As much as it might not feel like it, James Bond has had quite a close tie to the world of video games. Ian Fleming’s iconic gentleman spy first broke through in the world of literature, became a household name through the world of film, and later broadened his horizons through media like TV and finally video games. From the highs of Rare’s N64 classic Goldeneye 007 and Eurocom’s 007 Nightfire, to more middling releases like Bizarre Creation’s 007 Blood Stone, James Bond’s brand of secret agent shootouts and bombastic set pieces have made for some memorable adventures in gaming. I’d imagine that there are quite a few people who have never watched a Bond movie but definitely have participated in a few rounds of 4-player split-screen free-for-all bouts in Goldeneye 007 (looking at you, Oddjob mains).
The output of 007 in the gaming landscape was rather empty for a fair while, though. 007 Legends was the last Bond game to release, and that was all the way back in November of 2012. For years, Bond lay dormant, like an agent waiting for the heat to die down before coming back with a master plan. In the years since Legends‘ release, Amazon bought MGM and picked up the rights to Bond, Daniel Craig stepped down as 007, and even now, we still don’t know when we’ll see the next live-action iteration of Bond. Things felt bleak for Bond fans, but in 2020, IO Interactive surprised us with a reveal that they were going to be developing a new 007 project. Not an adaptation of a movie, but an original story with its own interpretation of Bond.
IO seemed like the perfect fit for a James Bond video game, as their expertise in the stealth genre with the Hitman series would lend well to the type of spy skulking Bond participates in. It also helps that Hitman is rife with clear reverence to Bond, so it seemed like things couldn’t be any more fitting! However, in the lead-up to release, faith in the upcoming game was shaky after a poor gameplay showcase. Not only did it spawn the “007 frames” joke, but it also led to several delays. Now that the game is out, I can say that 007 First Light performs much better than what was seen in those pre-release videos, and better yet, it is an absolute delight to play for Bond and non-Bond fans alike.
For King and Country
First Light acts as an origin story for this iteration of Bond; we see his start as an air crewman who manages to improvise through a classic “wrong place at the wrong time” situation. Defying MI6 commands, managing to save several captured agents, and blowing up priceless pieces of intelligence gets Bond in hot water with the agency, but also grants him a fast track to the newly reintroduced 00 program. Bond is a young buck, eager to prove himself but especially prone to overselling his ability. He is hazed by his co-workers, belittled by his superiors, and has to have his cover saved by others a fair few times.
First Light definitely feels like it took some inspiration from the 2006 movie Casino Royale, both serving as the first mission for the agent and showing that there’s a lot of growth to be had before Bond can become the effortless agent we all know him as. Actor Patrick Gibson portrays this younger Bond extremely well, giving that overly cocky exterior just the smallest smell of self-doubt and desire to be accepted by his peers. Don’t get me wrong, though, there’s still a plethora of classic Bond one-liners and his trademark devil-may-care attitude that fans expect from the character. He fits into the ranks of Craig and Brosnan very well, and I honestly hope that he manages to find a role within the film series.
Acting opposite of Gibson for most of the game is Lennie James, who portrays the character of John Greenway. Greenway is MI6’s curmudgeonly 00 program teacher and a former 00 as well. The relationship between him and Bond feels like the beating heart of the story, as most of the game has the two of them forced to work together. It’s a classic buddy cop pairing, but it works nicely for the narrative arc within the story. A straightforward tale of cover-ups, loss, and redemption acts as a backdrop for the characters to really grow on you.
Bond’s training buddies Cressida and Monroe, an all-new M trying to make her mark on the agency, and an older Q who can act more like an uncle for Bond as he teaches him how to do up his bowtie, every character adds something to the mix to make Bond a more rounded person by the end. My one issue would be that I do wish some characters had a bigger impression, as they could’ve added more to their role, but I can’t say the story would be better off without them.
