Entertainment
New James Bond Project Is Officially His Best Outing Since ‘Skyfall’
Hitman developer IO Interactive had a truly daunting task ahead of them with 007 First Light. The first major James Bond video game in 14 years — since Eurocom and Activision’s disastrous and unintentionally hilarious 007 Legends — needed to live up to the legacy of the most enduring film character of all time, while delivering him into modern, triple-A gaming and our modern world at large. Bond’s imprint on gaming dates back as far as the early ’80s, though Rare and Nintendo’s first-person shooter GoldenEye 64 was undeniably the breakthrough, still a cultural giant nearly three decades later.
Launching on PlayStation 5, XBox, Steam and Epic Games Store on May 27 with a Nintendo Switch 2 release to follow this summer, First Light delivers on considerable expectations that have built well over half a decade since it was announced. Irish actor Patrick Gibson (The Tudors, Dexter: Original Sin) stars as the iconic hero in the first Bond game ever to not be tied directly to the motion pictures. It’s an origin story with heart, plunging a sympathetic Bond into globe-trotting vistas and spectacular set pieces worthy of the franchise. Minor quibbles about the pacing of the second act aside, First Light is a triumph that hopefully marks the beginning of an altogether new Bond franchise. This is one of the best James Bond games ever made, and fans can rest assured the mantle is in good hands.
What Is ‘007 First Light’ About?
Building on the first 13 minutes of First Light that have been made available online, the game opens on a young Bond serving as an air crewman in the British Royal Navy. An ambush leads a mission in Iceland horribly wrong, giving the young soldier an opportunity to display the boldness and authority-defying courage that have endeared him to audiences for decades. Bond’s heroics in Iceland gain the attention of British Intelligence, most notably that of MI6 and M (Priyanga Burford), who recruits the rookie to join the newly reinstated 00 program, alongside several other hotheaded young personalities who are all overseen by strict, world-weary senior officer John Greenway (Lennie James).
At the center of everything, and most importantly of all, Bond himself is close to being perfectly realized.
The inciting incident of the sprawling, roughly 20-hour campaign sees MI6 contacted by a fallen former 00 agent, leading M and the new 00 recruits into a massive conspiracy and cover-up concerning the world’s most powerful and mysterious artificial intelligence. We’re avoiding major spoilers here, but as should be expected, Bond’s mission leads him to various exotic locations to track leads, often shadowed in the field by a beautiful, enigmatic operative who’s initially introduced to us as Ms. Roth (Noémie Nakai).
‘007 First Light’ Successfully Reinvents James Bond While Honoring the Past
There are certain, multitudinous expectations of any new entry into Bond canon, expectations that have gradually developed over 70 years of the character, over 60 of them on film. It wouldn’t have been nearly enough for IO to deliver a good action and stealth game. James Bond is an attitude, the ultimate male spy fantasy, defined as much by state-of-the-art production values as a relentless wit that’s been present ever since Sean Connery brought a necessary absurdist humor to Ian Fleming‘s creation to the screen. This quality was notably absent in the lesser of the Daniel Craig films, which at times fell victim to routine action movie tropes while losing the signature Bond identity.
First Light delivers on this; it’s a mostly buoyant, outlandish sci-fi thriller with constant, genuinely hilarious quips and innuendos delivered by a great voice cast. The game isn’t nearly as macabre as the darkest of the Bond films, but the requisite danger and high stakes are very much intact here. At the center of everything, and most importantly of all, Bond himself is close to being perfectly realized. There are liberties to be taken with him at his young age and lack of experience in the field, but the writers and Gibson deliver a recognizable iteration of the character who sets out with a refreshing naïveté and remains highly sympathetic. He’s suave at parties, while developing an edge as a ruthlessly efficient killer in the shadows. There’s some irony in hearing Bond warn another character about the emptiness of vengeance as he continuously mows down countless baddies, but it’s pretty easy to overlook this in the context of a game, and it echoes a similarly curious plot thread in 1981’s For Your Eyes Only.
The story achieves some genuine pathos, most notably in the prickly relationship between Bond and mentor Greenway. It’s an archetypal relationship you’ve seen countless times, even since Luke Skywalker first met Ben Kenobi in the original Star Wars film, but it’s funny, well-acted and even touching here. All previous James Bond video games have been tied directly to the film franchise itself due to a now-nil Eon stipulation that Bond’s likeness always be that of the current actor on film. First Light has its own personality and emotion, enough to make it feel like a worthy 26th film — that is, until the 26th film is finally released.
This Is the Most Sophisticated, Immersive James Bond Experience Ever
IO proves to be an inspired if unexpected fit for the franchise, with the lethal sophistication and morbid wit of Hitman very much on display here, punctuated with countless Easter eggs aimed squarely at Bond fans. The Danish developer produced First Light in part at their Brighton studio, and it must be said that there is something unique about the Brits and their production values. This is something that never waned in the Bond or Harry Potter franchises, even in the lesser films. First Light is as cinematic as the biggest of the Bond films, with impressively open levels and futuristic set design that evokes the great Ken Adam.
The gameplay itself is polished and varied. James Bond in gaming is best-known for FPS experiences (though many fans will rightfully point out third-person Everything or Nothing as one of the series’ high points), but First Light immerses Bond in a recognizably modern over-the-shoulder setup as the game balances stealth and spycraft along with satisfying, explosive gunplay, an arsenal of gadgets from Q Branch, and driving levels that even pleased this non-fan of driving levels. Some online had raised concerns about a “Licence to Kill” mechanic throughout the game when it was revealed through gameplay previews, but it’s in no way intrusive. Discernment about when to use lethal force is a big part of Bond’s job, and it’s long been a part of the Bond games — it’s a mechanic that works into the campaign’s progress.
The hand-to-hand combat is fluid, akin to the Batman: Arkham franchise in one-vs.-many battles. Gunplay is smooth, relying on cover and obtaining enemy weapons in both tight corridors and open spaces. The battles typically punctuate moments of exploration, where Bond must uncover clues to a plot in a public space while using his wits and charm in dialogue sequences that help uncover new information. These all build up into action set pieces that are just as spectacular as the best of the best in Bond movies.
007 First Light is a story-driven first-person experience that doesn’t seek to recreate the split-screen multiplayer phenomenon of GoldenEye, but replay value appears substantial, with dozens of in-game challenges, side quests, and tantalizing cosmetic upgrades that show the developers clearly are having a field day with the license.
The narrative and gameplay of the second act could be tighter, but everything leads to a finale that plays out like pure wish fulfillment. Comparisons to GoldenEye and earlier bona fide classic Bond games are likely to be made over the following weeks, but IO has wisely made a game that aims squarely to be its own enterprise. The game concludes on a well-earned, giddy high that’s likely to leave fans anxious for a follow-up as soon as the end credits and the thunderous Monty Norman theme roll.
007 First Light launches on PlayStation 5, XBox, Steam and Epic Games Store May 27. A Nintendo Switch 2 release is slated for this summer.
- Released
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May 27, 2026
- ESRB
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Teen / Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence, In-Game Purchases
- Franchise
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James Bond
- 007: First Light is one of the best James Bond video games of all time, delivering an expansive experience unlike any other
- Patrick Gibson is a terrific Bond, and the character is heroic and endearing
- Noémie Nakai is a badass, enigmatic Bond Girl worthy of the legacy
- The finale is tremendously Bondian excitement
- The second act drags with the pace slowing down too much
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