We played First Light, the game that James Bond deserved: review

It’s a dashing James Bond that you play in First Lightsince he is only 25 years old. Image: MGM Interactive

The secret agent in the service of Her Majesty is back in a video game with cinematic ambitions entitled First Light. A success which presents itself as a prequel to the saga.

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It’s now been five years since Daniel Craig put his tuxedo in the closet. While his succession on the big screen is long overdue, Agent 007 returns to the small window in the guise of Irish actor Patrick Gibson (Dexter: Origins) for an interactive mission. Indeed, the new part of the saga is none other than a video game which will take you to the four corners of the world, in order to track down a former renegade MI6 agent, played by singer Lenny Kravitz.

Title First Lightthis new James Bond aims to reboot the franchise into a video game with a prequel story, where we witness the integration into MI6 of a 25-year-old James. Before earning his stripes as Agent 00, he was a Royal Navy soldier who, during a reconnaissance mission in Iceland, found himself involved in the affairs of MI6 after a helicopter crash of which he was the only survivor.

This synopsis serves as the framework for the very first mission of the game: an action-packed sequence that plays both the role of tutorial and introduction to the universe, like any good opening of a James Bond film.

It is also after this that the iconic credits begin, as in every film, created by David Arnold, historical composer of the saga since the era of Pierce Brosnan, starring Lana Del Rey. Suffice it to say that the singer of Born To Die seemed born for this, as her voice lends itself wonderfully to the sound universe of the license.

007 First Light, the game fans dreamed of

Controller in hand, the game offers total immersion into the skin of the character created by Ian Fleming. Less elegant, the James Bond played by Patrick Gibson is much less taciturn than that of Daniel Craig, but nevertheless has the same sense of sacrifice.

He is impetuous, sociable, full of wit and has an undeniable charm which particularly serves the gameplay, since you will be able to get out of bad situations solely thanks to your eloquence, by bluffing an enemy who spots you in an area where you are not supposed to be.

You will have to infiltrate and make yourself pass for what you are not: such is the spy’s job.Image: MGM Interactive

Between numerous cinematic scenes which serve a scenario that could not be more “Bondian”, the game is a good mix between infiltration and action, between phases of discreet research and moments rich in explosions. Equipped with an Omega Seamaster watch specially created by the watchmaker for the game, which allows you to hack any device.

This is what will allow you to create a diversion to enter various locations, while using other gadgets that will be provided by the brilliant Q. From the phone that sends darts, through the explosive pen, all the DNA of the franchise has been integrated into the game. Naturally, expect to drive an Aston Martin.

Not yet being a zero double agent, Bond does not yet have his license to kill, which will be issued to him only to defend himself. The game therefore favors infiltration and bare-handed combat, the promise of very successful games, since you will be able to use absolutely everything that is in your environment to knock out your opponents.

However, when an enemy spots you, you will be authorized to use your weapon in response, which makes the game particularly enjoyable, thanks to a relatively wide freedom of action, oscillating between shootouts, explosions and fistfights. Between the espionage phases, the game also offers epic passages, such as chases or Dantesque fights against bosses.

What would James Bond be without his exoticism?Image: MGM Interactive

The game is not free of flaws, but these are minimal and are the same as most competitive games, such as NPCs with slightly poor modeling and enemies that are easy to fool during infiltration phases. The game, visually very beautiful, also suffers from the limited power of current consoles, except for those who have powerful machines. The game doesn’t offer anything extra that hasn’t already been seen elsewhere, since it’s a clever mix of Uncharted et Hitmanand he does it very well.

A real James Bond

First Light was not thought of as a derivative product, but rather as a real new part. The emphasis was placed on the staging, and the cutscenes are worthy of an interactive film. The dialogues are in the spirit of James Bond, with a main character with British phlegm and charm, surrounded by secondary characters emblematic of the franchise, such as M, Q or even Moneypenny, all at the service of the intrigue.

In 2026, James is still flirting but without being a jerk.Image: MGM Interactive

In this initiatory story, which recalls that of Daniel Craig in Casino Royalethere will obviously be Bond girls and romances along the way. And, as it is 2026, the plot revolves around artificial intelligence and its threat. With First LightAmazon and MGM Interactive, the new rights holders of the license, offer us a successful revival, worthy of the legendary saga created by Ian Fleming in 1952.

We still don’t know anything about the next cinematic adventures to come, but if First Light had been the proposal of the MGM studio and Patrick Gibson its official interpreter, it would have constituted a completely acceptable part, in addition to bringing a real breath of fresh air to the adventures of James Bond. And suffice to say, we really need freshness at the moment.

James Bond: First Light was released on May 27, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC.