IO Interactive announced a James Bond game that initially inspired excitement and subsequent doubts about originality. The studio's Hitman trilogy set high expectations for stealth design, prompting fears that First Light might feel like a Bond-flavored Hitman. A behind-closed-doors demo at IO Interactive's Gamescom 2025 booth demonstrated clear departures from Hitman's approach. First Light presents Bond as a young MI6 trainee—resourceful, sometimes reckless, and not yet a consummate spy. IO Interactive is pursuing bold design choices to create a distinct iteration of 007 rather than a direct Hitman transplant.
I'm so happy to say that after watching a behind-closed-doors demo of First Light at IO Interactive's rather fancy booth during Gamescom 2025, my fears have been quelled. Though the spirit of Hitman is present in the gameplay I watched, First Light is its own thing, and IO Interactive is taking big swings to deliver a type of 007 we've never seen.
First Light is its own thing, and IO Interactive is taking big swings to deliver a type of 007 we've never seen. Perhaps the biggest change-up from the 007 games I've played (and loved) is that in First Light, Bond is just a recruit in MI6's training program - young, resourceful, sometimes reckless, and not the spy capable of performing in any situation, whether it's with a silenced gun in hand or a woman at his side.
Collection
[
|
...
]