⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Developer (Platform): IO Interactive (PlayStation 5 Pro)
Publisher (Release): IO Interactive (2026)
Length: 15-20 hours
Genres: Adult; Action; Espionage; Adventure; Mystery
❗️Disclaimers❗️:
game contains flashing lights, strobe effects, and moderate violence (surprisingly minimal gore, though)
this review contains low-level spoilers
recommendation: must play
👍 Pros 👍
Cinematic but never at the expense of the gamer’s engagement
Patrick Gibson brings a young, reckless Bond to life with undeniable charm
Stellar mix of stealth, combat, and all the campy spy craft we love from the movies
👎 Cons 👎
Not quite as much freedom as it pretends to have
Some elements, especially driving sections, feel underdeveloped and tacked on
👀 Synopsis & Trailer 👀
After a heroic act, young Naval air crewman Bond is offered the opportunity to join the newly revived Double 0 programme.
But when a mission to stop a rogue agent ends in tragedy, he must join forces with his reluctant mentor Greenway to expose a deep conspiracy and stop a looming coup at the heart of the State.
🛎️ Introduction 🛎️
James Bond has dominated slick espionage action for decades across literary and cinematic mediums, becoming an international British icon that seems to go from strength to strength and sets online discussion aflame whenever a new face is needed to take on the character.
Sadly, Bond’s career in gaming hasn’t been as consistent, ranging from middling to poor. Suffering the curse of many early licensed adaptations, standout hits like GoldenEye 007 and, to an extent, Agent Under Fire struggled to surface in the midst of inconsistent titles fired out for a quick buck.
First Light is the aptly named entry from IO Interactive, combining elements of flexibility from their own Hitman franchise with the bombastic spectacle of the Uncharted series and the espionage patience from the likes of Metal Gear into a cinematic experience ripped right from the movie screen.
🧩 Plots 🧩
First Light kicks off James Bond’s 21st Century origins story with a suitably explosive introduction to a finely named video game. That name, however, hides more than just an origins story. Topical and cutting, First Light tackles the ethical dilemma of today’s technological pivots with artificial intelligence. THEIA, MI6’s quantum-powered AI heralded as the ultimate safeguard for the nation, is a central component in IO’s tale of humanity, warts and all.
It’s simple and effective; when it comes to creation, human hearts are the foundation, not the alternative option.
It’s all fun and games until…
Topical themes of identity aren’t all that First Light hides, with a story that rivals any of the silver screen forays. IO builds a living, breathing world full of secrets to uncover and conspiracies to get lost in. Grand spectacles and moody music decorate each set piece with delicious grandiose to deliver cutting twists and emotional setbacks. I was hooked from the word go, wholly entrenched in a smart script with wickedly worded dialogue.
It’s undeniably simple underneath its glossy surface but that’s not a negative. In fact, it’s in theme, confidently safe, and satisfyingly Bond. It shows a real understanding from the developers of what makes a Bond plot a Bond plot, instilling that passion into the serious and often schlocky camp that forms the backbone of the franchise.
Can’t argue with the view, though
First Light ends as it begins: adrenaline, explosions, and tension. A solid beginning, middle, and end tells a complete story, answering the majority of questions and rounding out its arcs into lessons the characters learn from. Bubbling under the surface is an overarching story with massive conspiratorial juice to set up a new multi-game adventure, and I am here for it.
‘…satisfyingly Bond.’
🎭 Characters 🎭
The search and speculation over who plays James Bond can be a fiery debate online and, while that’s mostly for the movies, I can’t imagine how daunting it would’ve been to step into the role with the expectation of defining a new gaming era of the British Secret Agent updated for the modern age while still remaining faithful to all the quirks that make the character so impactful.
Luckily, Patrick Gibson swaggers in and nails a cocky, charasmatic, reckless iteration of a young James Bond full of idealism and heart. Smart and suave, Gibson delivers Bond’s trademark campy trashtalk with confidence and wit without ever detracting from the drama needed to sell his more emotional sequences.
Ladykiller
Supporting characters fit a wide range of colourful personalities, building a strong collection of connections the story can reliably pull on when it needs them. Well-known faces mix with some newcomers to concoct a talented cast bolstered by a charming and witty script. Villains hit that sweet spot between serious and silly, with distinctive looks and/or personalities to burn them into the player’s mind.
