007 First Light Could Deliver The Uncharted Fix Fans Want

by

It’s been ten years since Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End came out. Since then, Naughty Dog has released Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, The Last of Us Part II, and a remake of the original The Last of Us. They’re currently working on Intergalactic, planned for release in 2027, and another secret project. However, it’s not certain if the second project will be a new Uncharted game.

With games like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and even Tomb Raider, a specific style of big-budget, action-packed adventure—similar to what Uncharted 4 offered—is becoming less common. It makes you wonder if players still want these kinds of exciting, story-driven experiences with compelling characters like Nathan Drake, or if this genre has run its course.

Okay, so 007 First Light isn’t going to be another Uncharted game, but honestly, I’ve been hoping for a game that feels like you’re in a big action movie, and this one looks like it could really deliver that. It’s not exactly a Nathan Drake game, but it might be the closest we’ve gotten to that blockbuster adventure feeling in years!

Let’s clarify how Uncharted and 007 First Light are similar. A common misunderstanding is that one is about treasure hunting and the other about spying. While that’s true on the surface, both games are fundamentally action adventures presented in a cinematic, third-person style, filled with cover-based shooting, carefully orchestrated chaos, and impressive set pieces. The core gameplay design is what truly connects them. Essentially, both series offer different themes – one focuses on treasure, the other on espionage – but they share the same basic structure and underlying mechanics.

A key strength of the Uncharted series, especially refined in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, is its constant sense of progress. Exploring areas always felt like building towards something bigger, like setting up a puzzle just to dramatically destroy it with the next exciting action sequence. Now, because IO Interactive also created the Hitman series, people are naturally comparing 007 First Light to it. While 007 First Light clearly takes inspiration from Hitman – with elements like careful observation, stealth, and improvisation – it prioritizes fast-paced action. Like Uncharted, it keeps things moving quickly. Bond has plenty of gadgets and skills to help him escape or bluff his way through challenges that would often require restarting in a Hitman game.

The main characters, both Drake and the Bond in First Light, are likable, reliable, and sometimes take risks. Drake is seasoned but makes mistakes, while this younger Bond is still learning the ropes and becoming the skilled agent he’s known as. The big question is whether he feels like Bond while you’re playing. Because he’s so young, his charm doesn’t quite feel natural. In fact, he might actually be more similar to Drake than the game creators planned. His confident attitude gives 007 First Light a similar emotional feel to Uncharted, whether that was the intention or not. He’s not just a copy of Drake in a James Bond setting, but his character design draws heavily from the style Uncharted established.

Both games feature similar protagonists, and it seems 007 First Light is also aiming for the same exciting, cinematic feel in its action sequences as the Uncharted series. Uncharted was famous for its carefully designed set-pieces – like crumbling buildings, thrilling chases, and narrow escapes – that felt spectacular but still gave players control. Everything was precisely orchestrated for maximum impact.

Like other James Bond games, 007 First Light is packed with exciting action – fast car chases, intense gunfights, and big explosions. However, unlike Uncharted, this game doesn’t just put you on a fixed path. It often lets you choose how these action sequences play out, giving you more control and freedom.

Unlike what we discussed before, this is where the game starts to feel like Hitman. Instead of just watching things happen, 007 First Light lets you create the action. You can tackle situations with stealth, direct fighting, social skills, or any combination of those. Even during intense shootouts, the game doesn’t force you into a specific path. It uses cinematic camera work like Uncharted, but often throws in puzzles and challenges that you have to solve under pressure. While Uncharted makes you feel like you’re in a movie, 007 First Light lets you feel like you’re helping to make one.

Combining carefully designed scenes with the freedom for players to make their own choices is difficult. Creating exciting, scripted moments like those in Uncharted is one thing, but adding real player agency without sacrificing the overall experience is a greater challenge, and that’s what 007 First Light is attempting. IO Interactive has a strong track record with the open-ended design of Hitman, but adapting those ideas to a more focused, story-driven game is a new hurdle for them.

The developers are trying to find a sweet spot between a tightly directed experience and one that gives players lots of freedom. 007 First Light feels like a test case for the future of big-budget action games. Games like Uncharted tell a very specific story, while games like Hitman let you create your own. This game is rare in that it tries to blend both approaches on a large scale. If it works, 007 First Light could change how action games inspired by Hollywood movies are made.

Okay, so playing 007 First Light feels a lot like Uncharted 4, but there’s a key difference. Nathan Drake is all about running in, getting lucky, and just barely making it through. But in First Light, you’re playing a young Bond who’s way more about being in control, precise with everything he does, and holding back – it’s a totally different vibe!

The game’s design impacts how battles play out. Like in Hitman, Bond tends to react to threats rather than start fights, only becoming violent after enemies draw their weapons. While enemies might still open fire quickly, it’s a change from games like Uncharted, where the heroic character sometimes seems at odds with the number of enemies they defeat. 007 First Light’s battles are designed to feel more controlled, similar to the Batman: Arkham series – a game the developers have said inspired the combat – giving players the power to decide whether to fight or try to avoid conflict.

Unlike previous games, 007 First Light offers a more strategic and deliberate power fantasy, and that’s a key difference. Whether you enjoy it or not, it’s important to go in knowing what to expect to have the best experience. While we’ve pointed out emotional similarities to other games, 007 First Light blends different styles – it’s not strictly a straightforward story or entirely pre-determined, but it still draws inspiration from those kinds of designs.

Now that there aren’t any new Uncharted games planned, there’s an opportunity for another game to take its place. As we discussed earlier, if the popularity of adventure games like Uncharted has waned, 007 First Light demonstrates that even small improvements to the formula can help these story-focused, action-packed games regain their audience. While Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End was a landmark title, 007 First Light could offer a glimpse of what this type of game will look like after a decade of evolution.

Just so you know, everything written in this article is my own opinion – it’s how I see things, and doesn’t necessarily reflect what GamingBolt as a whole thinks. I’m sharing my perspective, not speaking for them!

Read More

2026-05-26 12:17