007 First Light Reviews
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.
Outstanding production values, thrilling action set pieces, strong performances, satisfying gunplay, and a great technical performance make this an impressive debut for IO Interactive’s 007. First Light earns its license to thrill.
007 First Light still maintains its advantage in a balanced game-style blend and the creation of the young Bond universe. Instead of competing with the films, it offers an alternate version of the main character.
007 First Light is undoubtedly one of the best James Bond games released in the last twenty years and, even if it may not fully satisfy every Hitman fan, it is easily the most ambitious project the studio has undertaken to date. The blend of action and stealth does not always come together perfectly and, at times, the rather foolish antagonists push certain moments close to parody. Nevertheless, Bond fans are treated to one of the most cinematic and well-presented entries the franchise has ever seen, delivering an experience that captures the spirit of 007 remarkably well.
Review in German | Read full review
007 First Light shines brightest when it leans into its hybrid identity. It doesn't try to be Hitman all the way, nor does it try to be a linear action game all the way. Instead, it constantly moves between both identities, creating a rhythm that feels distinct in modern action-adventure design.
In a year where major releases often arrive broken or soulless, 007 First Light stands out for doing the basics extraordinarily well: telling a good story, introducing characters that matter, and leaving the player wanting more. If this is the beginning of a new era for Bond in games, the future looks very promising.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
007 First Light finally delivers a modern Bond game that understands the character beyond the action scenes. Combining stealth, spycraft, cinematic storytelling, and IO Interactive’s design strengths, this is easily the best James Bond game in decades.
007 First Light is the Bond game the franchise has needed for fourteen years. A story that genuinely matters, melee combat with real weight, and a gadget system with actual consequences. The exploration segments drag more than they should, but when First Light lets Bond be Bond, it's hard to look away.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
First Light, as a title, has a dual meaning, too, since it’s not only an origin story for this rendition of James Bond, but also hopefully a new dawn for IOI’s ambitious interpretation of what a 007 game can be.
This unexpected hybrid of Hitman and Uncharted results in a fun, cinematic action-spy game. Full of charisma and worthy of its incredible legacy, 007: First Light is an exciting first step in a new series, where the good far outweighs the not-so-good.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
As much as I love GoldenEye 007, it doesn't hold a candle to 007 First Light. IO Interactive perfectly captures the James Bond experience with cinematic flair.
007 First Light features a slew of unforgettable moments, cinematic jaw-dropping scenes, amazingly smooth combat, and one heck of a story. With all this stacked up, 007 First Light it is a brilliant action adventure title, and my top pick for game of the year!
007 First Light turns a young Bond campaign into a spy adventure built around bluffing, gadgets, and recovering when missions fall apart. MI6, Q-Branch tools, and close-range fights keep the campaign moving, but the shooting, driving, and limited replay value hold it back. It’s a good fit if you want a story-led Bond game focused more on spy work than giant stealth sandboxes.
It is likely the best James Bond game ever, but there's some qualifiers that drag 007 First Light down from being a complete knock-out.
007: First Light is not only the best 007 game ever made, but it also easily rivals the best games in the genre. IO Interactive delivers a special experience that honors the legacy of the greatest spy in entertainment history.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
007 First Light is a game that presents us with a different kind of James Bond, treated with the weight, charm, and complexity that Ian Fleming's character deserves.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
007 First Light is all about aura. It honors James Bond's legacy by bringing everything we love about him since the 1960's movies in the ultimate 007 videogame experience. Chases, shootings, explosions, plot twists, politics, charm, Bond Girls, guns, cars, boats, Q Technologies, Moneypenny, M, iconic characters, beautiful locations... All of that with great level design, combat and exploration. The name is Bond, James Bond.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
After 30 years, ‘GoldenEye’ is finally retiring. With ‘007 First Light’, IO Interactive – the masterminds behind ‘Hitman’ – delivers the ultimate Bond experience that fans have been waiting for since the N64 classic.
Review in German | Read full review
As stylish as the films themselves, 007 First Light is a brilliant depiction of Bond.
If there is one thing I’m even more certain of than when we first learned that IO Interactive was making a 007 game, it’s that they are still the perfect studio to be making a Bond game. As many have called it, it’s a match made in heaven, and, as the first entry in what is hopefully a long-running series, I think the franchise is in safe hands. It’s one thing to make an experience on an established IP; another to actually understand what makes that experience so great. IO has captured the soul of a Bond experience in 007 First Light. With a strong foundation to build upon, a new era for MI6’s finest is upon us, and I cannot wait to see where IO Interactive takes the franchise next.