007 First Light delivers a blockbuster Bond origin story packed with
spycraft, stealth and explosive action set pieces

Date:
Tue, 26 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Description:
007 First Light is undeniably cinematic, perfectly immersing you in Ian Flemmings Bond with a high-stakes linear narrative, sleek gadget mechanics
and globe-trotting levels.

FULL STORY ======================================================================It was somewhere between sprinting to capture a flag, evading instructors and shooting moving targets in a Maltese training course during my playthrough of 007 First Light that I realized IO Interactive has managed to make a third person shooter game that truly feels like youre playing a James Bond in a movie. Review info Platform reviewed: PS5 Pro Available on: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC and Nintendo Switch 2 Release date: May 27, 2026, (Nintendo Switch 2 TBC) The sequence plays out like a classic training montage straight out of a Rocky film, quickly switching you from one exercise to the next. One minute youre learning hand-to-hand combat mechanics like parrying and throwing your opponent into walls, the next youre driving around a historical fort looking to set a new record for your fastest lap. That blockbuster energy runs throughout this reboot, which introduces players to a younger version of the spy before he became 007. Meeting Bond as a fresh-faced, 26-year-old Royal Navy air crewman means theres no Daniel Craig or Pierce Brosnan shadow
hanging over him, making this an original take that shows him still learning when to follow orders and when to improvise. Latest Videos From The heart of the matter While it's been done before, this training montage sequence is the most creatively put together I've ever seen. (Image credit: IO Interactive) After washing up on an Icelandic shore as the lone survivor of a helicopter crash, Bond quickly finds himself on an M16 mission without any security clearance or training.

Relying solely on quick reflexes and some Montenegrin he picked up during
past travels, it doesnt take long before hes recruited into M16 and thrown into a conspiracy involving rogue agents, buried secrets and, as is now a permanent plot device of various action movies of the 21st century (think Minority Report crossed with Mission Impossible The Final Reckoning ), dangerous experimental technology.

Patrick Gibsons version of Bond is cocky, impulsive and occasionally "a bit
of a b***end", as Moneypenny, voiced by Kiera Lester, puts it at one poin. I can't say I don't agree with her, either, after hearing all those repetitive smart ass quips about how enemies take their tea while you lob cups and saucers at them during tense combat sequences it's more eye-roll inducing than funny.

Often the immaturity works in the games favour, though, as this is Bond
before the polished charm and cold professionalism fully set in. After all, Bond is more than just a generic run-and-gun action hero and this is where
IO Interactives expertise in stealth action games comes in. Get daily
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Much of the game revolves around learning new ways to stealthily approach situations, from disguising yourself as valet to infiltrate a world chess championship competition to pickpocketing an invitation to get into an exclusive gala in Kensington.

These more open world sections of the game allow for the most experimentation outside of the cutscenes and platforming that features throughout the game, creating an undeniable rhythm.

Missions often begin back at M16 with a briefing from Moneypenny before sending Bond downstairs to the brilliant Q (whos voiced by Alastair
Mackenzie) to field test some new gadgets. From there, youre deployed into luxury hotels, hostile compounds, crowded marketplaces and snowy mountains, where you almost always manage to devise a cunning escape worthy of an IMAX screen. A matter of considerable delicacy Every Bond needs a villain, or two... or three... (Image credit: IO Interactive) Lets get one thing out of the way, the stealth sandbox gameplay isnt quite as open-ended or realistic
as IO Interactive's Hitman series. Instead, its more of a stripped back version of the studio's gaming DNA.

The core suite of mechanics are here, though, letting you quietly infiltrate guarded areas in several different ways by either bluffing out of conversations or creating distractions to reach your objective unnoticed.

Just dont expect the same unforgiving realism, where if you look or do something suspicious youll immediately trigger the NPCs to be cautious of
you, stopping you from progressing and making you restart the level. 007
First Light is much more forgiving even letting you take down enemies in the same room without others reacting (more on this later).

Thats not say that you dont have the same varied gameplay, though. The standout mission for me was in Mauritania, where Bond infiltrates a dusty shipping graveyard settlement built around the wreckage of a giant cargo ship in the Sahara Desert. In order to enter a criminal auction, you first need to raise enough money through underground brawls, shooting contests and other side activities scattered around a dense marketplace.

