According to engadget, IO Interactive, the developer behind the Hitman series, is creating a new James Bond origin story game titled 007 First Light. The game stars Patrick Gibson as a young, brash, and inexperienced James Bond at the start of his MI6 career. The narrative will explore how he becomes the iconic spy, featuring a cast including Lenny Kravitz as a new villain named Bawma, Kiera Lester as Moneypenny, and Lennie James as Bond’s mentor. The game is described as an open-ended “sandbox” experience that emphasizes player agency and social infiltration, differing from the more solitary Hitman gameplay. A cinematic reveal featuring Lenny Kravitz was shown at The Game Awards, and you can see the official trailer here.
The Hitman problem
Now, here’s the thing. IO Interactive has a phenomenal track record with sandbox assassination puzzles. The Hitman World of Assassination trilogy is a masterclass in systemic, player-driven gameplay. But James Bond isn’t Agent 47. 47 is a ghost, a tool, a silent predator. Bond is a bull in a china shop who makes the china shop invite him in for a martini first. The core fantasy is completely different.
So when they talk about adding “social” elements and letting players “talk to that guy” or “bluff through charisma,” I get nervous. That’s a whole different design paradigm. Building a robust social engineering system that feels as satisfying and deep as their environmental puzzle-boxes? That’s arguably a harder trick to pull off than a perfect silent assassin run. They’re bolstering their toolbox, as they say, but are they building a whole new workshop?
Origin story fatigue
And then there’s the origin story angle. Look, we get it. Everyone loves an origin story. But for a character as established as James Bond, whose entire appeal is his unflappable, finished-product cool? It’s a huge risk. The narrative director, Martin Emborg, says Bond “hasn’t been overdone,” which is… a take. The films constantly reboot. We’ve seen the rookie Bond in Casino Royale. The charm here has to be in the interactive “how,” not the narrative “what.”
If the missions are just about a clumsy kid making mistakes, does that feel like Bond? Or does it feel like every other action game with a learning protagonist? They need to thread a needle: show growth while letting the player feel supremely capable and clever from the very first mission. That’s a tall order.
The specter of past Bond games
Let’s be real. The shadow of GoldenEye 007 looms over every Bond game. But that was a pure shooter, a masterpiece of its era. Everything or Nothing was a great third-person action romp. What IO is attempting is fundamentally different—it’s an immersive sim-lite spy fantasy. The comparison isn’t to those games; it’s to the Hitman series and maybe something like Dishonored.
The risk is creating a game that’s neither fish nor fowl. Not a tight, focused action spectacle, and not a truly deep, systemic social stealth game. If the “chase or set-piece” levels they mention feel like jarring, scripted interruptions to the sandbox flow, the whole “game that breathes” philosophy could fall flat. Pacing is everything.
Cautious optimism
Okay, so I’ve been skeptical. But I have to admit, the pieces are there for something special. IO’s level design chops are undeniable. Their reverence for the lore, name-dropping deep cuts like On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, shows they’re fans. And the idea of a Bond game where you truly choose your approach—smooth talker, brutal brawler, cunning infiltrator—is the ultimate spy fantasy.
Basically, 007 First Light has the potential to be the Bond game we’ve always wanted. But potential is a dangerous word in this industry. They’re trying to build a new genre hybrid, and that’s where most ambitious games stumble. I think the success hinges entirely on one thing: does the “social” gameplay feel like a powerful, fun tool, or just a fancy dialogue wheel? We’ll have to wait and see. But for the first time in a long time, a Bond game has my genuine attention.
