by: Nabila Rhapsodios
PROLOGUE
007 First Light, developed by IO Interactive, the studio behind the Hitman series, gives me some doubt about its commercial prospects after the failure of the last James Bond video game, 007 Legends, in 2012, and whether it will appeal enough to make me want to play it. I’m happy to be proven wrong; the game is tremendously fun.
IO Interactive takes a different approach; rather than adapting the James Bond films into a game, the studio creates its own vision for the existing IP. This version is not derived from any actor who has portrayed James Bond on film, and because it is an origin story, James Bond is younger than existing iterations.
PLOT
Patrick Gibson Portrayed James Bond in 007 First Light
IO Interactive describes 007 First Light as the origin story of James Bond, presenting a 26-year-old Royal Navy aircrewman as the sole survivor after a mission in Iceland went wrong. He finds himself in precarious surroundings, cold enough to fight off hypothermia while stopping hostile plans in his path. Guided by an MI6 agent through a communication earpiece, James Bond navigates electronic devices, breaks through gunfights, and defies orders. That choice succeeds, freeing the MI6 captives and destroying the asset, much to the unseen guide's dismay. James Bond follows his heart instead of the voice in his ear, even though the captives know MI6 will not save them if the mission fails.
The head of MI6, M, is impressed by his raw talent, empathy, and sharp intuition, and she invites James Bond to join the revitalized 00 program. He gladly accepts. He goes to Malta to join six other candidates. Despite starting months behind the others, he passes the rigorous training with flying colors under the strict regimen of his reluctant instructor, John Greenway. He grows close to his new friends, particularly Lennox Monroe and Cressida Bright. A few months later, he and his group are tasked with turning in the rogue 009 agent, Rhys Beckett, at a hotel in Slovakia. This mission marks the first jolt for James Bond, with greater shocks, secrets, and twists ahead as he pursues the 00 number and faces a perilous fate.
MY IMPRESSION
007 First Light's greatest forces lie in:
1. Acting
The mocap and voice acting are next-level. Amazing. Specifically, Patrick Gibson's portrayal of Agent 007 James Bond is one for the ages, and I can’t wait for what comes next because 007 First Light feels like the start of a wonderful trilogy. The cast's love for this new James Bond iteration is on full display in this masterpiece through their voice acting and dialogue delivery. They created one of the greatest James Bond stories ever while also crafting a thrilling and definitive James Bond video game experience players could ask for.
2. Storytelling & Pacing
Storytelling and pacing are excellently executed, with a perfect balance between cutscenes and gameplay. As a result, it becomes a beautiful, thrilling ride with a fresh James Bond story and memorable characters, especially John Greenway and Isola Vale. They steal the spotlight every time they appear on-screen, and their interactions and traits are portrayed very well by the writing and the acting.
Storytelling, pacing, and dialogue feel impeccable and on brand, with no cringe or overdone moments. The story length is balanced, neither too short nor too long. It took me under 35 hours, I think, and frankly, it had no bloat, just pure quality storytelling. Moreover, 007 First Light has interesting twists and turns, leaving an open story for sequels and keeping you curious about what’s ahead. The entire James Bond mission feels like pure cinema.
I love that the story is set in the present day in an alternate plane, which makes it feel both familiar and interesting. I see smartphones, OMEGA watches, high-end fashion brands, Coca-Cola, Jaguars, and Tom Ford alongside an Aston Martin.
3. Great Visuals & Environments
This game takes players to many places, including the African desert, London, a Vietnamese villa, isolated Antarctica, and more. These locations look gorgeous and run smoothly on PlayStation 5.
4. Varied Gameplay Mechanics
I can’t get enough of the wide range of interactive mechanics in 007 First Light. I can accomplish missions with gunplay, melee combat, free-hand-to-hand combat, Q gadgets, and throwing stuff. Then there are the destructible environments, which can be shot, hacked, spilled, and used as enemy traps. Every gameplay mechanic feels satisfying and varied.
I’m not a fan of stealth mechanics; I’m more of a frontal and direct fighter. Even so, the stealth takedowns are punchy and beautiful, and mastering stealth lets James Bond use his natural charisma to bluff past guards by building enough Instinct. Bond can casually enter places he’s normally not allowed in. These mechanics are among the most creative features I’ve seen in 007 First Light, and they make gameplay more dynamic while making stealth more creative.
Dig into 007 First Light weakness spot, here is the list:
1. Music
I actually loved how the music throughout the chapters teased notes from the James Bond Main Theme without playing it fully, and finally hearing it at the finale was rewarding, especially with Patrick Gibson's first gun barrel scene. I cheered when this happened, as James Bond earned the 007 number and will return for a sequel. For me, though, this is the only positive part of the 007 First Light music.
Certainly, music is a big part of James Bond titles, including this game. I didn’t like First Light by Lana Del Rey when I heard it in the music video on YouTube, but the excellent opening cinematic of 007 First Light really shows off the composition, and Lana’s song has grown on me since I watched the opening.
That’s it. The rest of the score is subdued, not something I’d listen to casually in a vacuum, but it works well in context with the game. I’m still not impressed, aside from James Bond Main Theme and First Light by Lana Del Rey. In my opinion, the musical score puts too much restraint and not enough oomph, so I didn’t get too chilled each time it happened.
2. Gameplay & Mechanics
I’ve written earlier that the gameplay and mechanics are fabulous; nevertheless, I did find some stiff performance issues: pressing the buttons for Vault, Throw, Duck, Switch On/Off, Aim, and Jump feels a bit too inflexible, and James Bond's response to the input command is sometimes delayed after pressing the buttons.
3. TacSim is Cool, but it feels like an extra that will never be called upon to perform on stage
My take on TacSim is that it has no narrative, no NPC interactions, and generally feels like a hollow battle-training sim, which is technically what it is. Because of that, TacSim makes everything I’m doing feel disconnected from the rest of the narrative. I feel TacSim wastes its potential by emphasizing overly restrictive challenges, requiring constant online connectivity, and lacking the deep, freeform sandbox environments expected of a spy sim. It may be useful to some people for polishing their spycraft, but I’d rather have a fleshed-out story, more missions, and more maps than a TacSim expansion.
VERDICT
Okay, now I’m reaching the end of the article. Honestly, I didn’t expect to write this much, but here we are. Of course, if you have your own thoughts or a different interpretation, you’re absolutely right to tell me, “Nah. I can’t see the same as you do”, or “I agree with most of it, but I think this is how it’d go.” Overall, I like 007 First Light now, and I think it’d be a good long-term investment alongside the game champions I’ve followed for many years. In short, it’s a worthwhile title to follow closely for a long time. 9.6/10.
-FIN-
*Disclaimer: Courtesy of Google Images. The material published on this website is intended solely for general information and reference purposes and is not legal advice or other professional advice.
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