Its one of the missions where the game fully embraces player freedom, and it feels closest to IO Interactives work with Hitman as you don't have to complete every side mission available to progress to the next section, making the level varied enough for multiple playthroughs on different difficulties. Best bit My favorite part of 007 First Light was an unassuming moment during an action sequence where I was battling mercenaries while trying to escape a building. After flanking two hostile henchmen, I swiftly shot a red fuel canister clearing the path ahead of me to escape with a confidence that only
a truly lethal secret agent could have. In true Bond fashion, gadgets also play a big role. From hacking electronics to disabling lights with your Omega watch, there's a variety of spy tools that you can access through a gadget wheel reminiscent of Batman: Arkham. These mechanics are crucial to the stealth sections of the game, allowing you to create distractions and
progress through locked down buildings.

Punctuating every stealth mission are enormous set pieces very clearly inspired by Naughty Dog's Uncharted series of adventure games that see you evading a sniper's fire while running across rooftops, jumping onto airplanes and car chases that feel ripped straight from a Bond finale. There's even
that signature platforming and few puzzles thrown in for good measure.
Against the odds Please let me drive the Aston Martin Valhalla more next
time, IO Interactive. (Image credit: IO Interactive) At times, though, the game's cinematic action pieces can break that sense of immersion with bugs pre-emptively triggering a cutscene that suddenly repositions Bond to a place he was otherwise nowhere near a moment ago. During one sequence, the game forced Bond onto a mobile staircase because a cutscene had been triggered, despite me being in the middle of a shootout on the other side of the tarmac.

The stealth areas occasionally interrupted the realism, too. For instance, when I was given a 'license to kill', which is the game's shoot-em-up mode, I would abandon stealth entirely to fight my way through, bashing enemies into nearby walls and tables, only for nearby NPCs to seemingly ignore the chaos unfolding in the room they're closely guarding.

While I can fully appreciate the certain restrictions IO Interactive has made to make you play the game in a certain way, I can't help but feel slightly cheated by the driving mechanic. It felt tacked on because of the spy franchise's iconic vehicles and not nearly as dynamic as it could've been this might very well all be stemming from my frustrations around not being able to drive the Aston Martin Valhalla more than two-feet though, so take it with a pinch of salt as I had been excited to get behind the wheel ever since catching a glimpse of it in M16 headquarters.

Thankfully, these frustrations rarely outweigh the sheer expansiveness of
what IO Interactive has created here. 007First Light brings to life what
makes Bond so thrilling beyond the explosions, weaving together a multi-layered espionage plot, sophisticated spy toys and stunning locations that you don't want to leave.

While it's stealth gameplay isn't quite as polished as Hitman and its cinematic pacing occasionally cuts through the spell, it's easy to see past. IO Interactive has delivered the most immersive Bond game in years. Should I play 007 First Light? I can still hear Sampha's '(No One Knows Me) Like The Piano' since finishing 007 First Light. (Image credit: IO Interactive) Play
it if... You love big campaigns Expect cinematic action sequences similar to Uncharted threading together a linear narrative that's as multilayered as a Bond movie. You want to feel like Bond Forget drinking martinis, 007 First Light lets you experience nearly every facet of what being Bond entails with
a hyper-competence you can dream of. You love 007's spycraft Similar to Batman: Arkham 's gadget mechanics , 007 First Light brings to life a variety of classic 007 spy tools from the movies. Don't play it if... You're
expecting the exact same gameplay as Hitman IO Interactive has stripped back some of the stealth sandbox mastery from Hitman to create a more streamlined tactical experience. You can't stand a lot of cutscenes 007 First Light blurs the line of playing a game and watching a movie, with lengthy set pieces that you won't want to skip. Accessibility Well, this is a bit different a baby Bond that doesn't have a signature drink. (Image credit: IO Interactive) 007 First Light has most of the usual controls and accessibility features you'd find on a AAA game, including subtitles, adjustable difficulty settings,
which you can change anytime throughout, tutorials, as well as motion and sensitivity controls.

Because the game is so linear, you don't have a map to help guide you through the more sandbox-style levels but that doesn't matter too much as it allows for experimentation to occur. How I reviewed 007 First Light Alright then, let's see if there's another way I can raise $100,000. (Image credit: IO Interactive) I played 007 First Light for just under 20 hours on a
PlayStation 5 Pro hooked up to a Sky Glass TV and Sonos sound system made up of two speakers, a soundbar and subwoofer.

I completed the story during that time, and even replayed a couple of
sections to test out the variations that could occur depending on the way I played the game. However, I did not unlock everything, so I'm sure there's plenty more worth exploring. 007 First Light: Price Comparison No price information Check Amazon We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices powered by



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