“007 First Light” from IO Interactive is a new James Bond origin story where we follow his recruitment to MI6, his training, and the conspiracy that threatens to end his spy career before it even starts. From beginning to end, this is a Bond adventure that fits the franchise like a glove, with a new take on Bond for the gamer generation. 

“First Light” features a series of missions where Bond is confronted with challenges of stealth and infiltration which the player is given multiple options to overcome. Interestingly, at almost every turn, violence and gunplay are treated as a last resort. Bond is only given “license to kill” when enemies pull out their weapons first. Otherwise, you can bluff or sneak your way through most areas. It’s refreshing to see an action game actively discourage gunfights. 

The game’s conflict revolves around THEIA, an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) that MI6 uses to inform their operations. While most modern spy stories would have the AI as the villain, “First Light” has a more nuanced, relevant take: the enemy is not the AI, but the powerful elite who control it. The conflict and stakes are sold extremely well by the cast, who bring huge heart and emotion to this grounded spy thriller. They tell a story about overcoming mistakes of the past and moving forward. 

The one downside is the game’s online functionality, which doesn’t seem to serve a purpose. “First Light” is obsessed with celebrating the franchise’s history, so I was surprised to not see some kind of competitive mode like the classic “GoldenEye” game, but perhaps that will come in the future. 

“007 First Light” is a very well-done game. Everything — down to the music, scenery and ambiance — creates the perfect suave, classy vibe for the iconic gentleman spy. The game plays like a 20-hour film in all the best ways, and I never got bored playing as Bond, even during some difficult missions. It appears this iteration of James Bond and MI6 are set to continue with more games, with some plot threads left dangling. If that’s the case, I’ll be onboard when they’re released.