007 First Light arrives today from IO Interactive — the Danish studio behind the Hitman series — and it’s the first James Bond game in over a decade. Set before Bond earns his double-0 status, this stealth-driven action-adventure on Steam tells the origin story of the world’s most famous spy with the cinematic weight you’d expect from the creators of Agent 47.
At a Glance
- Release Date: Released
- Genre: Action / Adventure / Stealth
- Platform: PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
- Developer/Publisher: IO Interactive
- Cost: $69.99 USD
- Store Link: Get 007 First Light on Steam →
The Story / Concept
007 First Light follows a young, resourceful James Bond as a recruit in MI6’s training programme — reckless, brilliant, and not yet carrying the weight of the 007 designation. Built on IO Interactive’s Glacier engine, the game is a narrative-driven single-player espionage adventure that blends stealth infiltration, gadget use, and story-rich mission design into a cinematic package.
IO Interactive secured the James Bond license in 2021 and spent years crafting an original origin story that sits outside the film canon, giving the team freedom to explore Bond’s early days without the constraints of adapting an existing script. The result is a game that feels unmistakably like Hitman’s DNA filtered through a Bond lens — deliberate, atmospheric, and deeply replayable.
Core Gameplay Features
- Stealth-First Espionage
- Infiltrate embassies, research facilities, and luxury venues using gadgets, disguises, and environmental awareness
- Multiple approach paths reward creative thinking over brute force
- Signature IO Interactive level design philosophy: large sandbox spaces with layered objectives
- Story-Rich Single Player
- Original MI6 origin story set before the events of any Bond film
- Cinematic presentation with full voice acting, motion capture, and orchestral score
- Character relationships and choices that feed into Bond’s identity as a spy
- Glacier Engine Showcase
- Larger, more detailed environments than the Hitman trilogy
- Advanced NPC AI and crowd simulation
- Optimized for current-gen hardware on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S only — no last-gen version
Who Is This For?
If you loved the Hitman World of Assassination trilogy and wanted a game with that same deliberate, replayable level design but wrapped in a Bond narrative, 007 First Light is exactly that. It’s also a strong entry point for fans of story-driven action-adventure games who appreciate atmosphere, character writing, and missions that reward patience over aggression. Early reviews have landed around an 87 Metascore and 91% positive on Steam — a very strong debut.
Pro Tip
Resist the urge to go loud — 007 First Light’s scoring and unlock system heavily rewards non-lethal, undetected runs. Take your first pass slowly, learn the patrol patterns, and save your most creative approach for the second run once you know the layout.
