For years we’ve wondered what an entirely fresh take on James Bond from IO Interactive would actually look like. Now we finally have our answer, as 007 First Light launches on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC.
Available for £59.99, with early access coming in via the Deluxe Edition Upgrade also on offer, 007 First Light ditches the familiar older Bond template and instead rewinds the clock completely, introducing players to a younger, rougher and far less polished version of the world’s most famous spy.
At A Glance
- Game: 007 First Light
- Developer: IO Interactive
- Publisher: IO Interactive
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, PC
- Features: Play Anywhere support on Xbox and PC
- Price: £59.99
- Genre: Action Adventure / Espionage Thriller
A Younger Bond Steps Into MI6
Rather than focusing on decades of movie continuity, 007 First Light tells its own standalone origin story.
This Bond isn’t the finished article yet. He’s reckless, talented, occasionally arrogant and still learning what it actually means to carry the 00 designation. After a heroic act as a young Naval air crewman, he’s recruited into a revived Double 0 program – but things spiral quickly when a mission involving a rogue agent goes badly wrong.
That sends Bond and his reluctant mentor Greenway into a conspiracy that threatens the very heart of the British state.
It’s a smart angle for IO Interactive to take. Instead of trying to recreate one specific Bond era, they’ve built space to create their own version of the character from the ground up.
IO Interactive Feels Like The Perfect Fit
And there’s a reason excitement around this game has been building for years.
The Hitman games proved that IO Interactive understands stealth, social infiltration, gadgetry and player freedom better than almost anyone. Those games practically felt like playable Bond films at times, so seeing the studio finally handed the actual 007 licence always made sense.
You can go loud or stay hidden. Use gadgets and distractions. Talk your way through situations. Throw fists if things fall apart. Missions are designed to support different approaches instead of forcing players down one narrow path.
That should give the game plenty of replayability too, especially with mission modifiers and additional MI6 challenges included.
Cars, Gadgets And Global Espionage
It wouldn’t be Bond without globe-trotting locations, absurdly dangerous situations and a few iconic vehicles along the way.
007 First Light promises cinematic missions across a range of international locations, while also introducing the gadgets and tools that will eventually define Bond’s career. And while this is clearly a younger and less experienced agent, the classic Bond DNA still seems firmly intact.
The Deluxe Edition Upgrade adds a few extra cosmetics too, including four outfits, an Agent’s Mark weapon skin and a set of ‘Gleaming’ gadget skins for Bond’s lighter, pen, phone and earphones. Not essential, perhaps, but very Bond.
Bond Returns To Gaming’s Biggest Stage
There’s huge pressure attached to any James Bond game. The history is massive.
From the legendary GoldenEye 007 through to cult favourites like James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing, the franchise has delivered some genuinely iconic gaming moments over the years. We even pulled together our own rundown of the greatest Bond games ever released recently – and 007 First Light already looks like it has every chance of forcing its way into that conversation. We’ll find out in full review very soon.
What matters most though is that this doesn’t feel like a lazy licensed release. This feels like a proper modern Bond game built by a studio that understands exactly why the character works in videogame form.
007 First Light is on the Xbox Store, playable on Xbox Series X|S. Unfortunately it is not on Game Pass at launch, and there is no Xbox Play Anywhere support.
