{"id":4586,"date":"2026-05-27T17:59:42","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T14:59:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/?p=4586"},"modified":"2026-05-27T18:00:49","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T15:00:49","slug":"007-first-light-review-roundup-best-bond-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/007-first-light-review-roundup-best-bond-game\/","title":{"rendered":"007: First Light Review Roundup: IO Interactive Delivers the Best Bond Game in Decades"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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IO Interactive’s 007: First Light has launched to widespread critical acclaim, scoring 88 on Metacritic with 96% positive reviews. Critics are calling it the best James Bond game since GoldenEye and a genuine 2026 Game of the Year contender.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

007: First Light launched on May 27, 2026 with an 88 Metacritic score across 47 critic reviews and a 90 Top Critic Average on OpenCritic with a 100% recommendation rate. Developed and self-published by IO Interactive, the studio behind the Hitman trilogy, the game is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X\/S, with a Nintendo Switch 2 version arriving later in summer 2026. After nearly 15 years without a major AAA James Bond game, critics are calling First Light the best Bond game since GoldenEye and a serious 2026 Game of the Year contender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are Critics Saying?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The critical response has been overwhelmingly positive. Of 47 Metacritic reviews, 96% are positive, 4% are mixed, and none are negative. The Guardian awarded a perfect 100, writing: “Very few fans get to play in the sandbox of their obsession like IO has here. As far as Bond video games go, nobody has done it better.” VGC also gave a perfect score, describing the game as “a 14-hour globetrotting epic” that is “full of spectacle, humour, action, and romance. Everything James Bond should be.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JeuxActu scored it 95, praising IO Interactive for making “James Bond feel important in video games again” and calling it a “real AAA solo blockbuster that feels ambitious, polished, cinematic, and clearly built by people who genuinely understand what makes 007 special.” Vice gave 5\/5, declaring it “easily the best James Bond game since GoldenEye.” Even the lowest scores were favourable: Gamer.no gave 70 but still called it “the best James Bond game ever made,” noting IO played it too safe to reach true greatness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IGN’s review-in-progress stated it was “the best Bond has been since GoldenEye,” while Kotaku’s unscored assessment described the game as “a James Bond film that you can play. Mission accomplished.” Creative Bloq called it “a slow-burning and brutally elegant blend of Hitman and Batman: Arkham.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Does It Play?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

007: First Light is a third-person stealth action-adventure game built on IO Interactive’s proprietary Glacier engine. The gameplay blends the sandbox infiltration mechanics the studio perfected in Hitman with the cinematic set-pieces and traversal of games like Uncharted. However, IO Interactive CEO and game director Hakan Abrak has been clear that this is not simply Hitman with a Bond skin: “This is definitely not Hitman, but this is definitely an IO Interactive game.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Missions alternate between linear cinematic sequences and open sandbox areas where players choose their approach. Bond can sneak through restricted areas, use charm and bluffing mechanics to talk his way past guards, hack environmental objects with his Q-Lens gadget, or go in guns blazing when the situation calls for it. The Q-Lens serves as both a detective-vision scanning tool and a hacking device, letting players manipulate radios, disable earpieces, trigger environmental hazards, and create distractions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Combat is built around environmental interaction. Melee encounters involve throwing enemies into walls, smashing heads against tables, and using nearby objects as improvised weapons. A wristwatch equipped by Q Labs doubles as a laser to blind enemies and a dart launcher to incapacitate targets. The “License to Kill” mechanic gates lethal firearm use behind enemy aggression levels, meaning Bond cannot draw weapons freely in every encounter, encouraging creative stealth and gadget play first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After completing the main campaign, players can revisit missions through “TacSim” mode, which adds extra challenges and modifiers similar to Hitman’s Escalation system, extending replayability beyond the core 14-20 hour story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Origin Story for a New Bond<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

007: First Light is not an adaptation of any existing Bond film. It tells a completely original origin story inspired by Ian Fleming’s novels and short stories. Players take control of a 26-year-old James Bond, a former Royal Navy aircrewman who catches MI6’s attention after a daring act on a mission in Iceland. He is recruited into a reinstated Double-O programme alongside six other candidates training in Malta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The story centres on Bond’s pursuit of rogue agent 009, a chase that takes him across the globe and pulls him into a far larger conspiracy within the intelligence establishment. Irish actor Patrick Gibson (known for Dexter: Original Sin and Shadow and Bone) provides the face, voice, and motion-capture performance for this younger, less polished Bond. The main villain, Bawma, is portrayed by musician and actor Lenny Kravitz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Critics praised Gibson’s performance extensively. JeuxActu wrote that Gibson “honestly feels more convincing as the next Bond than half the names currently rumoured for the movies,” while Press Start Australia described Bond’s portrayal as exciting, unpredictable, and full of hallmark intrigue. The origin story approach allowed IO Interactive to create a Bond who is impulsive, still figuring himself out, and genuinely vulnerable, a stark contrast to the invincible super-spy of most film iterations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seven Years in the Making<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

