Developer IO Interactive has announced that its action-adventure title 007 First Light will release on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2, and PC on March 27, 2026.
In the early hours of this morning, a State of Play dedicated solely to 007 First Light premiered, giving us our first proper look at gameplay for IO’s upcoming adaptation of the action-spy classic. Opening, oddly enough, with Bond out for a casual drive in a not-so-casual Jag, we get our first proper hint at the game’s larger plot, as the martini-drinking rookie spy is said to be on perimeter duty at a chess tournament held in a Slovakian mansion, as MI6 attempts to confront 009.
Naturally, the young rogue doesn’t take kindly to waiting in the car, so he quickly takes off to pursue a suspicious bellhop. Waved off by security, we get to see some classic IO game design, as Bond uses his Instinct (the game’s version of Eagle Vision) to find an alternate route, of which there seem to be a few. Environmental distractions and the use of some gadgets do the job, along with some quips and well-told white lies to suspicious employees of the manor. It all feels very Bond, wrapped up in some of the sandbox gameplay elements from IO’s Hitman series.
Things differ from Hitman when Bond interacts with a bartender. Given dialogue options, it looks like players will be given various methods to approach missions. This one inevitably ends with a car chase that looks the part, but it feels a bit on-rails and exposition-heavy, like a pseudo-cutscene.
Things kick back into gear with the ensuing action at an airfield, with Bond going loud with his trusty pistol, as well as weapons he pilfers from downed enemies. Explosions aplenty, this truly feels like the all-out action found at the climax of the good James Bond films. The scene hits its crescendo with Bond getting into a fist fight with goons on the wing of a plane barreling down a runway, before infiltrating, hacking, and subsequently taking control of the plane mid-flight. Oh, and he’s ejected out of the plane as well, of course.
The remainder of the State of Play was dedicated to a developer overview, highlighting the game’s various systems and features as Bond tracks an assassin through a busy gala event. Eavesdropping, clever use of gadgets, and truth-bending conversations are all part of Bond’s arsenal. With that said, he can also go the classic route of luring guards in before knocking them out, or get into some fisticuffs.
You can watch the full 007 First Light State of Play here:
All in all, First Light is looking like a solid Bond action blockbuster, with some potential edges here and there. We will find out soon enough, with that release date being a short few months away.
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