IO Interactive has revealed uncut gameplay from the upcoming James Bond game 007: First Light for the first time. There’s even a release date.
Note: at the end of this article, you’ll find a raffle for 007: First Light.
At Gamescom, we were able to get a first impression of 007: First Light. It’s the latest project from Hitman developer studio IO Interactive. Now PlayStation has revealed in-depth gameplay publicly for the first time at a State of Play. The game looks like a bombastic action mix of Uncharted and Hitman.
Below, we’ve collected everything about what was shown – including additional information from the development team.
The featured mission starts with a slow car ride in which Bond and his fellow agents talk about the tasks ahead. You have to extract rogue agent 009 from a Slovakian hotel where a chess tournament’s taking place. The game environment looks impressive, with dense vegetation and atmospheric lighting.
According to the development studio, Bond in 007 First Light is still a young agent who first has to prove himself and earn the 007 title. He often has no control over his emotions and disobeys direct order.
Things are no different on this mission. Bond is really only supposed to play the chauffeur waiting in the parking lot while «real» agents infiltrate the hotel. While he waits, he sees a bellboy throwing away a suitcase. He promptly decides to investigate the matter, despite direct instructions not to do so.
What follows is a gameplay sequence that should be familiar to all Hitman fans. At the Gamescom reveal, the development team made no secret of obvious parallels. Hitman gameplay is part of the studio’s DNA and fits perfectly with a game like 007: First Light.
Bond is turned away by the hotel staff – only guests and employees are allowed inside. So, he looks around for alternative ways to sneak in. According to IO Interactive, there’s a variety of possible approaches to reach the goal in each mission. In this case, the agent decides to enter through an open window. To distract the security, he starts a small fire first. James, you little rascal.
The interiors of the hotel are also visually impressive, with an incredible amount of detail and NPCs enjoying themselves at the party. Bond has to remain as inconspicuous as possible in his search for the suspicious bellboy.
In contrast to Hitman, he’s also not allowed to just murder random people. The agent only receives his licence to kill if his life is in imminent danger – a difference that IO Interactive emphasised heavily during the presentation.
Of course, it all goes pear-shaped. The mission escalates, Bond is caught, 009 flees the hotel. Part two of the demo features a wild chase through the Slovakian mountains. The car Bond stole speeds across roads, fields and market stalls. This scripted action reminds me of games like Uncharted. A popcorn-worthy movie you can play.
According to IO Interactive, chases and Bond’s car will also play a major role throughout the rest of the game, making up a significant part of the gameplay (sneaking, shooting, driving).
After the chase, Bond has to fight his way through an airport stuffed with bad guys. His goal? To prevent the plane 009 is on from taking off. The baddies threaten Bond with deadly weapons – licence to kill pops up on-screen. Alright, let’s dance.
The shootout at the airport again reminds me of Uncharted. Take cover, shoot, throw out some punches from time to time. The development team says that enemies are aggressive and will always try to encircle Bond. So, staying under cover for too long isn’t an option.
In contrast to the Uncharted series, however, there are much more explosions. A little too much for my taste. Anything the agent shoots explodes. Why the heck are there explosive barrels absolutely everywhere? Do gaming villains never learn?
The end of the demo is also pretty crazy. Bond fights henchmen hired by the renegade 009 on a moving aeroplane. Mid-flight, he manages to hack the plane’s controls with his watch. By pressing the R1 and L1 buttons, you can control the inclination of the aircraft. For example, he knocks enemies aside with flying crates. Bond’s gadgets will be used often in the final release too, adding unexpected gameplay mechanics.
In the end, the plane crashes (of course) and Bond bails out without a parachute. He grabs it off one of the fleeing villains mid-fall. I hate to repeat myself, but again: Uncharted vibes. And I mean that as a compliment.
Game Director Hakan Abrak also showed further short gameplay snippets in the State of Play, which revealed some game mechanics from the mission described above in other situations. You can see the excerpts from minute 25:50.
The cast has also been announced:
You’ll have to wait a little longer for the release. 007: First Light will be released on 27 March 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2 and PC.
I’m telling you: 2026 will be a legendary gaming year.
At my preview, I got some fancy playing cards in a 007 design and a rubber duck from IO Interactive. And I want to give them to you. Yes, YOU. Simply answer the following question: in your opinion, which is the best Bond game? You're also welcome to share your answer in the comments.
My love of video games was unleashed at the tender age of five by the original Gameboy. Over the years, it's grown in leaps and bounds.
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