(Credit: IO Interactive)
James Bond is a pop culture juggernaut, the world-famous spy who leapt from the pages of Ian Fleming's novels to dominate Hollywood for more than 60 years. Bond's legacy also extends to video games, most notably the hugely influential Nintendo shooter Goldeneye.
James Bond returns to gaming next March with 007 First Light. Wednesday's Sony State of Play showcase delivered the first extended gameplay demo, and the upcoming title looks like the perfect James Bond video game adaptation, thanks to developer IO Interactive leaning into what makes its Hitman series so great.
An Incredible Espionage Legacy
Like previous trailers, this 007 First Light showcase showed off the cinematic story elements that you'd expect from a game based on such famous movies. This is an origin story starring a younger Bond, played by Patrick Gibson. Franchise regulars like Q, M, and Moneypenny all make appearances, and the Bond Girl appears to be a French operative.
The 007 First Light reveal featured several huge action setpieces and focused on Bond pursuing a target in a fast-paced car chase that transitioned into a forest firefight. Shooting persisted as Bond fought enemies on a tarmac and boarded an airplane. At one point, he took control of the plane, causing it to bank left and right to disorient enemies. And, of course, Bond leapt from the plane without a parachute.
Although those action-packed sequences were cool, they also looked like the fairly generic, linear action-adventure gameplay seen in a post-Uncharted world. However, what made 007 First Light look particularly promising were the extended espionage sequences. I found IO Interactive an exciting choice for the project because the team has been making amazing spy simulators for years with its amazing Hitman games. Agent 007 seems to be learning all the right lessons from Agent 47.
007 Meets Agent 47
The first mission on display featured a very Hitman-esque slow build-up as Bond attempted to sneak into a fancy hotel party. Bond hid in flowers, stole a lighter, set a wheelbarrow on fire, and used the chaos as a distraction while he climbed through a window. Those were absolutely the kinds of shenanigans you'd see not only in a Bond movie, but in a Hitman playthrough.
The showcase offered an even deeper dive into the stealth mechanics and the choices they present. Gadgets like laser watches and smoke bombs confused guards. Bond built up a meter that let him bluff his way through awkward encounters. The fights encouraged improvisation, with Bond shooting guns and throwing them (and other objects in the environment) at enemies. The melee combat had a parry system, as well. 007 First Light is about making your own plan and being able to gleefully adapt when it goes wrong.
Bond Is Coming Next Year
It could be argued that the Hitman games became increasingly more James Bond-like over the years. In fact, just a few weeks ago, Hitman: World of Assassination received a free mission that essentially remade Casino Royale, complete with Mads Mikkelsen as a version of Le Chiffre for Agent 47 to assassinate. But 007 First Light seems to take that Hitman core and blow it up into something even bigger, bolder, and more worthy of Bond. We'll find out when 007 First Light launches on March 27, 2026, for Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.