Much like how the plot serves as a backdrop to the characters, it also serves as a reason to explore some rather gorgeous landscapes and locales. The game takes you to several different locations for missions and special ops, such as the rain-drenched black rocks of Iceland or the beautiful shores of a tropical Vietnamese resort, for example. IO has certainly shown they are capable of some very nice graphics within Hitman 3, but First Light has really shone a spotlight on their art design and the capabilities of their proprietary Glacier Engine.
Certain areas of the game are absolutely packed with NPCs, which give those areas a bustling and lively feeling. While the game looks pretty, areas are locked into finely defined sections depending on their purpose. You won’t be having any shootouts with scurrying pedestrians running, nor having to blend into a crowd as guards come searching for you. Areas with random bystanders are for puzzle solving and stealth, while areas with enemies are for combat. There is some intermingling between these two areas, but they feel walled off from each other. It often feels like you’re going through rooms in a walk-through amusement park ride. Much like an amusement park ride, however, I can’t help but look around in awe.
The thrills of a Bond flick are also here in spades, as some of the best moments of the game are being able to play through iconic Bond moments. One mission gives you the option of flirting with a woman while she’s on a date with her aggressive boyfriend (which might come to bite you if you lead her on). Another has you trying to balance your health as you’re subjected to torture by a villain you’re trying to proximity hack, provoking him to come back so you can download more data. Running to catch a quickly closing drawbridge as guards chase after you, shooting back with your familiar Walther-esque handgun, and similar moments like these are frequent. For Bond fans, it’s everything they could ever want.
There’s a level of spectacle to this game that feels straight out of a prestige PlayStation exclusive. A frequent comparison I was making was to the Uncharted series; another game with remarkable pacing and use of memorable set pieces. The story doesn’t meander, and moments like Bond fighting his way through a crashing plane before jumping out definitely harken back to some Nathan Drake memories. That’s definitely not a bad thing, though. While the almost-20-hour campaign can burn you out in marathon sittings, going through the game a few chapters at a time feels as if you’re going through a Bond television mini-series. With its attention to feeling and presentation, it’s hard to get the game off your mind as you wait to continue its tale of intrigue and espionage.
Shaken, not Stirred
Now, does this game really make you feel like James Bond? For the most part, yes! Bond has his usual assortment of gadgets, gizmos, guns, and guts that feel great to use. A useful notice appears at the top of the screen to signify Bond’s status, usually starting as undetected. This is when you get the most use out of the social engineering tools at your disposal. Bond can listen in on others’ conversations to learn leads to the objective, he can sneak around to get into off-limits areas marked by a trespassing signal at the top of your screen, or utilize the many gadgets he can bring on a mission. Gadgets all serve a purpose, and it’s really up to what approach you’d like to take in missions.
Options like the Smoke Pod or the Laser Strap can be used to cause distractions or lure people away, leading to a more indirect line of stealth as you slip by people. Other gadgets like the Dart Phone or the Flash Mine are a lot more direct, incapacitating your enemies to take them out easier or directly knocking them out in a much more noticeable fashion. Knowing what gadget to choose is a good skill to have, but luckily, there are always multiple ways to make it through a segment if you don’t happen to have the recommended gadgets equipped. Rather than cooldowns, you’re limited in your use of gadgets by the amount of power or chemicals you have, some taking more of their respective resource than others. Luckily, power and chems are found in abundance around each level.
In other games, getting caught will usually immediately bring on an alert, followed by every guard in the area knowing your exact location and coming to beat you up. Instead, if stopped by a guard, you have a few moments to stall and choose whether you would like to fake a surrender or bluff your way through the confrontation. It’s a very unique mechanic called Instinct that is handled superbly in First Light. Instinct works incredibly well as a mechanic. It’s great as a fallback, but Instinct can run out very quickly, especially if you bluff. Instinct is also just a great reinforcement of James’ character, the personas and fibs he presents to unwitting guards, which was transformed into a playable piece of game design. It fits right in as another piece of your arsenal.
If things start to get hairy, you’ll be thrust into close-quarters combat. First Light has quite a robust combat system, feeling like it was built upon the base of games like Batman: Arkham City. Basic combos, dodges, and parries are the bread and butter of CQC. Shining glints show you which enemy attacks you can parry and which ones you must dodge. This type of combat is fine, definitely not bad, as the game-feel and audio design do the heavy lifting to make each impact feel weighty. Where things start to get more interesting is how combat interacts with the environment.
