007 First Light In-Depth: Is This More Than Just A Prettier Hitman Game?

IO Interactive gave gamers a small glimpse of its upcoming foray in the world of James Bond back in June, with a reveal trailer for 007 First Light. The studio just presented a more in-depth look, however, into its re-imagining of the James Bond origin story, including in-game footage from two missions. It clearly has the DNA of the Hitman franchise, but is designed to deliver an authentic James Bond experience.

One of the development studio’s goal has been to provide players with a sense of freedom in how they opt to tackle any given mission. Players will be able to stealth their way through a mission thanks to Bond’s spycraft skills, deploy all manner of gadgets provided by Q, or fight their way out of a situation using their fists or weapons. Of course, the game really hits its stride when players combine all of those skills for a more all-encompassing experience.


Driving sequences feature heavily in this adventure. Players will take part in high-speed chases, with plenty of opportunities to take shortcuts, to get to different objectives. The development team says that it “wanted to deliver on the action set-pieces that have been part of the franchise’s history.” IO Interactive isn’t known for its driving experiences, so it’s a bit quizzical to see it lean so heavily into this aspect of the game. Hands on time is needed to see if the studio nailed this part.

While the game looks visually impressive, there are some noticeable issues. The first is the frame rate, which often dipped well below 30 frames per second. Although there’s still plenty of time to take care of this, but it’s indicative that it’s going to be a demanding game to run. The other issue is the amount of motion blur the game employs; when the action really gets going with fisticuffs there’s an immediate and heavy blur effect. This one seems like a design choice, but it might turn away some players. Hopefully there's a toggle in the control panel for it.


The game may face criticism that it’s just Agent 47 cosplaying as James Bond. While that might be a valid point during the stealthier portions of the game, the Hitman vibes melt away once the large set pieces have Bond running and gunning or making a quick getaway in a vehicle. Ultimately, it has all the trappings that James Bond fans will appreciate.

There will be three editions to choose from. The standard edition at $69.99, the Amazon exclusive Specialist Edition that includes a free skin for $69.99, and for the diehard fans the Legacy Edition at $299.99. The Legacy Edition includes the base game, Deluxe Edition content, Golden Gun Figurine, certificate of authenticity, steelcase with magnet, Golden Gun weapon skin, and Obsidian Gold suit.

Gamers will be able to galivant across the globe as a young James Bond when 007 First Light releases on March 27, 2026. It will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC. Handy pre-order links are below.

• PC Legacy Edition - Amazon
  
  
• PlayStation 5 Standard Edition – Best Buy
• PlayStation 5 Specialist Edition – Amazon
• PlayStation 5 Legacy Edition – Amazon
  
  
• Xbox Series Standard Edition – Best Buy
• Xbox Series Specialist Edition – Amazon
• Xbox Series Legacy Edition – Amazon
  
  
• Nintendo Switch 2 Standard Edition – Best Buy
• Nintendo Switch 2 Specialist Edition – Amazon