My picks for modern, state of the art triple-A games are scarce lately, because no one can seem to make games like The Saboteur, Singularity, or Mad Max anymore, but I’ve picked a few “safe” winners this decade. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Mafia: The Old Country, and now 007: First Light have all kept the feeling of newness and scope even when they don’t necessarily deliver on innovation.
Created by IO Studios, famous for the Hitman games I’ve been meaning to play, and with full license to entertain from intellectual property assimilators Amazon/MGM, this game is a brilliant relaunch of the character for modern times, with James Bond being thrown into the 00 program after an opening sequence. The tutorial is a brilliant montage of that training, teaching players the controls while taking them through the rigors of the new spy's journey.
Parts of the game require stealth, and parts are all "License to Kill", and others let the players choose how to proceed. A new stealth tool I had not seen before is the ability to bluff one's way past some low-level people like housekeepers when traversing areas one is not welcome. It was really interesting, but honestly I did not use it too often.
Of course there are gadgets, all linked to James' watch. Some can activate electrical devices as distractions or explosions, one shoots darts that make people temporarily sick, so they wander away to hurl in a nearby trashcan. There are a lot of options with the gadget use and it's fun to try things out as one progresses.
Gameplay is smooth and crisp, the few boss fights are reasonable, and there’s a lot to enjoy here, storywise. Bond’s journey from cocky airman to cocky secret agent is handled so well, and there’s are enough locations for three Bond movies.
The only story beat that threw me off was MI6 being conned by a corporate AI salesman and under threat of budget cuts. I like my James Bonds to be fully supported by the crown for King and Country’s sake. Luckily, classic characters Moneypenny and Q keep their charms.
There is not much I can add that professional game reviewers haven’t already covered, so all I can offer is my middle-aged perspective. James Bond is a beloved movie and video game character who has rarely been seen better than 007 First Light, and IO studios has shown a care and crafting of the character that proves their appreciation for all of it. I look forward to more.
