Hands-On Preview: Bond is Back on Form in 007 First Light

1 hour ago 3

Published Apr 30, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT

Laurence Wall is a Staff Writer at DualShockers who has been writing professionally since 2022 and covering games since 2023. He primarily writes guides and lists, with a focus on indie games, RPGs, ARPGs, Soulslikes, MMOs, card games, boss fights, and detailed tutorials.

Before joining DualShockers, Laurence worked as a game reviewer for Movies, Games and Tech. He also co-founded and served as a contributor liaison for a university creative writing magazine, where he was one of the publication’s principal contributors. Laurence holds a B.A. in English Literature and Creative Writing from Royal Holloway, University of London.

It struck me the other day, when I was thinking about the Bond games, that I hadn’t actually played one of them in over 20 years. I quickly googled 007: Nightfire, and suddenly it was as though I’d unlocked a whole vault of sealed memories, which came flooding back to me.

We were sitting on the floor of my brother’s friend’s house, PS2 controllers in hand, playing 1v1 splitscreen on Skyrail. Somehow, firing the Sentinel rocket launcher and flying the guided missile around the map, searching for each other, was a ridiculous amount of fun. Well, it certainly kept us occupied, that's for sure!

Meet The Cast Of 007: First Light

IO Interactive recently revealed the actors for a few members of 007 First Light's cast

So imagine my surprise when IO Interactive invited us to test out 007 First Light over in Los Angeles. It’s been 14 years since the last Bond game, so this wasn’t an opportunity I was about to pass up. And just as well I didn’t, because this experience was absolutely stellar!

A New Direction

So just what is this new 007 game, and what kind of experience are we all in for? Well, rather than falling into the well-trained shoes of a skilled operative, we instead start right from the beginning, back when our beloved Bond was a simple Army recruit.

We’re pretty used to seeing Bond, whether it’s in movies or video games, as extremely proficient and always ready for action, so it’s certainly a breath of fresh air to now see him as a novice, struggling to wrap his head around the world that he’s about to get himself embroiled in.

And honestly, this serves as a brilliant introduction, as we feel as though we’re starting this entire journey with him, rather than being a silent observer from afar. We experience the rocky beginnings, the tricky training regimens, all the way to being a full-blown operative and earning the title that he's so famous for.

And yet, all the while, you get that slightly campy, but oftentimes seriously high-stakes action that made us all fall in love with the character in the first place. Sprinkle in a bit of that classic British sass and sarcasm, and well, you’ve got me hook, line, and sinker. And that’s not just because I’m British… I swear.

Becoming Bond

So just what did I get my hands on during those fleeting three hours with IO Interactive? Well, quite a lot actually, and it painted a rather good picture of what is to come.

We start in Iceland. James is not yet part of MI6, and while skilled, he lacks the training that comes with such a position. So the player, like James, has to learn on the job, as we sneak through the pouring rain, scaling the rugged mountains, taking orders from someone we don’t yet know.

Here we find a mysterious Militia group, uncover classified discoveries, and save hostages, with a bit of Bond's classic disregard for orders handed down from above. Bond has never played by the rules, but that’s all part of his killer charm! It’s a great opening, teaching us everything from takedowns to stealth. He doesn’t have a License to Kill yet, but honestly, we don't need it!

Time skips forward as IO Interactive opens up a new chapter, taking place further in the future, as Bond begins his training. This was a brilliant little training ground located in Malta, where you need to navigate an area to capture a flag. This gives us a taste of what’s to come later on.

Bond has never played by the rules, but that’s all part of his killer charm!

You can either barrel through the area, taking on the enemies with your fists like a brute, or choose a more stealthy approach, creeping through using the environment to your advantage. There are multiple routes through the training area, and we were encouraged to play through this section a few times to get a sense of everything that the experience has to offer.

But of course, those previous two segments were all just training for us, letting us get a grasp of the mechanics. Now, once more, we jump forward in time to a section that I would imagine is around halfway through the game.

The Real Deal

We open up in Kensington, and after a rather stunningly cinematic attempt on James’ life, we head through to a museum. This is where I began to see the real vision start to come together. You find yourself in a grand old hall, with people milling around, chattering, taking photos with drinks aplenty.

You need to find a way up to the CCTV room, but how? Well, that’s up to you. Just like you had multiple ways to approach the training grounds in Malta, you have multiple ways to approach this, too. I choose to pose as a photographer, steal a camera from another unwitting photographer with my Q-Watch, and lie to a journalist to get a special pass upstairs. Perhaps you’ll find another way to do it. Eavesdropping, pick pocketing, and bluffing are all powerful tools in your 007 arsenal.

From here, you sneak through darkened office spaces, tackle enemy agents, meet unlikely allies, and even get involved in a boss fight, which was something that caught me off guard. What struck me was that, even when you get your License to Kill, allowing you to take out those who wish to do you harm, it still makes more sense to be stealthy.

Eavesdropping, pick pocketing, and bluffing are all powerful tools in your 007 arsenal.

You can use your gadgets to cause distractions and draw away attention, or make people sick while you sneak up behind them. Look for hanging chandeliers, or explosive environmental objects, air ducts, and search for cover. While the shooting is slick, if you go in guns blazing, chances are you’ll get mowed down. Remember, Bond is an agent, not a soldier.

This entire mission was way longer than I expected, and yet I was hooked from start to finish. It was challenging when it needed to be, and gave you time to breathe when the action ceased. And then when you thought it was all over, suddenly you’re barreling down the narrow alleys of London in a roaring garbage truck, blasting through cars and barriers alike. It’s intense, thrilling, and all the while, you're gripping the controller like your life is on the line. The action set pieces are fantastic, and I know that this is just a glimpse of what is to come.

Not Simply a Character

All of this is before mentioning the heart that lies behind the lines of code that hold this game together. James Bond is not a relentless killing machine; he’s not Hitman. He’s a human, struggling in a world that’s constantly trying to take him down.

Bond experiences grief, heartbreak, treachery, and everything else you can imagine, and yet comes out stronger. This is someone we want to root for, someone we learn to care for. And in those moments, when we feel like everything is about to go wrong, it’s clear that Bond isn’t a superhero. The stakes feel real and earned.

And so, my time playing 007 First Light came to a close. I was there until the end, and IO Interactive basically had to shove me out of the door, or I would have stayed to play through those Training Grounds again!

I left with a smile on my face and believing 100% in the vision that the developers had. Even the little flaws I noticed, photographers holding invisible cameras, minor spelling mistakes, or randomly phasing through enemies, seemed to drift away as I realised that none of it altered my overall enjoyment. All I know is, Bond is back, folks, and it seems as though he’s here to stay!