007 First Light Is The Brutal, Brawling Bond Origin Story I Crave
Forget the suave super-spy. IO Interactive is taking us back to the beginning, to a James Bond who's yet to earn his number, his swagger, or his license to kill.
The big question has always been whether the studio that perfected the silent, stoic Agent 47 could possibly create a game worthy of the charismatic, explosive James Bond. After the gameplay reveal at the State of Play showcase, we finally have our answer: a resounding yes. This isn't just a Hitman reskin; it's an interactive Bond film in the making.
A Spy in Training
This is an origin story, plain and simple. We’re in control of a 26-year-old James Bond, played by Patrick Gibson, a rookie agent who is more witty and optimistic than the stone-cold killer we know.
The mission shown drops us in the stunning mountains of Slovakia, but Bond isn't the star agent. He’s the chauffeur, tasked with parking a Jaguar at a lavish castle hotel while his MI6 superiors handle the real spy work. Naturally, the moment he spots a shady hotel employee tossing a suitcase over a wall, his orders go out the window.
More Than One Way to Break In
Here is where IO Interactive’s mastery of the sandbox puzzle shines. Bond needs to get inside the heavily guarded hotel, and the game offers a delicious platter of options.
You can create a simple distraction by turning on a garden hose, or go for something noisier by lighting a pile of leaves on fire to draw guards away from their posts. You can even get physical and scale a rickety drainpipe to an open window, bypassing the problem entirely.
The creativity continues inside. Bond can use a slingshot to create audio distractions or even bluff his way past security by posing as a "penetration tester" hired to check the systems; a perfectly excuse. When things get up close it’s all about improvisation, like wrapping a billiard ball in a cloth to use as a makeshift weapon.
When The Gloves Come Off
But this isn't just a stealth game. When diplomacy fails, Bond is more than capable of throwing a punch. The game encourages improvisation, showing Bond wrapping a billiard ball in a cloth to use as a makeshift weapon in a brawl.
This design philosophy is built around a "fitting level of resistance." Bond can only escalate his response based on the threat he's facing. But as the developers themselves put it, "When the enemy shoots at you it's on. Guns blazing, gloves are off".
This philosophy was on full display in the back half of the reveal. A cinematic car chase through the mountains gives way to a full-blown firefight at an airfield, which then escalates into a fistfight on the wing of a moving cargo plane. The entire sequence ends with the plane breaking apart, forcing Bond into a mid-air struggle to steal a parachute from a mercenary in freefall. It’s pure, uncut blockbuster action.
An Interactive Blockbuster
IO Interactive is proving they can do more than just build intricate sandbox levels. They're weaving them into a larger, scripted, and explosive cinematic experience that feels like a genuine Bond film.
The studio is aiming for a substantial campaign, and if the quality of this first mission is anything to go by, we're in for a hell of a ride. It’s shaping up to be a definitive, triple-A Bond experience that gives us both the cunning spy and the explosive action hero. Mark your calendars, because March 27, 2026, can't come soon enough.
Want more? Just read our interview with Franchise Art Director Rasmus Poulsen to find out how they’re building a Bond for a new generation, from the ground up.