007 First Light Review

007 First Light is the newest entry in the 007 franchise, the first mainline entry (excluding mobile titles) since 007 Legends released in 2012. 

This game is the latest game developed by IO Interactive, a studio primarily known for the Hitman franchise. One thing is for certain.. IO Interactive absolutely left their mark and changed the trajectory of the 007 franchise forever.

I can best describe 007 First Light as Hitman meets Uncharted. It doesn’t have the sandbox aspect of Hitman giving you free reign of how the main objective is completed, but it does allow the freedom of completing sub-objectives of your choosing to lead you to the main objective. You also have sections where you’re exploring the outside of a building, figuring out a way to get in or platforming over obstacles while searching for cover in a shootout. It gives the best of both worlds and it really leans into Bond’s youth. 

Gameplay:

007 First Light brings the best of both worlds with its stealth and action. You may deal with groups of enemies at a time and planning your next move is the difference between no one detecting you and reinforcements heading your way. Sometimes, action can’t be avoided and you’re in a shootout. I loved the weapon variety from shotguns and assault rifles to SMGs and pistols and they all had a distinct feel to it. Weapons felt different even though they were in the same class. I also love how you need a “License to Kill” in order to kill other enemies.

The way that Bond gets himself out of situations is funny, suave and feels just like him. When you defeat enemies and/or complete objectives, you fill up a meter that allows you to perform specific actions and each action has a cost. If you get caught sneaking around, you can bluff your way out of a situation. You can lure others to you so you can knock them out. You can even fake surrender to give the enemy a false sense of security and then lay it on them.

The combat gets the job done although it does feel a bit trivial at times. There’s visual indicators as to whether you can block an attack or you have to dodge. It felt like the Batman games, but simpler. I did enjoy grabbing items from the environment mid-fight to throw at an enemy as well as grabbing enemies and slamming them into something. 

Where the gameplay truly shines is in the gadgets Bond wields. This is another area where you have free reign to equip your loadout and decide what you value more, depending on your playstyle. You start with the Q Watch which allows you to hack electronics in the environment. Then you'll gain a few more as you further progress in the game. In some situations, you’ll need a way to get around guards that don’t move. The dart phone is great for that, injecting a poison that makes others sick. Maybe you need another weapon at your disposal when you’re short on ammo. The missile pen is clutch for targeting enemies or obstacles in the environment to give you a bit of reprieve.

Story (No Spoilers):

I love that we’re playing as a young James Bond, someone who isn’t established yet in the world of tactical espionage. His journey takes us to some incredible environments from a beautiful resort in Vietnam to a hotel hosting the world chess championships in Slovakia to a R&D facility in Antarctica and they all feel alive in their own way. The cinematic cutscenes at each of these locations captivate you to the edge of your seat.

Along the journey, he finds his own way on becoming 007 with his combination of charm, intuition and courage. The supporting characters in the story play their role extremely well with their own renditions of characters from the James Bond franchise. 

Extras:

The tacsim missions are a great way to figure out what you're made of with constraints placed on you. Some challenges limit your ability to use gadgets. Some challenges, you can only kill enemies via headshots. You gain intel and experience towards a global score that others can see. Yes, it's an online only mode. I do love how this is where we get our creative freedom with dressing James in different attires.

Issues:

The cover system felt clunky. There are times I wanted to move from cover to cover and I'd stand up. Times where I wanted to move around a corner and I'd step out of cover involuntarily. It wasn't as dedicated/thought out as I would've liked for it to be. It would've been cool to customize how we look when we weren't in choreographed cutscenes, but I can understand how it would take away from the immersion of the game.

007 First Light: Final Verdict:

007 First Light is the best way to experience a James Bond game. You can tell IOI put their foot into making it, utilizing everything they learned from the Hitman franchise while still giving 007 First Light its own identity. This could be the beginning of an amazing series of James Bond games.

007 First Light - 9/10 - MUST BUY