Plot
It’s all on the table for this one. Opens with a literal bang and never lets up. A reboot for the gamers, IO Interactive’s 007: First Light picks up with Bond pre-MI6. The plot doesn’t cover any new ground: a piece of intelligence hardware is up for grabs, and Bond has to chase it down across the globe. What is brand new for a 007 game is picking up with Bond during his shonen training arc. Players get to experience the smooth but tough-as-nails ‘jack of every trade’ that James Bond becomes in the movies. In perfect alignment with its advertising campaign, First Light invites players to #EarnTheNumbers.
Gameplay
Somehow, First Light comes across as one of the smoothest third-person games I’ve played in a long time. The feel is a synthesis of every game before it. Scale, scope, and destructive environments of Uncharted. Traversal and map design of Jedi: Survivor. Streamlined ‘hacking’ with the utility of Cyberpunk 2077 and the diversity of Watchdogs. Scaffolded case building of the Hitman series. Combat that is basic but perfected, animation as slick as the Arkham series. Shoutout to Tom Marcham at IO Interactive, who was deeply inspired by Arkham’s ‘freeflow’ combat system. Stealth was very forgiving in ‘intermediate’ mode; I put several guards to sleep in direct line of sight of their homies and got away scot-free. The game feels good; the appropriate weight is applied to movement, whether it’s parkour across rooftops or drifting an Aston Martin DBS on cobblestone roads. 007: First Light is solid AF. Yes, the game is on rails, but it is open enough to make you feel like you can do anything.
Sound Design
James Bond’s world is all about grounding the extraordinary and making it believable. The soundscape of First Light doesn’t shy away from its source material. Every tech ‘beep’, footfall, and gunshot sounds faithful to its real-life counterpart. It doesn’t break any molds, but that’s what breaks the mold. The consistency and evenness of it all is the thing that stands out. It shouldn’t be surprising, but the cinematic scope of the films is present here in First Light. With everything in its right place, you can’t ask for more than that.
Voice Work
In a game set in Bond’s cheekier mid-twenties, the voice work is pretty darn good. Up front, it looks like no one is earning a BAFTA with these performances; it’s a very laid-back approach to high-stakes situations. But a sudden shift in tone makes players aware that every single performance is up to the task. Add to that the bar is incredibly high to make sure the IP’s legacy isn’t tarnished. In all honesty, there are no standouts because every actor handles their business. Patrick Gibson shines as the seemingly brash James Bond; he holds the line and adds some of his own flair to the mix. Always dope to have actors and characters of color in roles of authority; veteran actors Lennie James as the newly invented mentor Greenway and Priyanga Burford ‘M’ make sure Bond’s recklessness is honed to laser focus. Bond’s classmates in MI6, Cressida (Jessica Rhodes) and Monroe (Chris O’Reilly), round out the core cast and help the most to maintain the player’s immersion.
Visuals
007: First Light is pretty, so very pretty. I played it on a basic PlayStation 5 with no bells and whistles. Graphics hit and deliver all the things that give weight to the world of James Bond. There are tiny moments that feel like glitches, but are really just the technical limits of the game. The immersion levels are so high that a moment where the game shows it’s a game jarred me out of the experience – if only for a second. Light and particle physics are great, and driving at high speeds blurs the periphery with an awesome effect. Even the texture of the clothes can be seen up close. Monroe’s blue crushed velvet tuxedo jacket reacts to light differently from Bond’s grey tweed suit. There’s so much attention to visual detail that it boggles the mind a bit.
Verdict
First Light is easily the best entry in the Bond games since Goldeneye. It ticks all the marks and has enough gas in the tank to push the needle for the IP, and create a steadier video game branch for the franchise. It’s strange to have a game based on an IP now co-owned by Amazon. All kinds of product placement disturb the illusion of immersion, but not enough to take away from some simple, stellar gameplay. Don’t miss out on the chance to jump into a very well-designed and polished game. It’s out on almost every platform and is due to hit the Switch 2 in Q3 of this year.
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