Getting into a fight with an enemy can have both of you flying around the room, knocking each other over desks, and crashing into glass walls. Desks topped with props are a welcome sight, as you can throw close-by coffee cups or bricks right into your opponent’s face with the fluidity of throwing another punch. It takes some time getting used to, especially with hand-to-hand combat taking up 5 different buttons each for unique actions, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be bruising up the toughest of baddies with ease. I did manage to have a few snags while getting into fights, such as dodges not working correctly or the camera giving me awkward angles, which did get me knocked out a few times.
The final piece of First Light is gunplay. Bond gets into shootouts rather regularly, and you’ll know when guns are allowed when the notice at the top of the screen reads license to kill. There’s a large amount of guns Bond can procure on his missions, from close-range pistols to long-range sniper rifles. They all feel super nice to use with the same awesome audio design, making each gunshot feel impactful and satisfying. On its own, First Light’s gunplay is good. In comparison to everything else? Gunplay feels the weakest.
Shoot-outs happen in very defined areas, which really exacerbates the whole “amusement park” separation of segments. Each shootout feels very similar to the last, all having the same strategy of hiding behind cover and slowly moving forward while you headshot enemies for quick kills. There’s not too much pressure felt while in gunfights, and unfortunately, this game’s version of difficulty involves throwing more enemies at you. Gunfights at the end of the game can easily have 10+ enemies shooting, making the strategic act of popping out to shoot someone in the head feel superfluous.
Later enemies have helmets that prevent one-shot kills, but with the amount of automatic weapons the game has, follow-up shots are quick to follow. Gadgets like the flash mine can also be used in gunfights, so it just feels like you have another way to obliterate ranged enemies with little effort. Some more enemy variation would’ve done wonders to remedy this issue; having special enemies with riot shields, for example, to better block shots while putting the pressure on you to find another angle to take them down, feels like it would fit in well.
Tomorrow Never Dies
While there are some small issues I ran into in my adventure, they don’t take away from the experience that comes with playing First Light. When looked at individually, you might find some cracks in the systems, but the sum is much greater than the parts. The exploring, deception, brawling, shooting, spectacle, all come together to make a truly brilliant Bond story. By the time I finished the campaign, I felt the same feeling I have whenever I get to the end credits of a Bond flick. I sat down, thought about how awesome it was, and then quickly went to keep the hype going by watching a Bond movie. Through watching that movie, I quickly noticed just how consistent the tone and style of a Bond experience was between these two very different adventures. First Light fits right in without a doubt.
The one thing I want to make abundantly clear is that you can feel just how much IO Interactive understood the assignment of creating an experience worthy of the Bond films. The care and passion you can feel that these developers have for the character is palpable throughout the entire experience and can be seen in each segment of the game. While moving away from their sandbox roots to make something a bit more curated, IO has achieved the ultimate Bond experience. So many bold decisions, such as an original Bond in an all-new continuity, could’ve gone so horribly wrong, but with that care and passion, it has stood up on its own two legs. Better yet, it’s a celebration of all things Bond, and being celebrated by its community for the achievement it is.
That’s not to say non-Bond knowing audiences should steer clear, far from it in fact. While fans can enjoy the plethora of classic Bond actions and moments, regular gamers have an exciting, action-packed experience to enjoy as well. It’s filled with mostly tight gameplay systems that all synergize to bring you a great stealth action game. Honestly, I feel that First Light could be an excellent primer for Bond as a series, as it plays almost like a greatest hits of Bond tropes. Even a decision such as a bad guy being played by rockstar Lenny Kravitz feels like something you’d see in a Brosnan-era flick. It can be delightfully campy at points, to say the least. The quality of First Light shines through it all, and much like the film series, I’m dying to see if there’s gonna be a sequel.
Disclaimer: 007 First Light was reviewed on a PC.
