Weeks ago, I was listening to the new album by Norwegian progressive death metal outfit, Defect Designer. On it, there’s a song called “Carte Blanche”, a track blistering with frothing intensity and angularity. It’s the last place you’d think to hear a rendition of the iconic James Bond film theme. Lo and behold, here was its main melodic motif capping off the song in distorted glory for no discernible reason. It’s a shining example of how the James Bond property is so far-flung among popular culture, even the underground. Why then does it seem to take long swathes of time between video game adaptations or interpretations?

The real answer is likely rights concerns, but when you consider Bond’s storied history with gaming, good and bad, it still pricks at you. Chasing quantity usually begets mediocrity though – several properties know that all too well. James Bond returning to the AAA forefront with 007 First Light isn’t just cause for celebration, but a reevaluation of his station in today’s cultural climate. After all, we’re far removed from the spy and espionage craze of the ’60s and ’70s. Does he still work in the age of big, dumb shooters and live service games?

From Denmark With Love

007 First Light made one of the best first impressions with its opening hours I’ve seen in years. Maybe ever?. This game delights in the first telling of this scale of how Bond became 007. Patrick Gilroy earns his marquee placement as the suave spy by emulating Bond’s debonair yet reckless emotionality in his mid-20s. It’s a character that demands depth and vulnerability where needed, but stands tall, bulwarked by profound masculinity and death-defying precision elsewhere. Maybe a little luck, too. But he wasn’t always as honed in as we’re used to seeing. We get to see the fledgling Navy air crewman before the tuxedos and Walther service pistols are ever employed.

This allows for an immense character arc that Bond films simply don’t, or can’t, offer up. Much of the character is baked in so to speak. James Bond just is who he is. His disregard for authority and near inhuman improvisation is evident at an early, unsanctioned time. He’s even got a signature smirk where the left side of his mouth raises when the need to charm arises, or someone’s matched his own charm. It’s also incredibly cool to see where the established Bondisms like his love for vodka martinis come from.

“007 First Light made one of the best first impressions with its opening hours I’ve seen in years, maybe ever”

He’s not a character you’re necessarily supposed to relate to, but damn does the power fantasy hit hard. More than ever, you can Bond your heart out. With IO Interactive behind the boards, the freedom of progression and execution is at an all-time high. Most famous for the Hitman series, the studio revels in offering player choice, from the silly and devious to exacting and brutal. Since Bond is far from Agent 47, restraint is dialed in to uphold the mythology of the character and tone. This isn’t a negative, simply an acknowledgement of respect toward the property. It’s also to probably keep that Teen rating locked in, but this game is still plenty violent.

Double-Oh Heaven

There’s a plethora of things to employ as young Bond. Gadgets are the number one tenet of any of his excursions, with tech mastermind Q at the head of it. Your Q-Watch is the centerpiece. It always has the ability to hack several types of electronics to malfunction, sabotage, and disarm in your favor. In addition, you can attach the classic laser strap to open up more strategic doors for you (often literally). Other gadgets like a sonic boom-launching camera, a phone that launches poison darts, and wireless earbuds that stun are available once you pass training. They’re very limited resources initially, but you can replenish supplies in the field by finding batteries and chemicals.

Sneaking, blending in, incorporating disguises, and just plain bluffing your way out of a situation are just as important in your repertoire. Each large-scale mission, of which there’s roughly ten, asks many things of you. Gaining access to a floor of a secure building turns into tailing someone within. Perhaps you’re to close in on someone so your MI6 pals can initiate a wireless hack of their phone via the Q-Watch. It’s mission creep at its finest, and you always have the choice of how to tackle most things. Personally, I found great enjoyment in pickpocketing key cards after giving personnel the wickedest tummy ache of the decade, and, lasering a barrel or fire extinguisher to cause some chaos.

Hand-to-hand combat is honestly the star of the show. It feels incredibly good, receptive, and intuitive to beat the brakes off someone. Simple, too – you punch, grab and throw, parry, and dodge, all while interacting with your environment. Enemies somewhat respect a good one-on-one fight, but you will frequently be put into situations with more than one combatant. It all has a keen choreography to it, complete with bone-shattering sound effects and hit-stun to drive the impacts home.

I was engaging foes with glee whenever I could, punching men so hard their credit score lowered, or kneeing them before throwing into a delightfully reactive piece of furniture. They say don’t bring a knife (fist in this case) to a gunfight, but honestly, 007 First Light had me breaking the rules just like Bond himself. I just wish the camera would play a bit nicer when you’re knuckle-deep into someone’s epidermis. I can only fight one thing at once, henchmen or camera.

This does make the gunplay live up to some strong kinetic and satisfying expectations set by the close-quarters combat. It’s quite responsive as well, weapons feel pretty snappy and effective, but there’s some awkwardness. Although this isn’t primarily a third-person shooter, it does have elements of one, requiring you to engage with them a number of times. During big firefights where enemies are organized and many, taking cover, movement, and returning fire have a learning curve. The default controls take some getting used to and they excel during calmer moments when you can take your time. Lining up headshots is very easy, and not even because of strong aim assist or snapping to targets other shooters do. This is doubly true when using your bullet time-esque Focus ability. No camera issues here – it’s locked reliably behind your shoulder.

On His Majesty’s Secret Service

The plot contains all the pieces of a spy drama: betrayal, twists, cozying up to adversaries, gorgeous women, some political intrigue, even rogue AI. The last of those points is perhaps the most poignant of this day and age. MI6 uses an AI called THEIA to aid in determining what to do and where. It’s touted as infallible, running millions of checks based on effectively endless knowledge to determine efficacy and success. Without spoiling much, First Light’s most contemporary story beat has everyone coming to terms with how wrong AI can be, and for Q, how “complacent and risk-adverse” it makes us. Truly a salient message for the ages.

