When it was announced Hitman creators IO Interactive were developing a James Bond video game, it was exciting to hear a) we were finally getting a new Bond game after 2012’s disastrous 007 Legends, and b) that it would be its own take on the character, ala Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham series, or Insomniac’s Spider-Man. When I saw the first trailer, I became ecstatic after seeing Bond would have his facial scar from the books. However, while it was good that the studio would emphasize stealth more than previous Bond titles, I had grown tired of the last run of Hitman games after their first season in 2016. So who would win out: Bond, or IO’s Agent 47?
While the studio does a good job of adjusting their gameplay approach to appeal more to Bond fans, it does still feel a lot like a Hitman release, with sometimes obtuse mission objectives, and more emphasis on Bond crouching and crawling around than in a film. Frustratingly, in one level, we spend a fair bit of time obtaining a disguise for Bond, only for him to take it off after infiltrating the area. The hand-to-hand combat only feels a little less disastrous than when 47 blows his cover, with parrying having a very narrow timing window, and the running and driving (guns and all) is pretty clunky.
Regardless, it is fun to have a Bond game that isn’t an overly linear shooter, where you can enjoy the fantasy of entering a glamorous location, and charming and bluffing your way to your targets, on top of creating the odd cheeky distraction, or simply larking about in Q Branch. And when the big set-pieces unfold, you will feel as giddy as you would watching the action in a Bond film, or even more so, given you’re in the driver’s seat. More disappointingly, you can only change Bond’s clothes in the Tactical Simulation side-missions, with the extent of campaign customization limited to the color of his wristwatch strap.
Where First Light most shines (no pun intended) is in crafting the most compelling story for a major Bond entry since Skyfall. While some might raise their eyebrows at Bond being as young as 26 (he’s not even a lieutenant commander in this), and the decision to follow him through his entire transition from the military to spying (something the films’ own reboot, Casino Royale, skipped), but this slowburn approach makes sense from both a tutorial standpoint, and an emotional one, with the reason for Bond’s titular designation ultimately proving to be surprisingly poignant.
Bond’s age in particular makes his heroic impulses feel very earnest and endearing, as opposed to some of his cinematic counterparts, whose tendency to save the world comes across as comparatively self-serving. Lead actor Patrick Gibson may not be the most authoritative Bond, but he’s steely and charismatic, and it’ll be great to see how his interpretation evolves in a sequel. Priyanga Burford, Alastair Mackenzie, and Kiera Lester are all great choices for M, Q, and Moneypenny, with the latter two providing fresh takes on the quartermaster as a dandy, and 007’s handler as found family.
Lennie James is fun as Bond’s skeptical mentor John Greenway, and Noémie Nakai is the closest the series has ever come to having a Catwoman as the mysterious Miss Roth. As for the villains, no spoilers, but they’re pretty cool, especially the one with the golden Roman mask, who’s a cool spin on the traditional giant henchman. Speaking of the plot, First Light is arguably the most topical Bond release since Tomorrow Never Dies, with a strongly anti-AI storyline that also feels critical of how much UK governments (Labour or Conservative) have become dependent on contractors. Not bad from a Danish studio like IO!
Other classic Bond elements like the humor, sex appeal, and music are all present and correct too: one scene in particular is a fantastic homage to how every movie would end, with arguably the most beautiful woman (voiced by Raquel Cipriano) ever sculpted and rendered for a video game. Lana Del Rey and former Bond movie composer David Arnold’s title track is unsurprisingly excellent, but the real secret weapons are The Flight, whose score is exactly what the game needs, right down to being unafraid to call on John Barry’s themes for an extra punch.
So all in all, while its gameplay can definitely be improved, First Light sets a high bar for Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming reboot of the film series, and all future Bond projects under Amazon’s oversight, as well as any that’ll transpire as a result of the books entering the public domain. It feels like the best of both worlds, like an independent TV version of Bond that has access to all the iconography owned by MGM. While I’m not as enthusiastic at the notion of Gibson also taking on the role in live-action as some, I’m excited to see where he and IO will take the character next – especially if it means a better version of Ernst Stavro Blofeld than the one played by Christoph Waltz.
