First Light isn't the Bond game that I wanted from IO Interactive. But I had a great time with it regardless. IO has proved it was the right studio to handle the license, albeit for different reasons than I expected. Amazon may not have a clue what to do with 007, but letting IO handle the whole shooting match would not be the worst idea.
007 First Light is perhaps the closest a game has ever come to making me feel like I’m starring in a Bond film. IO Interactive takes the stealth sandbox of Hitman, the intense thrills of Uncharted, and experimental spycraft of Batman: Arkham, and reshapes them into a globe-trotting cinematic spy thriller filled with covert missions, explosive action, and cool gadgets. While the immersiveness of the campaign occasionally lags, this stylish origin story still feels like a triumphant return for the most iconic secret agent.
It’s that full Bond immersion that 007 First Light will ultimately be remembered for, more so than the odd wonky setpiece scene. I have no doubt that this was made by excitable Bond geeks throwing “what if” moments at a whiteboard. Very few fans get to play in the sandbox of their obsession like IO has here. As far as Bond video games go, nobody has done it better.