“First Light’s original characters are where the game starts to shine”

In addition to Q, we see new iterations on MI6 leader and 00 program overseer, M. All she wants is a by-the-book, capable spy team; what she gets is Bond, who she tolerates because he gets results. Moneypenny also returns and becomes a real field companion and has her own moments of levity and wit to spar with Bond. Both of these characters are fleshed out splendidly, as much as their character archetypes will allow, with Moneypenny coming out on top in this regard. I love what IO Interactive did with her here.

First Light’s original characters are where the game starts to shine, though. John Greenway, magnificently played by Lennie James, is a former 00 agent tasked with leading a new age of recruits through the newly reopened program (sorry, programme). He’s cold and balks at Bond’s perceived arrogance and lack of respect, but underneath is dealing with his own troubling past. Bond’s fellow new 00 recruits, primarily Cressida and Monroe, provide neat character foils to Bond as they grow together in training and become a cohesive unit of spycraft.

We also get a gray area character in Bawma (‘w’ pronounced like a ‘v’), a pirate king who overlooks a ship graveyard-turned-black market paradise in Mauritania called Aleph. He’s voiced by Lenny Kravitz and, I’ll be honest, it’s the weakest performance of the cast. He doesn’t come off quite as charismatic or brutal as his character requires. I hate to say it because Kravitz seems like an awesome dude, but this was a miscast and needless celebrity integration. It’s especially egregious when compared to the rest of the cast who clearly have the chops.

Enjoy the View, James

There’s such a palpable cinematic allure and intent with 007 First Light. It makes even the typical mundanity of a video game feel exhaustively important. For instance, you learn much of your abilities through a playable training montage as Bond gets trained for MI6 duty. Overall presentation is immaculate. Not only are the graphics and effects impressive with higher-end GPUs, but the direction and aesthetics fit the character to the core.

It’s set in the current year in an alternate reality which makes it feel familiar yet intriguing. Everyone has smartphones, modern fashion, and there’s references to real-life creature comforts like streaming services. You do also see real brands as is the wont of a James Bond production. You’ll drive Jaguars, Land Rovers, Aston Martins, and see brands like Coca-Cola, OMEGA, and Tom Ford if your eyes are sharp.

“This is a playable Bond film in every way that matters”

Brand deals aside, I do wish the game actually committed to more separation from our own reality. There’s a handful of cameos in this game that don’t make much sense. Seeing viral memester and TikToker Khaby Lame provide his signature sarcastic hand gestures in silence is cute, but ultimately unnecessary. There’s also cameos from YouTuber JackSepticEye and streamer Shroud, both of whom I did not notice or encounter in my own playthrough, but I reserve the same criticism for their inclusion as well. I’d rather see IOI forge their own characters, however minor they may be.

Music is a big part of Bond with instantly recognizable motifs and sound elements that have been used for decades. The score is bold, but imaginative. You’re not hit over the head with the James Bond theme as the action crescendos over and over. Mission music can be tense and suspenseful, or calmly inquisitive for those segments where you’re really trying to figure out your next move. I do love the more crunchy, dark, and almost industrial-like flair that Bond music has had throughout its history, particularly in the GoldenEye film and game, and there’s riffs on that modality here.

Every aspect of 007 First Light’s composition is strong and purposeful, celebrity nitpicks aside. Bond iconography is utilized so well. It’s absolutely clear to me, even as a casual fan of Bond, that this team has a deeply rooted love of the franchise, character, and what it all stands for. This is a playable Bond film in every way that matters, never done to this quality or scale before.

The Executive Package

007 First Light is a game first, though, and a great one at that. The story mode will take you around 20 hours depending on how you navigate its formidable and toy-filled world. It’s a complete, honest, and total experience, well worth the price of admission alone. The story is conclusive and wildly satisfying, leaving me with comfort and no loose ends untied except for a potential sequel tease at the end. You can, of course, replay missions to complete challenges, find collectibles, or just try new approaches you didn’t before. The content on offer is frankly impressive.

But that’s not all: you also get Tactical Simulations to play around with. TacSims are a wholly separate mode with its own progression and rewards where score, speed, and precision are the point. You’re tasked with different objectives using story mode missions as foundations or backdrops, but often asked to perform differently or in specific manners. They’re tests by MI6, anchored in First Light’s world in Q’s bag of tricks for agents utilize. I honestly wish I had engaged with them more between story missions as they do help you hone skills and aspects of your arsenal in ways that would help. If you’re a leaderboard fanatic, this is where you’ll likely spend more of your playtime – go for it!

Everything just clicks with 007 First Light. It’s a supreme action-adventure romp with one of the most storied and recognizable characters in the world. Every Bond fan should play it because it was made by Bond fans, for them. IOI have done incredible justice to the property in a manner that left me always wanting me more. I was constantly excited to sit down for my next hours-long session to unravel the mystery, see new wild inventions from Q, and test myself to become the ultimate spy. The expectations were high, but the result was even higher. Bravo.

Verdict

So, now we have the answer. Why did it take so long for the newest Bond game to materialize? Well, it was being surgically built with all the love and care it demanded. 007 First Light has it all: intense action, car chases, one-liners, gadgets, alluring characters, posh British wit, deadly villains, and a larger-than-life, twisting plot to drive it all home for king and country. This game is a masterclass in respect to a franchise and execution of bringing them off the silver screen to your OLED monitor. It’s also just really damn good, simply put. 007 First Light is, by far, the best Bond game in at least 25 years, if not ever.

Score: 9/10

Review code provided by the publisher. Reviewed on PC.