James Bond is back, but this time you are meeting him before he becomes the agent everyone knows.
007 First Light takes a younger Bond through stealth, action, gadgets, and high stakes missions while showing how he grows into the role.
But does this fresh start feel like a true Bond adventure, or does it borrow too much from other games?
This 007 First Light review looks at what makes the game stand out, where its ideas work best, and where they fall short.
You will also get a closer look at its story, gameplay, visuals, performance, and overall value before deciding if it deserves your time. Let’s start with Bond’s story.
About 007 First Light
007 First Light is a third-person, action-focused game developed by IO Interactive, the studio behind Hitman, under license from MGM Studios.
It was released on May 27, 2026, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, with the Nintendo Switch 2 version arriving later in Q3 2026.
The standard edition costs $69.99, while the Deluxe Edition runs $79.99, and a collector’s Legacy Edition is priced at $299.99.
It is a single-player, story-driven game that blends stealth, action, and gadget-based missions across large sandbox levels, with scripted cinematic setpieces threaded between them.
Most players clear the main story in roughly 15 to 20 hours, and reviewers pushing for full completion and TacSim challenges report closer to 24 hours or more.
At launch, the game holds a Metacritic score of 87, one of the strongest scores of any game released in 2026 so far.
The Story and Cast You’re Stepping Into
First Light follows a younger Bond before he becomes the polished agent most players know, starting with his time as a Royal Navy aircrewman.
A failed training mission draws MI6’s attention, setting up his uneasy relationship with mentor John Greenway and the wider story that follows.
1. Premise and Setting
The setup is simple enough on paper: one young recruit, one disastrous mission, and a slow, steady pull into MI6’s world.
What actually sells it is the tension between Bond’s raw instincts and Greenway’s hard-earned experience, playing out differently in every new location.
That friction gives the early hours real weight, since every mission forces Bond to prove himself instead of simply following orders.
2. Cast Worth Knowing
Here’s the cast worth knowing before you start, since names and faces make the early missions far easier to follow along.
- Patrick Gibson plays the young Bond, who is still finding his footing rather than acting fully formed.
- Lennie James plays Greenway, Bond’s mentor and the source of most early friction.
- Priyanga Burford plays M, and Alastair Mackenzie plays Q, grounding the MI6 side of the story.
- Lenny Kravitz plays Bawma, the game’s villain, and he clearly enjoys every second of the role.
Knowing these faces upfront makes the early hours far easier to follow, especially with a Bond who has no gadgets yet.
These same names carry real weight later on, so it genuinely helps to keep track of who plays which role early.
3. The Theme Song
Lana Del Rey’s theme song gets singled out again and again, and it sets the tone before you even touch a controller.
It works almost like a mission statement for the whole game, quietly promising style, tension, and real emotional weight ahead.
That opening choice tells you this game takes its own atmosphere seriously, long before the first mission even begins properly.
How the Game Actually Feels to Play?
Beyond mission structure, it is worth talking about how First Light actually feels in your hands during moment-to-moment play.
Gunplay carries real weight, with recoil and impact that make each firefight feel deliberate rather than floaty or arcade-like.
Melee takedowns feel satisfying too, especially in tight stealth encounters where timing and positioning genuinely matter most.
If you enjoyed the punchy, Legion-style melee combat in Astral Chain, First Light’s close-quarters fights will feel like familiar territory with a spy coat of paint.
Movement shifts noticeably between the two mission types, and that is exactly where the feel changes most across the campaign.
In sandbox sections, climbing and traversal feel deliberate and rewarding, while scripted setpieces turn fast and reactive, built for momentum over precision.
What the Game Does Exceptionally Well
Once you get past the two different gameplay modes, it’s worth talking about where First Light genuinely shines throughout.
The writing, presentation, and level design consistently receive praise, with numerous critics calling this the best Bond game to date.
Individual missions get singled out often, even in reviews that are otherwise mixed about the overall experience.
Commercial numbers back that up too, with IO Interactive reporting 1.5 million copies sold within the first 24 hours, making it the fastest-selling release in the studio’s history.
Graphics, Audio, and Overall Presentation
Presentation is where First Light pulls its weight the most, and it genuinely shows in nearly every single scene you play through here.
Character models look sharp and detailed throughout, especially during close-up cutscenes where facial animation carries real, convincing emotional weight across every conversation.
Environments feel lived-in too, shifting from cramped European hotels to open, sun-drenched locations later in the campaign without ever feeling reused or generic.
The cutscene work sits in the same league as God of War Ragnarök’s cinematic presentation, another game where facial performance capture does most of the emotional heavy lifting.
Audio design matches that same quality, with voice acting that never feels flat or phoned in, even during quieter, dialogue-heavy character moments.
Lana Del Rey’s theme song sets the tone early, and the score keeps that mood running throughout, tying quieter scenes to louder action sequences smoothly.
On PS5 Pro, the game runs at an upscaled 4K resolution at 60 FPS using Sony’s PSSR upscaling, which is a notable technical step up over base PS5 hardware.
Where It Falls Short?
No game is perfect, and First Light has a few genuine rough edges worth knowing about before you decide to buy it.
Enemy AI is the most common complaint here, with guards reacting inconsistently between one encounter and the very next fight in a mission.
The cover system feels clunky, too, especially during firefights where quick, precise movement genuinely matters most for staying alive under pressure.
Pacing takes a real hit in later missions, with a few sections dragging on longer than the story actually needs.
It is a milder version of the same split that showed up in critic reaction to Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora’s reviews, where reviewers weighing different systems landed on very different verdicts of the same game.
