Originally published more than 70 years ago, James Bond as a character has been reinterpreted again and again, but recent media has struggled with the question of whether the violent, womanising, alcoholic government assassin could possibly be made relevant to our current times without being unrecognisably revised.
It remains to be seen if current series steward Amazon MGM can pull it off on the big screen but, in the meantime, Danish game studio IO Interactive has put out a masterclass of reinvention. Not only is this the best James Bond video game in decades, it’s the best 007 anything in decades, showing that a fresh perspective, some creativity and a deep appreciation for the franchise can work wonders. Bond is more than the sum of his most cruel, adolescent and problematic behaviours, and here we see the loyalty, principles and tenacity of the character pitted against a very 21st century villain; militarised ChatGPT.
First Light opens with Bond, a naval aircrewman in his 20s, defying the odds to foil a terrorist plot targeting a highly classified object. Despite displaying a clear disregard for orders that conflict with his personal values, he’s recruited by MI6 as a candidate for its revitalised 00 program, which had previously been shuttered after the British government adopted a quantum AI tool that replaced the need for most hands-on espionage.
Framing Bond as the vital human component or gut feel, in comparison to the cold reasoning of machines or bureaucrats, is hardly new territory for 007, but it’s well executed. Having Bond be the younger man fighting against a corrupt techno-establishment, rather than an old man complaining about progress, is key here and lets the entire setup ring more true.
And getting to know the super-spy as he’s learning the ropes allows the story to get off on a charming “college days” note that wouldn’t be possible with a more experienced and cynical Bond. Early missions see James finding a trusted friend group at spy school, before his life takes a turn when a decades-old conflict between former 00 agents returns explosively to the present. The game takes no time setting up the core mysteries — how trustworthy is the AI and its billionaire creator, what really happened to the 00s — but the answers are satisfying when they arrive, with surprisingly personal character moments, fancifully over-the-top evil schemes, and scarily close-to-reality AI danger scenarios.
The game’s cohesively presented as a modernised take on James Bond cinema, complete with a pitch-perfect opening theme performed by Lana Del Rey, plenty of gorgeous establishing shots, many opulent settings and some great character performances. Irish actor Patrick Gibson makes an excellent young Bond, selling the earnest bravery at the heart of the character, guarding insecurities with humour and callousness, and occasionally betraying how much he has yet to learn. Other highlight performances come from familiar British faces – Lennie James as Bond’s mentor Greenway, and Priyanga Burford as M, though Gemma Chan feels underutilised as a Q underling and Lenny Kravitz has a bizarre extended cameo as a pirate king.
In terms of play, the game is essentially split in two between sneaky subterfuge and fast-paced action. Fans of IO’s Hitman games will recognise a lot of shared DNA in the former, as the half-dozen or so major levels offer open-ended objectives and systems-based exploration, letting you feel like a spy as you eavesdrop for information, manipulate key figures, and decide the best way to proceed. For getting into a restricted location at a black tie gala, you might hear about a security guard that didn’t show up, and bluff your way into finding a work roster that gives you their name. But you might also find a huffy PR officer waiting for a journalist she needs to escort past the guards, and decide to attempt an impersonation. Pulling at either thread will get you there.
Of course Bond has other tools at his disposal than just his charm. Thanks to a clever system that links his Q-watch with smart contact lenses, he can spot people through walls, hack basically anything to cause distractions, shoot a laser to temporarily blind targets, and much more, all managed by an inventory of “instinct” (points you earn by doing cool stuff, which you also spend to bluff), and resources you collect from around the levels. So if you can’t be bothered socially engineering your way to a goal, you can often just shoot a guard with a nausea-inducing dart and run through.
Bond isn’t purely Hitman’s Agent 47 with hair, though. He’s committed to never using lethal force unless it’s threatened against him, so you won’t be garroting maids and stuffing them into dressers. Security guards can be dealt with using non-lethal force, but you’re almost always better off staying hidden unless you can contain the whole area. There’s also a different vibe throughout, compared to the Hitman games, as Bond makes witty remarks constantly as he chats with other agents through his earpiece, and he’s closer to Nathan Drake or Lara Croft in his ability to climb, jump and scale.
Once the guns are out, gameplay steps into an entirely different gear. Bond automatically snaps to cover and needs to advance while picking up weapons along the way, ventilating bad guys and staying out of the line of fire. There remains a strong element of cinematic style — Bond can kick a firearm off the floor and into his hands at a sprint, and you can integrate gadgets into the fight, with Bond even firing watch weapons backwards over his shoulder if the need arises — but it’s a much faster game with an emphasis on shooting accuracy and tactical positioning rather than consideration and puzzle-solving.
In between these two formats you’ll periodically receive briefings at MI6 HQ, or play through set-pieces and minigames that include vehicle chases and dialogue choice negotiations. There’s a lot of variation within levels too, with an overarching goal or restriction usually modifying the exploration and espionage.
With all of the various styles and inspirations, a game like this could easily have become muddled or overstuffed, but IO’s biggest success is that it knew exactly how much of each ingredient to add. It doesn’t lean too hard into the disguises and assassinations of Hitman, and it doesn’t feel beholden to including golden guns and Monty Norman stings at every corner. In fact, while the musical score is wonderful, it reserves references to iconic themes for only a small handful of big moments, helping the impression of a Bond in progress, rather than a seasoned and familiar 007.
The only complaints I really have with the game are occasionally frustrating results of some of the otherwise solid design decisions. There are scenes where you need to do a specific action or react to others in a certain way, and doing it wrong fails the mission. There are only a handful of examples, but the long loading screen and need to sit through the set-up again really messes with the flow. The other niggle is with the hand-to-hand combat, which relies on watching for yellow flashes (you need to block) and red flashes (you need to dodge). This can be satisfying when you’re fighting one or two assailants, but if you annoy a whole bunch of them and weapons aren’t active, it becomes an annoying slog you’ll likely fail.
All things considered, this is a stellar 15-hour James Bond story, which devotees can extend by playing through again with different choices or taking on the extensive combat simulator mode. IO has done the improbable by making this outdated character relevant and likeable while still recognisably being 007, and now I’m much more excited for the potential continuation of this game series than I am for the next major movie.
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Tim Biggs is a writer covering consumer technology, gadgets and video games.Connect via X or email.
