I finished 007 First Light a week or so ago. I even tried to obtain the platinum trophy for it (I failed due to a bug with collectibles). However, I kept forgetting to write my thoughts on it for a handful of reasons.
The first reason was that it had an air of familiarity in style and presentation from a bygone era. I felt like was replaying an Uncharted title. The second was a testament to how well they captured the feeling of playing a movie or limited run series depicting 007’s early years. I don’t normally write reviews of movies or TV shows.
I liked it because I liked the Uncharted games and because IO Interactive poured a lot of love into the 007 vibe.
IO Interactive was roasted the last time they treaded down the path of action adventure gaming with Hitman: Absolution. Fairly or unfairly? I didn’t play it so I cannot say, but I would be remiss if I didn’t say I felt a tinge of concern for them. These great developers were not known for that kind of game. They rebuilt their reputation in recent years by putting installment after installment of well regarded Hitman content. They were the kings of the stealth sandbox.
A reskinned Hitman game could have worked for Hitman fans. As someone who respects those games from a far, I think I would have been fine with that approach as well. I don’t know if would have resonated so well with fans of 007 at large though. James Bond isn’t too fussed about hiding bodies or that into disguises. Stealth was — for the most part — a viable option throughout the game, but it wasn’t necessary. I would argue it wasn’t even highly encouraged.
A surprisingly robust melee combat system was put in place so that Bond could punch his way out of most situations. Q developed gadgets played roles in both the stealthy and melee approach as well. Bond can and was regularly given license to kill. Third person shoot mechanics were up to snuff. I actually liked the idea that Bond couldn’t just carry reams of ammo and had to make due with what was available around him.
I found all the voice actors and character performances to be excellent. The casting choices for Bond and all the supporting cast were top notch. My desire for a sequel isn’t to see what else IO Interactive could do in the gameplay department; it’s to see these depictions of Bond, M, Moneypenny and Q go on another adventure together.
007 First Light may have been familiar from a gameplay department, but 007 hasn’t been this lavishly treated in decades. However the sequel manifests, I hope this great momentum is maintained.
Verdict:
I like it
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