007 First Light review

2026 Editor's Choice Award Winner

With the success of IO Interactive’s Hitman series in recent years, news that they would take on the next phase of 007’s digital adventures made waves. They clearly excelled in making environments with multiple ways to problem solve, and the gadgetry and debonair attitude play right into that. First Light, it turns out, couldn’t have been better chosen by M herself.

We'll get to experience Bond as an agent-in-training

Ian Fleming’s James Bond, the suave British gentleman spy, has appeared in a slew of novels, comics, movies, and games. First Light is the spy’s origin story, recounting his first encounter with MI6 as an airman, his recruitment and training into the Double-O program, and his first few missions in His Majesty’s Secret Service.

The Double-O program, shuttered nearly a decade ago, was revived when M took her position as the Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service. John Greenway, agent-turned-desk-jockey, is called back into service to train Bond and his class in the ways of espionage. When a field mission goes awry, Bond and his team uncover a heinous plot that lights the fuse on another grand adventure and the birth of the legend we know today.

There are familiar faces everywhere

First Light hits all the hallmarks we’d expect from a Bond property: cool gadgets, exciting firefights, seat-of-your-pants car chases, memorable villains, trysts with beautiful women, exotic locations, intrigue, and more. There isn’t a moment that feels wasted in the ~15-hour campaign. It all oozes charm and excitement in the best ways. Unlike the Hitman games, missions are tied together with interludes that set up the next mission. These, in turn, transition seamlessly into Bond and his team on the ground in the new location, beginning said mission. It’s cinematic in a way that feels wholly like a James Bond film.

Patrick Gibson (Dexter: Original Sin, Shadow & Bone) brings the young Bond to life in a way that maintains the spy’s personality while presenting him as a relatable, believable character. We’re given the opportunity to experience and learn what transpired to mold our favorite spy into the legendary operative we’re familiar with. John Greenway (Lennie James), his mentor, starts as a hard, cold trainer and slowly develops respect for the young spitfire. Each character feels well-considered, and it’s clear the actors cared to bring the best they had. I could legitimately see this entire cast in a fantastic Hollywood film.

For all the work the crew has done to portray their characters, it should be noted that none of it would be brought to life without the efforts of IOI, who’ve crafted not only a great Bond narrative but an incredible game, too.

You can solve problems without resorting to violence, if you want

Throughout the game, there are several ways you’ll interact with young James. Mr. Bond is a soldier, of course, so you can expect to handle a variety of weapons as you fight the army of villains in your way. Gunplay feels great, but it was built with limited ammunition in mind. You’ll either have to become good at in-the-field acquisition or learn to close the gap, opting instead for hand-to-hand combat that feels similar to the Arkham games. You’ll punch, kick, shoulder ram, and throw bad guys around as you dodge their strikes and grapples. I appreciate that IOI built the game for fantastic action sequences, giving you a dramatic variety of finishers with no extra effort. It makes the game feel more like the action scenes in a Bond film.

While the game’s combat feels fantastic, James excels at problem-solving without the need to inflict violence. He can eavesdrop on folks to build a case for the best approach and, using the Q Watch provided by MI6, he’s able to hack electronics to distract people. Want the barista to walk away? Use your watch to turn on the nearby radio or overload the AC unit. He can use engineered earpods that nauseate and disorient, giving him precious moments to hijack that keycard or slip through a door unnoticed. You can use the laser band to break chain locks or fry surveillance cameras. The Hitman DNA is evident, and it’s the whole reason people were so excited to see IOI handle Bond. Thankfully, the team understood what they were doing, and the game feels perfect.

First Light has some fantastic car chase sequences

To aid him in the field, Q and his team of engineers have created a healthy variety of gadgetry for Bond and the other MI6 agents: a watch strap that can fire a laser, smoke grenades, flash grenades, an ink pen that can fire missiles, and more. You’ll get to see even more throughout the game.

Finally, what would a Bond movie be without high-speed chase scenes? Bond will get behind the wheel of several rides along the way, each offering something unique. Whether you’re trying to run down a suspect or escape an army of henchmen, they never cease to satisfy.