Here, the real reason is structural: the sandbox missions and scripted setpieces sit right next to each other instead of blending smoothly throughout the campaign.
Here’s the real reason behind most of this: the sandbox missions and scripted setpieces sit right next to each other instead of blending smoothly throughout the campaign.
How 007 First Light Compares to Hitman and Uncharted
If you’ve played either source game, it helps to know exactly what First Light borrows and what it does differently.
| Category | Hitman | Uncharted | 007 First Light |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level structure | Open sandbox | Linear scripted | Both, side by side |
| Player freedom | High | Low | Splits by mission type |
| Story focus | Minimal | Strong | Strong, Bond origin |
| Progression system | None | None | Agency system |
First Light isn’t trying to be either game fully. It borrows real strengths from both and still builds its own clear identity around them.
Platform Performance and Where to Play
First Light is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC through Steam, and Nintendo Switch 2 (TBD), giving players several platform choices.
Performance can vary noticeably between systems, so your experience depends on the platform, hardware level, and graphics settings you choose.
1. Console and PC Availability
PS5 and Xbox Series X/S run First Light natively, giving console players a straightforward setup without worrying about hardware compatibility.
PC players can access the game through Steam, with adjustable graphics settings that let performance scale across different hardware configurations.
Nintendo Switch 2 support adds another option, especially for players who value portability alongside access to the full game experience.
2. PC Benchmarks
PC performance depends heavily on GPU strength, with higher-end cards handling demanding scenes, increased resolutions, and stronger graphics settings more comfortably.
Mid-range systems can still perform well, although lowering selected settings may be necessary to maintain smoother frame rates during heavier scenes.
Because patches can affect performance, checking recent benchmark results remains useful before assuming older test figures still match the current version.
3. Steam Deck Performance
Steam Deck can run First Light, but maintaining consistent performance usually requires lowering several graphics settings and accepting occasional frame-rate drops.
Reducing demanding options can make handheld play much smoother, especially during busier scenes where the hardware has less performance headroom.
The experience remains playable overall, but it is better approached with realistic expectations rather than expecting the stability of stronger hardware.
How It Connects to the Wider IO Interactive Ecosystem?
Beyond the game itself, First Light has real ties to IO Interactive’s other projects worth knowing about before you start in.
Owning Hitman World of Assassination provides a bonus outfit here, a direct reward for fans who’ve already spent time with Agent 47.
That crossover isn’t accidental either, since both games share underlying engine work and level-design lessons IO carried forward directly.
IO Interactive has also signaled ongoing post-launch support for First Light, meaning this isn’t a one-and-done release you finish and forget.
That matters if you’re considering a purchase now versus waiting, since future updates could genuinely reshape parts of the experience over time.
What This Means for the Bond Franchise
Stepping back from the review, this launch matters for the Bond franchise in several ways, especially for fans deciding what this new direction means before buying.
This release closes a genuine 14-year gap since the last major Bond game, creating high expectations from players who have been waiting for a new experience.
IO Interactive has positioned this title as the starting point for future Bond games rather than a standalone project that disappears after one release.
That approach changes how players view the current flaws and limitations because a follow-up could provide opportunities to improve systems, expand ideas, and refine the overall experience.
Longtime fans will naturally compare any new Bond game with GoldenEye 007, which remains the franchise’s most remembered and influential gaming release decades after its original launch.
The Verdict: Who Should Buy It and Who Should Wait
After everything above, the real question comes down to whether this game actually fits how you like to play.
The split between sandbox freedom and scripted spectacle means it rewards some players far more than others.
| Should Play It Now | Should Skip or Wait |
|---|---|
| Wants a cinematic, story-driven Bond experience | Wants a fully systemic, Hitman-caliber sandbox throughout |
| Enjoyed Uncharted’s pacing and spectacle | Sensitive to inconsistent enemy AI encounters |
| Can look past occasional AI inconsistencies | Bothered by a clunky cover system in firefights |
| Fine with a mix of freedom and scripted setpieces | Wants to wait for a patch or sale before pacing issues get addressed |
Knowing which side you lean toward makes this an easy decision rather than a guessing game.
Conclusion
Overall, 007 First Light feels like a promising new start for Bond in gaming. It brings together spy action, cinematic moments, and a younger hero who still has plenty to prove.
Some rough edges stop it from being a perfect experience, but they do not take away from the parts that make the game fun and memorable.
What matters most is whether you want a Bond game built around both freedom and big story moments.
If that mix sounds right for you, this is a strong choice to consider. If you want a game with deeper sandbox freedom, waiting for updates or a sale may be wiser.
Ready to see if it fits your gaming style? Give 007 First Light a closer look.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 007 First Light a Hitman Reskin?
No, and IO Interactive has said this directly themselves. It borrows Hitman’s sandbox design but adds Uncharted-style setpieces and its own Agency progression system.
Who Plays James Bond in 007 First Light?
Patrick Gibson plays the young Bond. The supporting cast includes Lennie James as Greenway, Priyanga Burford as M, Alastair Mackenzie as Q, and Lenny Kravitz as villain Bawma.
What Platforms is 007 First Light Available On?
It’s on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC (Steam), and Nintendo Switch 2. Performance varies by platform, so check current benchmarks before buying, especially for PC and Steam Deck.
What are the Biggest Criticisms of 007 First Light?
Reviewers most often flag inconsistent enemy AI, a weak cover system, and pacing drag in later missions. These trace back to how sandbox and scripted sections sit side by side rather than blending.
