007 First Light is channeling the best of the franchise and already has all the makings of a fantastic, cinematic globe-trotting secret agent adventure.
007 First Light looks very much like the James Bond video game that we’ve all been waiting for. It also looks like IO Interactive, steeped in its Hitman pedigree, is the perfect developer for it – and demonstrated that directly to me in a behind-closed-doors preview at Gamescom 2025.
Showing the beginning and end of a mission, 007 First Light has its hooks in me already. From high-octane car chases to huge ‘secret agent versus entire army of baddies‘ combat encounters, and the freedom to approach situations with a whole variety of stealthy gadgets, there’s so much here to get excited about.
It’s all got an incredibly cinematic feel to it, and seems to have Hitman’s distinct DNA running through its veins, but what in particular has me so excited? Let’s dig in and see why it might feel just like playing a Bond movie.Channeling the spirit of Bond
The slice of in-game action I saw was steeped in James Bond film chic, style, and cinematography. The cutscenes, voice work, and acting are all superb and redolent of both the iconic film franchise as well as IO Interactive’s Hitman series. From the latter, there was even a similar-sounding voice-over briefing at the beginning of the mission.
Despite the choice to have a young Bond as our protagonist – the demo showed him still in his training days – it’s clear there are homages to the film series deeply ingrained into 007 First Light. The young Bond has all the smarm, charm, and wit of any of the best Bonds, and the youth of the character tickled the ‘Slow Horses’ itch in me, too.
Features of the fictitious James Bond spy-world are incorporated into gameplay mechanics too (yes, they too are cinematic), such as the license to kill camera, which only appears and lets you shoot enemies if your life is under threat, seemingly removing unprovoked lethal attacks from the game.
