007 First Light, hands-on previews praise IO Interactive's Bond game
IO Interactive's 007 First Light, a younger-James Bond origin adventure, launches May 26, 2026. Early previews praise its tactical stealth and big cinematic set pieces, saying the game blends IOI's Hitman-style stealth with Uncharted-like action and polished level design. Combat designer said, "Bond often starts without a gun in the movies, and he can solve that creatively," describing melee, improvisation, and gadget-driven encounters. IO Interactive also defended the game's deliberate PS5 controller design, and critics singled out the soundtrack for making players feel like they are in a Bond movie, positioning First Light as a standout licensed spy game candidate.
It saddens me how disinterested I am in 007: First Light. I’m not demanding IO only ever make Hitman games, but when they’re the only developer doing what they do and their first title in five years is Hitman Lite crossed with Uncharted? Feels like a waste of talent, tbh
Julianna 💎6I also have the uneasy feeling that, if the game is successful, they’re going to become the Bond Studio, in the same way Insomniac are now largely the Marvel Studio
"Stone Cold" Steve Cobden4I'm not sure what it is about this game. I am a Hitman fan*. I am a Bond fan**. Yet their is something off about everything I have seen that has meant I have put it firmly in the "Wait for Reviews" camp. *Bought every entry in the series. ** Have even seen Die Another Day more than once.
liquiddimma.bsky.social2I just feel tired from it being an "origin story" game. I want to be Bond going on a cool mission, not stuck in the "see how they became the cool guy they are" formula
