007: First Light Reviews

James Bond's triumphant return to gaming in 007 First Light proves to be one of 2026's best titles.

Although there hasn't been a new James Bond movie in almost 5 years, the franchise proves it's still strong with IOI's take on becoming 007.

007 First Light performs a delicate balancing act, introducing the first new Bond in two decades, while combining bombastic set pieces with stealth forward spycraft. This act is performed brilliantly, and the new take on Bond keeps his most memorable traits, while giving him a few welcomed new ones, too.

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IO's Bond-iverse story shines, but not enough to compensate for the very familiar game around it.

IO Interactive's 007 First Light is easily the best Bond game we've seen. Rare's GoldenEye 007 was momentous when it launched, and it's stuck around the zeitgeist because it was a portal into Ian Fleming's world of shaken martinis and spy thrills we'd never seen before. What 007 First Light feels like is a playable, limited spy series that transports the player into a gripping and memorable espionage story. 

Bond is back and he's in fine form. 007 First Light is an excellent stealth game, and a brilliant James Bond game, offering up the best 007 experience in franchise history.

While it doesn't pull up any roots, 007: First Light is a beautiful, cinematic action game that makes clever use of the IO formula. From the performance of Patrick Gibson to the iconic score, this is a game that tells a new story and basks in nostalgia in equal measure, giving James Bond a fresh angle in the process.

007 First Light is a superb adventure game that does so much more than simply coast on the popularity of its franchise.

007 First Light delivers a strong Bond origin story with solid stealth, gadget use, and plenty of spy-thriller energy. While performance issues and clunky melee combat hold it back, the story, level design, and replayability help it stand out. It is not perfect, but it is easily one of the strongest James Bond games in years.

Creating a new James Bond game after a 14-year hiatus was a risky endeavor by IO Interactive. This is one of the most iconic characters in all of entertainment, and doing him justice is not easy. Somehow, however, IO Interactive pulled it off and not only produced an amazing video game, but also created a story that is worthy of the Bond pantheon. With superb writing, top-notch acting, beautiful cinematography, and expressive gameplay, 007 First Light is as sleek as it is engaging. James Bond is back, baby, and he's never been this cool.

Put on your sharpest tux and make yourself a martini (you know the right way), as there’s finally another James Bond game. 007: First Light has everything you’d want in a Bond adventure, with all the gadgets, cheesy puns, classic cars, and daring missions you’d expect.

007 First Light has everything you could want from a Bond game: fist fights, shootouts, epic set-pieces, car chases, subterfuge, and more. There are some minor issues, such as the game's cover system being a little finicky at times, but on the whole this is a must-play for Bond fans as well as those who simply enjoy a good action game.

Completing TacSim challenges earns players currency that can be spent unlocking new weapons and cosmetics for Bond, and this progression system makes the mode much more engaging. It also has online leaderboards, which add a competitive element to the otherwise single-player-only experience. Even more TacSim challenges are being added in the future, and I'll definitely be checking them out when the time comes.

IO Interactive feels like they’ve found a new home in the James Bond franchise. 007 First Light is a blast, with a tense and enthralling narrative that punches way higher and harder than anyone could have expected.

While the James Bond franchise has been active in movies, the same can’t be said for the brand in games. The last game based on the IP was 007 Legends, which was released in 2012 to mediocre reviews, essentially sinking the brand.

A modern spy adventure from IO Interactive that blends stealth, action, and cinematic chaos into one shifting experience.

007 First Light is the finest James Bond video game in nearly 30 years. Its cinematic single-player campaign is remarkable, offering a gripping, quintessentially Bond story, packaged together with some of the best action-adventure set pieces I’ve ever experienced. Whether you’re a longtime Bond fan or a newcomer, 007 First Light is unmissable.

Even midway through, one route can be abandoned for another if it feels like the better choice. Once Bond enters restricted areas, stealth combat starts to take over. Q's gadgets become essential as Bond distracts enemies and looks for chances to perform takedowns. Limiting the loadout to just two gadgets, not counting the watch, is a smart choice because it makes planning feel much more engaging.

007 First Light is less cerebral and replayable than IO's World of Assassination trilogy, but makes up for it with excellent fistfights and oodles of charm.

James Bond has a long history in video games, but his quality missions are far fewer and farther between. I’m happy to report that 007 First Light can join the ranks of successful outings, offering a new and original take on the character that is both fresh and rooted in a deep understanding of the man and the fiction. While the game mostly features enjoyable interactive ideas, its mechanics occasionally threaten to dampen the excellent cinematic flow. But even then, the charm of this spy t...

007 First Light does a great job of making the player feel like they are embodying James Bond. Gadgets, shoot-outs, stealth and an amazing cast really make this stand in the hall of 007 greats.

007 First Light quickly proves it's out to tell a new kind of Bond story by lifting the veil on MI6 headquarters and its personnel. The agency and Bond's peers are usually mysterious, a nebulous institution surrounding a few key characters, yet in First Light, you spend time with other recruits, get ample opportunity to amble around Q-Branch, ride the elevators of the Universal Exports front, and make small talk with the agency's poindexters and desk jockeys. It's such a thorough realization of MI6 that one of my favorite new characters, Basil from the accounting department, doesn't even need a single line and is never shown on-screen.

007 First Light is perhaps the closest a game has ever come to making me feel like I’m starring in a Bond film. IO Interactive takes the stealth sandbox of Hitman, the intense thrills of Uncharted, and experimental spycraft of Batman: Arkham, and reshapes them into a globe-trotting cinematic spy thriller filled with covert missions, explosive action, and cool gadgets. While the immersiveness of the campaign occasionally lags, this stylish origin story still feels like a triumphant return for the most iconic secret agent.

It's been nearly 14 years since the last James Bond game, 007 Legends, was released by Eurocom and turned out to be a spectacular failure that also ended the British studio. Gaming fans of the most renowned fictional spy in the world had to wait two entire console generations before IO Interactive came with its 007 First Light.

Seeing IO Interactive at the helm of a new James Bond video game is like watching two pieces of a jigsaw perfectly slotting together. It’s a pairing that just makes sense given the Danish developer’s track record, having recently wrapped the Hitman: World of Assassination trilogy. Each game had players running a gauntlet of stealth missions, visiting stunning locales around the globe while switching disguises and employing a deadly arsenal of high-tech gadgets. In many ways, 007: First Light feels like an evolution of the Hitman formula, though it’s one that forges a new path for the studio, stepping away Hitman’s non-linear level design in favour of a more guided, cinematic experience. It’s certainly a change of pace for IO Interactive, though one the studio effortlessly adapts to.

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