007 First Light is drawing strong early praise as a James Bond origin story, with the IO Interactive release called a phenomenal take on how the future 007 becomes a 00 agent.
Patrick Gibson portrays a 26 year old British navy aircrewman at the start of the game, before he enters MI6's newly rebooted 00 program after an explosive prologue tied to Lana Del Rey's song First Light. IO Interactive, best known for Hitman, splits gameplay between spycraft missions built around charm, bluffing, and environmental tricks, and stealth action sequences that reportedly echo Uncharted style set pieces across locations including Malta, Vietnam, and Antarctica.
Players appear to rely heavily on Q gear, including a multifunction Q Watch and a Q Lens for scanning destructible environments, while combat mixes basic hand to hand work with guns and tech. Visually, the Glacier engine is said to deliver detailed character models and large scale chases, fights, and explosions, with audio called a standout element.
Don't let it change you.
That line reportedly comes late in the story as tragic advice to James. Amazon MGM Studios, which now holds the James Bond IP and is positioned to publish future Bond games through Amazon Games, may face fan scrutiny over how closely any follow up heeds that warning.