For me, the standout relationship is between Bond and mentor John Greenway (played by Lennie James). John’s jaded disdain for reckless Bond’s main character antics forces both to reconcile their shortcomings, forming an unlikely but endearing friendship forged in the lessons they learn from one another.
Make sure the right people watch your back
If I had any niggles, I would’ve liked to see Bond suffer from the consequences of his actions a mite more. He’s reckless, sure, but First Light rarely portrays him as wrong, impacting his development from youthful wrecking ball into a precision weapon. His heart is worn on his sleeve, balancing the suave calmness of his abilities, but his near infallibility feels like a grating contrast against the character the story is trying to portray.
‘…Patrick Gibson swaggers in and nails a cocky, charasmatic, reckless iteration of a young James Bond…’
👾 Gameplay and Graphics 👾
First Light aims to deliver a third-person amalgamation of genres, mixing action, stealth, and platforming into a smooth and simple cocktail. Hand-to-hand combat is frenetic and crunchy if a little repetitive with a slickly implemented License to Kill state that allows for a basic array of firearms to be utilised to break it up. Both alone and in conjunction wouldn’t be enough, but IO deftly elevate the experience by turning the campy gadgets of the movies into dynamic tools for the player to utilise. Hack, distract, fire off missiles from a pen or a laser from your watch, with enemy AI constantly pushing forward, First Light, when combat is active, keeps itself fluid.
Stealth, on the other hand, promises a ton of freedom but in reality delivers a flexible but funnelled experience. The developer has a rich history with its Hitman series of creating a variety of approaches to a situation, with First Light allowing the player an element of choice as they utilise eavesdropping, use gadgets to reach clues, or employ some enjoyable spy craft to progress. That choice, upon replays, deftly hides a shallow pool of decisions, but, for me, and with how expansive some of the environments are, this is a smart play to keep the flow fluid.
Don’t be suspicious, don’t be suspicious
Set pieces themselves are absolutely gorgeous. Lush and diverse, First Light takes players on a globe trotting adventure full of gritty underbellies, lush savannahs, and snowy heights, balancing its action with some real adventuring. This is further focused on through basic platforming. Bond is no Lara Croft or Nathan Drake, but he’s a capable soldier able to utilise his environment to his advantage, something the developers have finely woven into the gameplay.
These locations would ring hollow without the right soundtrack, and First Light understands that challenge. Bond’s iconic theme is sprinkled throughout, used to mark the character and up the action, while an accompanying array of tracks layer in an atmosphere of suspenseful thrills. Lana Del Ray teams up with legendary Bond composer David Arnold for a signature opening song that tees the player up with as much gusto as any movie.
Consider your next move carefully
First Light, sadly, isn’t without some black sheep. Bosses feel gimmicky, disguises for stealth feel underdeveloped and underutilised, and driving sections, albeit fun, adrenaline-infused action pieces, suffer from restrictive tunnel vision and a forced focus on being cinematic over functional. Difficulty, for the most part, isn’t a problem, but some balancing issues for the standard, intended mode pop up towards the game’s final stretch, feeling unforgiving unless you know exactly what to do.
Replayability fares a bit better. The range of approaches to situations, a robust chapter select to instantly jump back to your favourite parts, and a TacSim mode reminiscint of Metal Gear’s VR missions add hours more fun to the 20+ hour campaign and a promise of support for the longterm from IO Interactive (I’m both excited and bummed by how many additional parts are likely to come given the developer’s history).
‘…a third-person amalgamation of genres…’
🧠 Final Thoughts 🧠
First Light delivers an exceptional origins story of a young, reckless James Bond brought to life with hearty charm by Patrick Gibson in a sleek, action-packed tale of identity, artifical intelligence, and conspiracy that puts many a silver screen outings to shame. IO Interactive leverage their expertise in player freedom to craft a controlled but flexible third-person adventure with stunning setpieces designed to make the most out of their gameplay concoction of stealth, combat, and spycraft.
Some rough spots come from trying to squeeze in as much Bond goodness as possible, but it’s hard to hold it against the game too much. Overall, First Light is a cinematic but engaging action-adventure game that balances player control with bombastic spectacle, proving IO Interactive were very much the right choice to break the pall that has lingered over the franchise’s gaming exploits over the last decade.
So, from at least me, I’d say IO Interactive’s license to continue killing it with instalments is more than granted…just don’t make the experience so bumpy with as many parts as Hitman, please?
The Phoenix Project 