Review: 007 First Light

There’s a large array of fictional characters depicting government spies, be it the resourceful Jason Bourne, the tactical Sam Fisher or the adaptable Ethan Hunt. With that said, arguably the most iconic fictional spy has to be James Bond.

This character of the British Secret Service from famed spy fiction novelist Ian Fleming is long-running, starting all the way back in the ‘50s with Casino Royale. Ever since, it has produced some of the best action movies of the last sixty years, not to mention a handful of memorable video games such as GoldenEye 007 and Everything or Nothing. With that said, it has been over a decade since we’ve seen a proper 007 game, but finally, IO Interactive, the makers of Hitman and Kane & Lynch, are taking a crack at it, even exploring a younger, more inexperienced Bond with 007 First Light.

An Origin Story

In terms of story, this is a pretty by-the-books 007 overarching plot with James overcoming unforeseen odds all while a villain hides in the shadows for a large majority. The only difference is that James Bond hasn’t earned his 00 status yet. He’s still very much a rookie when it comes to spy craft, at least fieldwork, and even the game starts before he enters the program.

It’s a unique take on the James Bond mythos, being more of an origin story to this current iteration of our beloved hero. The problem is what one would expect from this type of set-up, though. James Bond is a brash, self-centered and childish version that isn’t particularly likable.

It’s primarily how he’s built, as he’s learning to be a spy, but he can be downright vexing at times. That’s not to say he doesn’t learn or grow through this fifteen-hour adventure, as he does mature, but IO Interactive tried the approach of a quick-tongued, quippy hero like Nathan Drake, but cranked up to ten.

A Memorable Supporting Cast

Alongside James is all the familiar faces we’ve come to expect, such as the resourceful Moneypenny, the insufferable, but logical killjoy M, and the man behind the gadgets Q. There’s also James’ mentor, John Greenway, played by Walking Dead actor Lennie James, where the two clash on multiple occasions. And of course, this wouldn’t be a Bond property without a handful of Bond girls, such as Isola Vale, portrayed by Noémie Nakai and Theresa Lorca, portrayed by Raquel Cipriano.

All is to say, despite the overly quippiness of Bond, the entire cast is still very well done and mesh well with one another. Even the villains are well established, even though their henchmen could have used a little bit of extra work. All in all, the story itself will have players hooked and guessing what will happen next.

The Not-So-Hitman Experience

The combat is one of the best components to 007 First Light. There are two different types of game snuck in, one being a more Uncharted approach of high octane, crazy combat scenarios and gunplay, and the other is IO Interactive’s bread and butter of strategic Hitman-esque exploration.

Both are melded together exceptionally, although don’t expect this to be too similar to the latter. While it has Hitman elements, such as alternate ways of achieving a specific goal, it’s limited in its approach. It may be only two or three different paths that can be taken, most of the time just relying too heavily on the gadgetry.

Even then, it’s not like an area is an open sandbox for too much exploration. This is still more of a guided experience with scenarios playing out the same, but how to get to the end might be slightly different. For example, Bond needs to plant a tracker on someone, and while the outcome won’t change, he can either sneak in using the terrain or disguise himself as a Yoga instructor. It’s not overly complicated and gives the illusion of creative freedom despite most options being relatively straightforward.

With that said, there's one negative in this portion of 007 First Light, and it mainly has to do with other characters. James Bond is known for mostly working alone in the field, but when others become involved, they take the experience out of the players’ hands. For example, Greenway is part of a handful of missions but every time he’s involved, he’ll end up just telling Bond what to do. The same can be said with some other characters, but at the very least, especially in the latter portions of the campaign, the player is given the option to decline the aid.

The combat is one of the best components to 007 First Light.

A License to Kill

This leads into the next part: combat. Outside these calmer spy encounters, James gets into a lot of heated situations where his License to Kill comes into play. The combat in 007 First Light is an absolute treat, as gunplay not only feels strategically weighty, having the ability to shoot weapons out of hands or bring enemies to their knees with some well-placed shots, but hand to hand is fluid.

It’s not overly complicated, but it does feel nice performing perfect parries and using the environment around James to his advantage. James won’t always have a License to Kill, especially on civilians or people just doing their job, so stealth and bluffing come into play. Stealth isn’t as in-depth as something like Hitman, as players won’t be hiding bodies, but the introduction of bluffing is a nice touch, allowing Bond to get out of getting caught with little trouble. And the number of excuses he can make up on the spot is surprisingly varied.

Unfortunately, one of the more disappointing parts of 007 First Light is the diving sections. They still have a spectacle to them, but how they control feels sluggish, and sometimes you’ll question what you’re even doing, especially a specific boat chase later in the campaign. Outside one section, none of them are particularly intuitive and feel like they were thrown in because Bond films have some very exciting chase sequences.

Closing Comments:

007 First Light is a fantastic action game that’s not without its share of faults. It has epic, high-octane action sequences, the gunplay is some of the best in the genre, and the hand-to-hand combat and stealth mechanics are fluid. With that said, the puzzle-solving sections of the story do feel either basic or overly linear and having characters tag along sometimes ruins the fun. That’s on top of Bond’s younger character being less likable. Despite our complaints, 007 First Light remains a massive accomplishment and one of the best 007 games to be released, featuring a solid cast of characters and highly engaging scenarios.