Preview: 007 First Light: A Full Debrief After 3 Hours with IO’s New James Bond Game

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MISSION SUMMARY

The location was in London, very close to King’s Cross station. It was a quiet spot, as most people were preoccupied with photographing the famous Platform 9¾. The only possible problem was a planned strike on the London Underground that same day.

We received a brief overview of 007 First Light, a new, interactive training simulation created by IO Interactive.

I didn’t get a complete overview – just a carefully selected part of the overall plan. It involved three hours of intense testing, with three procedures that gradually became more difficult. It was enough to grasp what they were trying to achieve, but not enough to become an expert.

That, I suspect, may have been the point.

SIMULATION OVERVIEW

The programme is structured with quick-thinking and repetition in mind.

At first glance, it seems like a typical story-driven game, but honestly, it’s way more than that! It’s a really open sandbox where you’re expected to figure things out, change your approach when things don’t work, and just keep experimenting. It’s all about learning as you go!

Players who already know the Hitman series will quickly understand and enjoy this game.

Beyond the main simulation, a feature called ‘TacSim’ lets users change settings and replay scenarios to see how different choices affect the outcome. It also includes leaderboards and rewards to motivate players to improve their skills.

Unfortunately, I was only briefed on this. It wasn’t available to test.

FIELD REPORT 01: ICELAND – ‘AGAINST ALL ODDS’

The mission in Iceland starts suddenly, with heavy rain and challenging conditions. It feels a lot like the training exercise we ran in Hawke’s Bay during Agent 47’s program.

A standard helicopter training drill takes a dangerous turn, leaving a trainee stranded in enemy territory. The initial SAS rescue team is quickly neutralized, and MI6 unexpectedly takes over the operation.

It feels remarkably like watching a movie. I’ve heard about similar experiences from a friend named Nate Drake.

Scaling steep cliffs, carefully picking my way along thin trails, and battling the harsh weather – it’s a brutal challenge, and the cold is intense. But I have to keep going; there’s no other choice.

Okay, visually this game is stunning – seriously, top-of-the-line graphics. But I’m playing it on a super powerful Nvidia PC, so keep that in mind. I haven’t seen anything suggesting it’s running on a PS5, not even the Pro version. Honestly, I can’t really say how well it’ll perform on your console at home.

I can only describe what I witnessed: rain hitting the camera lens, and delicate moss growing on the wet rocks. It was a beautiful sight.

While dodging members of a dangerous Balkan gang called Arrowhead, I’m getting used to the game’s controls. They’re a bit unusual, similar to the way the Agent 47 game works. You use the R1 button to run, and it takes a little while to get the hang of it.

Arrowhead is hiding inside a large tent that’s been set with explosives. The tent contains a deadly nerve agent, and I was exposed to it. I don’t remember where I found the antidote, but MI6 assisted me.

People’s lives are on the line, which is why I’m going against what I was told. Now, the situation is truly open-ended – I get to decide which path to take.

I moved left, using noises like radios to draw enemy fire and attention. I found help inside a small building, and they pointed me toward more allies on the right side.

Here’s the plan: we’ll send up a flare and then run as fast as we can. I press the R1 button again. As Iceland explodes into view behind me, it feels like I’m in a film.

I can hear the sudden crooning of Lana Del Rey.

FIELD REPORT 02: MALTA – ‘A NEW HOME’

Malta offers a welcome change of pace. With its bright blue skies and warm, sun-drenched landscapes, it’s a relaxing escape after the rugged climate of Iceland.

This is a practice run within the larger simulation, designed to help you learn the basic systems in a safe and controlled setting.

The Q Lens is like having a superpower for seeing things. It works similarly to how special vision modes function in video games.

The Q Lens lets me pinpoint things I can interact with. I use it to remotely access and modify CCTV cameras and computers.

The simulation is designed with many different paths and opportunities for players to interact. You can do things like switch on radios or break into computer systems.

I’m on the clock. I made a mess of it.

Honestly, watching the game, it was so frustrating! They had some really clear chances they just didn’t take, and plays that looked promising at the start ended up falling apart and becoming a waste of time. It was like they started with a good idea, but it just didn’t work out at all.

