m optimistic, but I’ll be watching AI consistency, gadget depth, mission reactivity, and performance like a hawk.
007: First Light isn’t Hitman in a tux; it’s a narrative action game with bursts of IOI-style freedom. The demo served sharp infiltration, loud spectacle, and a divisive “license to kill” rule. It looks promising but precarious—one to watch closely before that March 27, 2026 launch.
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