About 007 First Light
Marking the grand return of the James Bond franchise to video games, 007 First Light is the latest release from IO Interactive, the Danish studio behind the Hitman series.
With 1.5 million copies sold in 24 hours, the game is a resounding success for the Danish studio. For the first time in a very long while—some might say since Goldeneye on the Nintendo 64—we have a James Bond game of exceptional quality. A true interactive movie, 007 First Light marks the gaming renaissance of Ian Fleming’s legendary character, and it’s a feast for the eyes and ears for hours on end, set across England, Vietnam, and Slovakia.
To breathe new life into the franchise, the creators have focused on a James Bond at the dawn of his career as a secret agent, with all the sacrifices and feats that entail. Portrayed with incredible accuracy by Patrick Gibson (Dexter: Original Sin, The OA…), we meet a charming, hot-headed young man who’s not one to obey the rules. While we won't reveal the key events of this adventure, just keep in mind that it's a completely original story set against a backdrop of artificial intelligence, manipulation, and conspiracy. A classic, but one that remains compelling thanks to its twists and turns.
During a mission that doesn’t go as planned, a young soldier named James Bond displays great bravery and catches the attention of MI6. Recruited as an agent by MI6, Bond goes on to build his legend within the famous British secret service. 007 First Light can be played by being as stealthy as a ninja or by charging straight into the enemy.
007 First Light features a wide array of characters, starting with the iconic M and Q. As you’d expect, the game blends action, exploration, infiltration, puzzles, and car chases, and it’s never short on gadgets. Worn on the hero’s wrist, the Q-Watch is the essential accessory for bypassing security systems and creating diversions. 007 can fire a laser beam to break a padlock, jam electronic devices, or temporarily blind an enemy. The same goes for the dart phone (which lives up to its name), the shockwave camera, the flash mine, the smoke grenades, and even the missile pen.
Why Should I Play 007 First Light?
007 First Light is a third-person 3D action-adventure game that offers complete freedom of movement and action in environments designed to be explored from every angle. Far from the linear paths found in many action games, each environment holds its own secrets—documents to steal, conversations to eavesdrop on, and hidden passages to discover. Before charging headlong, it’s best to take the time to observe, listen, and map out the area. This approach is directly inherited from the Hitman series and fits perfectly with the spirit of a James Bond game.
One of the game's unique features is the main character, who is still learning the ropes and is forbidden—except in cases of extreme emergency—from using lethal weapons. As a result, the gameplay relies heavily on stealth, using gadgets, and analyzing the environment and enemy movements. The writers decided to portray a protagonist who struggles greatly with order, authority, and, more generally, rules. The entire first part highlights this trait, and the young James Bond sometimes finds himself in situations he has brought upon himself. For several hours, 007 First Light doesn’t shy away from showing the young Bond’s rise to prominence, particularly during his training in Malta with the British Secret Service. The adventure unfolds as if you were watching a brand-new, unreleased film from the 007 saga.
While the game evokes Nathan Drake’s glory days in the Uncharted series, it’s clear that the Danish studio IO Interactive drew inspiration from the Hitman series to design the gameplay of 007 First Light. As a result, the game emphasizes a high degree of freedom in approach—a game design philosophy that goes far beyond what most competing games offer—and a remarkable ability to refresh gameplay situations in spectacular ways. It presents objectives that can be tackled in multiple ways, much like Hitman: infiltration, direct action, or a middle ground combining improvisation and contextual opportunities—it’s all there. You can choose to steal a badge by distracting a guard to get through a security checkpoint or opt for various distractions—setting fire to leaves in a wheelbarrow, triggering a sprinkler system, or turning on a radio or a vacuum cleaner.
Spying is also part of the adventure and plays an integral role in the experience. You’re invited to eavesdrop on conversations, steal credentials, uncover various clues, and analyze your surroundings to accomplish your objectives. All of this unfolds naturally, and exploring the different situations is absolutely thrilling. Of course, all the gadgets from the Bond universe are included: special lenses, the famous watch capable of hacking all kinds of devices, and even a device that induces nausea in those it touches. The driving sequences—already present in the older Bond games from the PS2, GameCube, and Xbox eras—are back to offer even more variety.
Over the course of about 20 hours, the main story delivers an incredible spectacle worthy of a true spy movie. It leaves you wanting more. Important note: 007 First Light is a single-player-only experience with no multiplayer component. That hasn’t stopped the game from winning over audiences. In just 24 hours, the game sold 1.5 million copies.
Is 007 First Light Free-to-play?
The result of many years of development, 007 First Light is what you might call a blockbuster. Although it was released before the summer of 2026, it remains one of the most spectacular titles of recent months. For these reasons, it is a paid game that meets the commercial standards of all major video game titles. The good news is that it’s available on PC and gaming consoles.
Where Can I Download 007 First Light?
007 First Light is available on Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, with a Nintendo Switch 2 version scheduled for release in the summer of 2026. On a Windows PC, you’ll want a fairly recent system to fully enjoy the game’s stunning visuals.
What Games Should I Play If I Enjoy XXX?
When it comes to infiltration, the spiritual sibling of 007 First Light really knows its stuff. Developed by IO Interactive, Hitman: World of Assassination is the culmination of Agent 47’s spectacular and lethal career. Offering dozens of hours of gameplay, the game drops players into gigantic environments with multiple objectives to achieve. Each mission offers a multitude of possible approaches: stealing a uniform, manipulating an NPC, triggering an accident, or simply storming in. Any means necessary to complete the various missions, especially since they sometimes take place in idyllic locations. A surefire hit, more challenging than 007 First Light, but just as addictive.
Next up is one of the direct inspirations for 007 First Light: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. An absolute masterpiece from Naughty Dog, this game stands as one of the gold standards for cinematic action. Nathan Drake, a retired treasure hunter, is forced to return to the fray when his brother reappears. From the lush landscapes of Madagascar to the narrow streets of Scotland and the ruins of a sunken city, the game delivers one memorable sequence after another with incredible pacing and spectacle. The absolutely masterful direction is backed by writing worthy of the best Hollywood productions. A real knockout.
Who would have bet on MachineGames—the creators of Wolfenstein—to deliver one of the best video game adaptations of a movie franchise? There were plenty of concerns, but those were put to rest as the trailers were released. With Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, the studio has managed to pay tribute to the famous archaeologist in the most beautiful way possible. With its first-person camera, the adventure takes us from Rome to the pyramids of Egypt via Thai temples, on a wild quest combining exploration, combat, and puzzle-solving. The iconic whip is back. When it comes to authenticity, we’ve seen much worse.