Instead of getting discouraged, I found the experience helpful. I definitely learned from what went wrong, and I’ll use those lessons in future work.

This is a simulation built on iteration, not perfection on the first attempt.

FIELD REPORT 03: LONDON – ‘UNINVITED’

Kensington, London is where everything converges.

It all starts so subtly, inside a normal London flat. It’s a really interesting way to begin, making it feel surprisingly real and personal. We get a hint of what’s going on, but a lot of the specifics are being kept secret – it’s all classified until the official release, which is killing me!

The situation becomes incredibly dangerous: a chase unfolds on rooftops in one of London’s wealthiest areas, culminating in a desperate run across a towering crane with the city sprawling below.

This culminates in a glamorous, high-security gala – think a sophisticated fashion show like those seen in the Agent 47 games. The event features complex, multi-layered goals, and there are several different ways to achieve victory.

The initial goal is easy: reach an upper balcony.

Getting there is anything but.

Pretending to be a journalist means needing a camera and official press credentials, which are hard to get. Every interaction turns into a chance to gather information, and sometimes you have to act like you know more than you do.

Talking to the PR team offered one solution, while the busy security team provided a different way forward.

From there, it’s a chain of small decisions:

  • Slipping behind a busy bar to gather intel
  • Finding a password in an unlocked drawer
  • Using that info to access restricted systems

Each step feels logical in isolation. Together, they form something closer to a puzzle.

Mistakes were made. Plans fell apart. Improvisation took over.

And yet, the structure held.

The game clearly takes cues from the Hitman series, featuring social stealth, complex level design, and allowing players to complete missions in various ways.

I’ve been playing a lot of sims lately, and this one feels different. Usually, they’re all about total chaos and just seeing what happens, but this one’s a bit more… focused. It’s not about random experimentation; it’s about carefully planning things out and executing them well. It’s a nice change of pace, honestly.

When conflict finally erupted, it happened quickly. The gunfights are visually impressive and feel powerful, but they often didn’t seem like the natural way to progress. Even in tense situations, I didn’t always have the freedom to use lethal force; it felt like the game only allowed me to shoot when it specifically wanted me to.

This is true of the boss fight with [REDACTED].

Relying on my intelligence, I used the Q Lens to gain an advantage over my attacker. I managed to activate electrical systems and redirect industrial fans, ultimately leading to a confrontation that I surprisingly won.

And then the eventual escape – in this case, via an unglamorous bin lorry.

Effective, if not elegant.

SYSTEMS ANALYSIS

Across all three operations, a consistent design philosophy emerges.

Staying hidden and influencing people are the most important things. Players can use tools like the Q Lens, manipulate the environment, and interact based on location to achieve their goals, whether it’s sneaking in unnoticed or causing a commotion.

While fighting is present in the game, it doesn’t feel like a central focus. Close-quarters combat feels weak, and trying to fight directly often creates more difficulties than it resolves.

It’s hard not to compare this to the Agent 47 games, but it takes a more focused approach. Instead of wide-open, unpredictable levels, it emphasizes carefully designed challenges and solutions.

Honestly, sometimes it’s hard to figure out what I’m supposed to do in a game when I can’t just quickly switch between characters or change how my character looks. It makes the core challenge feel a little hidden at first.

It feels like the simulation requires a lot of practice to fully grasp, and the unavailable ‘TacSim’ feature was intended to help with that.

OPERATIVE ASSESSMENT

The simulation’s restraint is admirable.

Although exciting events happen at key times, the game focuses on careful planning and making thoughtful choices – rewarding patience instead of rushing in.

It’s not really about being James Bond, you know, doing all the cool action stuff. It’s more about learning to think like him – figuring out what’s going on around you, finding people’s weak spots, and staying in charge, no matter what.

DEBRIEF CONCLUSION

STATUS
Ongoing
RECOMMENDATION
Continued evaluation required

First impressions of 007 First Light are very promising. It’s not just a typical action game; it’s a more thoughtful experience that focuses on the intricate systems and challenges of being James Bond.

I’m not convinced I’ve fully understood it yet. I’ve certainly not earned the number.

But that, I believe, will come.

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2026-04-30 18:10