Completionists will want to keep their eyes peeled as they explore the world, too. First Light features collectibles scattered across the landscape. It’s fun to grab a new postcard or playing card you hadn’t seen before. (And the card suits are fun. Who’d have thought of Acorns as a playing card suit before?)

Firefights are ALWAYS an optioon

Beyond the campaign, you can jump into First Light’s Tactical Simulation mode. Much like Hitman’s bonus missions and elusive targets, First Light’s TACSIM mode offers some additional scenarios to enjoy. As its own mode, you’ll start off with a Clearance Level of 1. When you complete missions and objectives, you’ll earn experience and intel to boost your clearance level, letting you get more weapons, gadgets, and outfits.

TACSIM has two types of missions: Escalations and Operations. Escalation missions will increase in difficulty as you progress, where Operations give you a set scenario to complete. Each mission has multiple challenges to keep things interesting, though they are required for completion. One of the first operations, for example, requires you to disarm two enemies by shooting the guns from their hands. It’s cool to see post-game missions I know I’ll want to go back to, and IOI has already said more will be released after launch, much like Hitman’s bonus missions.

What is James Bond without beautiful women to pursue?

Visually, First Light is gorgeous. Character models are photorealistic and, though a few models are reused throughout the game, nothing ever struck me as boring or stale. Like a Bond film, locations are fun and exciting. From cities to jungle villas to rusted-out desert shipyards and more, everything makes me feel driven to see what’s next.

There’s just one thing I want to make a note of from the visual aspect, because it’s become a bit of a point of contention in recent years. First Light subscribes to the yellow paint school of navigation. This is a way devs can quickly give players a visual suggestion for where to go. From walkways to narrow ledges and beyond, Bond will always seem to find himself following a bit of a golden road. I personally found it helpful, though it’s hard not to see the slight handholding when you become aware of it. I don’t personally mind it; I appreciate the environmental assistance, so I don’t spin my wheels when there’s plenty of action they’re driving me toward.

From cities to jungles to industrial complexes, environmental variety abounds

While it’s something I believe will be quickly patched, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention some technical hiccups I experienced. Playing on an RTX 2080 on PC, which is a little on the low end of the spec sheet for First Light, I was able to run the game at 1080/60 with DLSS without much issue. On occasion, however, I could see the game lose access to about a gigabyte of VRAM, and the framerate would dip to single digits. This often happened when I came out of a menu. Killing the game and firing it back up would resolve the problem, but in my 15 or so hours with the game, I probably had to do this a dozen times. Apart from that, I didn’t have any technical issues with the game. I think I saw enemies get stuck in pathing once or twice, but things were otherwise completely clear sailing.

First Light has memorable villains

007 First Light is a top-tier game both Bond fans and stealth action gamers will love. IOI has proven they can deliver a phenomenal game with on-screen performances worthy of Hollywood. First Light has excellent writing with fun twists, great characters, memorable villains, exciting chase sequences, intriguing gadgets, and interesting locations - all the hallmarks of a good spy thriller. I’m excited to see one of my favorite franchises in the hands of a studio that loves it as much as I do. 007 First Light is worthy of the Bond legacy and easily one of the best games of the year.

Review Guidelines

95

007 First Light

Excellent

007 First Light is a top-tier game both Bond fans and stealth action gamers will love. It has all the hallmarks of a great Bond film with some of the best stealth action gameplay in the industry. I’m excited to see one of my favorite franchises in the hands of a studio that loves it as much as I do. 007 First Light is worthy of the Bond legacy and easily one of the best games of the year.

Pros

• Fantastic story with excellent characters
• Plenty of ways to tackle situations
• Stealth, gunplay, and chase scenes are exhilarating,
• TACSIM will keep you engaged long after the credits roll

Cons

• Occasional technical hiccups on lower-end hardware

This review is based on an early PC copy provided by the publisher. 007 First Light comes out on May 27, 2026.