LONDON: The new James Bond video game 007 First Light brings the world's best-known spy back to the gaming world after a long absence, developed by Copenhagen-based studio IO Interactive, known for the Hitman series, and released on May 27.
The game opens in Iceland, where James Bond is the sole survivor of a helicopter crash over the sea and is washed ashore. He is not yet the suave agent audiences know, but a young, rough-edged Navy pilot – surrounded by enemy forces with little prospect of rescue.
This is the backstory to Bond's big-screen adventures.
It's at precisely this moment that intelligence agency MI6 attempts to contact him: a lifeline in exchange for recruitment. He initially refuses. In typical Bond fashion, he spots a daring way out of the predicament – the James Bond theme blares and away he goes.
Players quickly learn that they are experiencing the origin story of the legendary agent's big-screen adventures. In the game, it is actress Priyanga Burford, playing M, who promotes Bond into the double-0 programme. This doesn't sit well with Greenway, played by Lennie James, who is supposed to be Bond's mentor.
Bond, portrayed by Patrick Gibson, first heads out on a training mission to learn combat techniques, driving skills and the art of espionage. He must earn his place, and the game lets players experience every step of that journey. The training mission on Malta conveniently doubles as the game's tutorial.
A mission briefing follows immediately: a rogue MI6 agent, 009, must be apprehended. What follows is a spiral of action, deception and betrayal that strikes MI6 to its core.
Of course, the game also features the famous Bond gadgets, as ever supplied by Q's laboratory – played by Alastair McKenzie: a watch capable of hacking surveillance systems, smoke capsules, a rocket pen and a shockwave camera.
The weapons arsenal goes well beyond the familiar Walther PPK, with submachine guns, sniper rifles, shotguns and anti-tank rifles also available. Players can also look forward to driving a 1971 Aston Martin DBS V8 and the Aston Martin Valhalla hypercar.
The missions can be completed in a variety of ways – including without killing any enemies. Players can spy, hack, distract and bluff their way through. Those who opt for firepower will find themselves in fluid and dynamic combat sequences. Limited ammunition adds to the realism. The many options for solving missions increase replay value.
Either way, players can expect slick action sequences, spectacular car chases and a reunion with familiar faces such as Moneypenny, played by Kiera Lester.
The cast would not be worthy of the double-0 designation, however, without compelling new characters – among them the captivating, chameleon-like freelance agent Ms Roth, played by Noémie Nakai, and the domineering and volatile black-market arms dealer Bawma, portrayed by US rock star Lenny Kravitz.
With its a stand-alone prequel to the James Bond films, 007 First Light draws players into a world where almost every mission offers tension and near-unlimited freedom of action – and follows one of the series' central, time-honoured questions: who can 007 really trust?
It also answers another, equally compelling question: how does a reckless daredevil actually become 007?
One thing is certain: players have 20 hours of adrenaline-fuelled, gripping gameplay ahead of them, culminating in the shocking revelation of who the true mastermind and villain really is. Even Bond purists are likely to come away feeling that this Bond has thoroughly earned his licence.
007 First Light is released on May 27 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC, priced at €70 / US$70 (RM277.64). A Nintendo Switch 2 version is set to follow in mid-2026. – dpa