007: First Light spent approximately seven years in development. IO Interactive first announced “Project 007” in late 2020 and worked on the game through a significant IP ownership change when Amazon acquired MGM and took control of the James Bond franchise. According to Abrak, the Amazon transition went smoothly because an executive producer who had been with the project since the MGM days remained as an anchor point throughout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project was funded in part by the commercial success of the Hitman: World of Assassination trilogy, which sold 25 million units globally and attracted 18 million players. This success allowed IO Interactive to expand with new studios in Brighton, Barcelona, and Istanbul. The Istanbul studio contributed directly to First Light’s development, and the company’s two top executives, CEO Hakan Abrak and CTO Ula\u015f Karademir, are both Turkish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IO Interactive self-published the game, making it the studio’s first licensed IP after decades of working exclusively on original creations. Abrak emphasised that this was “a Bond game made by gamers for gamers” and that maintaining an original story, rather than gamifying existing films, was “extremely important” to both IO Interactive and their licensing partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where Does It Rank Among Bond Games?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Multiple outlets have directly compared 007: First Light to 1997’s GoldenEye 007, widely regarded as the gold standard of Bond games. IGN called it “the best Bond has been since GoldenEye,” Vice declared it “easily the best James Bond game since GoldenEye,” and Gamer.no went further, calling it “the best James Bond game ever made.” The last major Bond release, 007 Legends in 2012, was critically panned, making the franchise’s nearly 15-year drought without a quality AAA entry all the more notable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the Bond franchise, critics also positioned First Light as a strong contender in the broader 2026 gaming landscape. With major releases like Grand Theft Auto VI expected later in the year, First Light’s strong opening has established it as an early frontrunner for Game of the Year discussions. EGW News noted that “most gaming media” consider it “arguably the best Bond game and a top contender for the 2026 Game of the Year title.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are the Weaknesses?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Despite the acclaim, several reviewers pointed to recurring issues. Eurogamer scored it 80, noting it is “less cerebral and replayable than IO’s World of Assassination trilogy.” Gamekult, also at 80, found the formula “a tad too cautious and predictable.” Kotaku’s unscored review described the game as “too expensive for its own good, smarter than it has any right to be and so much dumber than you wish it actually was.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Common criticisms include occasional AI inconsistencies, simplified mechanics compared to Hitman’s depth, pacing issues with secondary character arcs, and a divisive driving component. Restart.run gave the lowest notable score at 7\/10, praising the foundation but noting the game “presents its flaws fully emblazoned on its chest.” Still, the absence of any outright negative review is remarkable for a licensed game, a category historically prone to mediocre adaptations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Platforms, Runtime, and Availability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

007: First Light is available now on PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X\/S. The Nintendo Switch 2 version is confirmed for summer 2026, though no exact date has been announced. IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak has stated that “Bond has a special place on Nintendo” and pledged to ensure the Switch 2 port runs well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main story takes approximately 14-20 hours depending on play style and difficulty. VGC described it as a “14-hour globetrotting epic,” while players who explore thoroughly and play on higher difficulties can expect longer playtimes. The TacSim replay mode with additional challenges adds further longevity beyond the initial campaign completion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The game supports a wide array of languages including English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Turkish among many others. Pre-order bonuses included the “On Duty” skin for Bond and the “Gilded Wraith” golden weapon skin for those who signed up for an IO Interactive account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Things Players Want to Know<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Is 007 First Light a multiplayer game?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

No. 007: First Light is an entirely single-player experience. IO Interactive designed it as a story-driven, cinematic action-adventure. There is no cooperative or competitive multiplayer component. The TacSim mode allows replaying missions with extra modifiers but remains a solo experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Will there be a sequel?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak has expressed interest in continuing the franchise if the game is well-received by the community. Since Bond is a licensed IP now owned by Amazon, any sequel would require agreement from the licence holders. Multiple critics, including VGC, explicitly urged Amazon to “ensure this franchise continues.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How does it compare to Hitman?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While both games share IO Interactive’s DNA and sandbox design philosophy, First Light is a fundamentally different experience. Bond’s gameplay has “a lot more forward momentum” than Agent 47’s methodical approach, according to IO’s narrative director Martin Emborg. The game features more linear cinematic sequences, a stronger narrative throughline, and faster-paced action. The stealth systems are present but adapted to Bond’s more improvisational, charm-based style rather than Hitman’s disguise-centric approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is this connected to the Bond films?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

No. 007: First Light tells a completely original story with an original version of James Bond. It is not a gamification of any existing film. IO Interactive created the narrative from scratch, drawing inspiration from Ian Fleming’s literary works and the broader Bond mythology while crafting a standalone origin story designed specifically for the gaming medium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With seven years of development behind it and near-universal praise from critics, 007: First Light has achieved something rare: a licensed game that stands on its own as one of the best releases of the year. IO Interactive’s gamble on taking Bond in an entirely new direction has paid off, delivering a game that honours the franchise’s legacy while proving the world’s most famous spy has a bright future in gaming.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

IO Interactive’s 007: First Light has launched to widespread critical acclaim, scoring 88 on Metacritic with 96% positive reviews. Critics are calling it the best James Bond game since GoldenEye and a genuine 2026 Game of the Year contender.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4587,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[285],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gaming-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4586","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4586"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4586\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4588,"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4586\/revisions\/4588"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4587"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gamermarkt.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}