Review – 007 First Light

I start this review standing up, applauding IO Interactive. What an amazing game, my friends! 007 First Light renews the game franchise by bringing an origin story to the world’s most famous secret agent. Irish actor Patrick Gibson plays young Bond, initially a British Royal Navy aviator who survives a surprise attack during an operation in Iceland. He ends up being put to the test by an MI6 supervisor, with a 1% chance of survival. But of course our hero finds a way, with the player’s help through a brief stealth tutorial. An epic introduction, which already shows part of the game’s many qualities.

007 First Light is a beautiful game, with a very well written origin story and a Bond who, from the beginning, will win over players with his charisma and sharp humor. And even though this is a 100% original game, it still pays homage to games from the past, especially the beloved GoldenEye 007 from Nintendo 64. In other words, 007’s legacy is in the hands of the right team, who respected and raised the level of the franchise’s games.

Inspirations for a new approach

If you saw any of the trailers published before the launch, you certainly noticed that the game has a hint of Hitman – another successful franchise from IO Interactive – and Uncharted. And yes, the feeling when playing is the same. However, 007 First Light borrows the best from these franchises to have its own identity, without looking too much like one or the other. In other words, it has the stealth and variety of solutions to solve obstacles of , as well as the vertical exploration, action, humor and story development of Uncharted.

The difference in gameplay lies in the excellent and responsive hand-to-hand combat and the technological devices that Bond uses, including the Q Clock. That is, hacking things, shooting a toxic dart that makes the target feel sick, shooting smoke capsules with a lighter to escape danger and blowing things up with a pen, among other examples. Bond has 4 spaces to configure his favorite devices before each mission. And to recharge these devices, just pick up batteries and chemicals along the way.

007 First Light gives you the freedom to choose your approach: completely silent or facing off with your fists and firearms. The second option, however, will always be the most difficult. The game’s artificial intelligence does its job very well, calling for reinforcements, throwing grenades, flanking and pressuring the player at all times. Just a few shots or punches hit and Bond will quickly fall to the ground, especially if you play on the highest difficulty (Purist). Although the NPCs look the other way more than in Hitman, to avoid constant frustration, the challenge never lets up.

The learner’s impulsivity

After the incident in Iceland, Bond is called to go to MI6 and agrees to join the 00 program, reactivated by M. Here begins a second tutorial where you learn the rest of the gameplay, but without the boring basic tutorial. You get to know your co-workers and all training is conducted alongside the story, with quick scene changes for constant gameplay. It’s like you’re playing a movie, things are so well tied together. And the other characters, especially his mentor John Greenway (played by Lennie James, from the series The Walking Dead), guarantee dialogue and a special dynamic for the game. The villains, although with less room for development, are all very interesting.

The setting is also impressive, especially in the chapters that involve places full of NPCs and a sea of ​​possibilities. Do you need a card to pass through a door? You can go after someone who has the card or simply find another way to get to the other side of the door. Bond can also listen to others’ conversations to obtain clues, as well as bluff and distract targets at the right time. Testing these things is extremely fun, whether you have the patience or not.

If you don’t like stealth or slow exploration games, maybe 007 First Light isn’t for you. There are moments of calm and pure exploration, with lots of dialogue going on and things to investigate. However, the action always arrives at the right time, promoting epic shootings and chases. And everything is always accompanied by a phenomenal soundtrack, in the classic style of the franchise, which boosts the climax of each great moment of the game.

The choice of characters is another strong point, with the majority being actors from famous series. But I highlight here the participation of Lenny Kravits as Bawma, a character with a brief but very memorable appearance in the story. My only complaint is the lack of dubbing in Brazilian Portuguese. The game was dubbed only in English, leaving all other languages ​​without an option except for subtitles and localized interfaces.

007 First Light is a strong candidate for best game of the year. And I’m not exaggerating: in addition to the good length, excellent story and gameplay, the game is highly inviting to replay the chapters. At least out of curiosity when discovering other ways to complete missions. Even in conversations there is this curiosity, with different answers to see what happens.

IO Interactive poured all its passion for the franchise into the game, delivering a work worthy of a film. Everything here was done with extreme care and dedication, something you don’t often see nowadays. And they nailed the characterization of the new, young Bond.