007 First Light Review

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Okay, so everyone knows James Bond from the movies, right? But he’s actually been in a ton of video games over the years – like, over twenty! I remember playing some really early ones, even text-based adventures, but GoldenEye 007 on the N64 was a total game-changer. Things took a dive with 007 Legends back in 2012 – seriously, it was rough – and we didn’t get another Bond game for fourteen years! Thankfully, the team behind the Hitman games, IO Interactive, stepped in. They’re making 007 First Light, which is basically an origin story, a fresh take on 007. And honestly? It’s a fantastic return. It’s easily one of the best Bond games I’ve played!

The best way to understand 007 First Light is to imagine a mix of Hitman and Uncharted. It combines the stealth gameplay of IO Interactive’s Hitman with the exciting action and dramatic moments of Naughty Dog’s Uncharted. This combination generally works well, offering a lot of variety in how you play, though it occasionally leads to uneven pacing.

Many missions in 007 First Light begin with Bond navigating busy environments, like finding a room or a person. These parts of the game are generally slow-paced and easy, with the game guiding you step-by-step. While there are often different ways to achieve your goals, the game holds your hand so much that it doesn’t feel like you have much freedom to make your own choices.

The game gets more intense with frequent fights and gun battles, and even some vehicle-based action. However, after these exciting moments, the pace slows down significantly when you’re asked to explore. It’s like a rollercoaster that doesn’t build to one big thrill—instead, it has a lot of little ups and downs.

Usually, a slow start isn’t a major problem, but the initial sections of 007 First Light drag on for too long. While the occasional puzzle can be enjoyable, most of this early part is dull because it doesn’t challenge you much. These lengthy introductions and the resulting pacing problems are the game’s biggest weaknesses, though they might be less noticeable if you play in shorter sessions.

007 First Light is a Great Start to an All-New Bond Universe

While the game’s speed isn’t perfect, the diverse levels help. 007 First Light boasts a great range of beautiful and detailed environments. You’ll find yourself in locations like a luxurious resort reminiscent of The White Lotus, and a pirate-infested ship graveyard ruled by the menacing Bawma, portrayed by Lenny Kravitz.

The actors in 007 First Light all deliver strong performances, particularly Patrick Gibson, who puts a fresh, confident spin on James Bond, and Lennie James, who truly shines as the experienced agent John Greenway. The dynamic between Bond and Greenway is the most engaging part of the game, but the rest of the supporting cast also enhances the overall experience.

007 First Light delivers a strong James Bond origin story, hitting all the expected franchise beats with surprising twists, compelling villains, and escalating tension. While the gameplay has some pacing problems, the story is captivating and will keep fans hooked until the very end. In fact, this game features one of the best Bond narratives to date, and I’m excited to see where this universe goes next.

The classic James Bond theme is used to great effect at key moments in 007 First Light.

To improve future games in this series, focusing on making the information-gathering parts more engaging is key – it’s the main area where they could surpass 007 First Light. Everything else is already solid. The combat is straightforward but enjoyable, consistently delivering fun action. Bond’s ability to slow down time makes aiming for headshots easy, and the hand-to-hand fighting is exciting because he cleverly uses his surroundings. Simple actions like throwing empty guns, and using gadgets during fights, always add to the experience.

007 First Light Doesn’t Let Bond’s Gadgets Go to Waste

As a Bond agent, I get to use some seriously cool gadgets from Q Branch on my missions. The catch is, I can’t carry everything! Each gadget is useful, and choosing the right ones really changes how I approach a challenge. Like, if I pack a laser, I can silently take out padlocks. But if I go with the dart phone instead, I might have to just blast the door open, which could alert guards and lead to a firefight. It’s all about making those choices and dealing with the consequences!

A lot of games make stealth feel like a burden, but 007 First Light actually makes it a strength. Getting spotted isn’t usually a game over, which takes the pressure off while you’re sneaking. However, successfully completing a section undetected is very satisfying. Silently taking down enemies from behind or using Bond’s gadgets feels great, and it’s not usually essential to do so, meaning it never becomes frustrating.

Bond consistently relies on the Q-Lens, a tool similar to ‘detective mode’ in many games. It draws attention to important things, such as items you can steal from characters or objects you can control with your Q-Watch. This ability to remotely hack electronics feels reminiscent of the game Watch Dogs, letting Bond create distractions and outsmart enemies.

I really loved the story in 007 First Light, but it’s awesome that they also included TacSim mode! It’s basically a bunch of quick challenges using locations and scenarios from the main game, so you can jump right back into the action without replaying the whole story. Honestly, they could have just thrown it in as an afterthought, but IO Interactive clearly put some effort into making it a really fun addition.

Beating 007 First Light‘s story mode on the Intended difficulty took about 13 hours.

Successfully finishing TacSim challenges rewards players with in-game currency to unlock new weapons and character customizations for Bond, making the mode more fun and addictive. Online leaderboards have also been added, introducing a competitive aspect to what was previously a solo experience. The developers are planning to add even more TacSim challenges soon, and I’m looking forward to trying them out.

007 First Light is a really full-featured James Bond game, and it’s expected to improve even more with updates. Right now, it offers a well-made, engaging Bond adventure with a good story and thrilling action that most fans will enjoy.

The game 007 First Light will be available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S starting May 27th. A version for the Nintendo Switch 2 is also being created. We at Game Rant received a PlayStation 5 code to review the game.

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2026-05-26 15:11