Because it was introduced 5 years in the past that IO Interactive can be making a James Bond sport, it felt like a pure match for the studio identified for Hitman, a collection identified for having you go to glamorous places all over the world in a pointy swimsuit, and really a lot with a licence to kill.
However an murderer and a spy are very completely different occupations, and on nearer reflection, I am undecided if the sluggish sandbox nature of Agent 47’s most up-to-date iterations essentially interprets to the type of blockbuster motion you would possibly anticipate for the enduring British agent. However I should not have anxious as a result of my first take a look at 007 First Mild at Gamescom utterly blew me away.
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Bond is again
This origin story additionally permits for a refreshing take a look at a younger Bond newly recruited to MI6 and earlier than he has even earned his 00 licence. The truth is, on this mission, you do not see him in his trademark tuxedo however within the considerably lowly function of a chauffeur (full with a driver’s cap), the place he is additionally part of a workforce of brokers in a ‘black tag’ operation to find Agent 009.
After all, it is not lengthy earlier than this hot-headed rookie decides to do his personal factor by following a suspicious bellhop. This truly constitutes an non-obligatory aspect mission and is rather a lot like a Hitman mission whenever you’re simply scoping out your environment and searching for alternatives to make use of stealth or trigger a diversion.
(Picture credit score: IOI)
What stood out for me was a second when Bond infiltrates a constructing by climbing by means of an upper-floor window, shocking the NPCs close by. Being caught the place you are not meant to be, particularly in that comical a style, would normally elevate an alert, however the cocky upstart would not miss a beat, and with the reward of the gab simply pretends to be a part of the workers checking for safety flaws earlier than continuing to stroll by means of the room unchecked.
That’s, other than a maid he passes by and who cannot take her eyes off of him, till turning the nook, you hear her gossiping to a colleague about ensuring to go away an additional mint on his pillow. It is a second that basically demonstrates the way you’re embodying Bond’s charming and attractive persona moderately than Agent 47’s chilly, cipher manner.
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The following components of the demo take much more of a departure from the World of Assassination, because the mission is not simply contained within the chateau’s surrounding space however breaks off into extra action-packed set items, together with a automotive chase and a full-blown shoot-out. That ought to be sufficient to inform you that First Mild harks again to the type of cinematic third-person action-adventure that Naughty Canine specialised in with the likes of Uncharted, full with lavish in-engine cutscenes that circulation seamlessly between gameplay.
It additionally would not be Bond with out the presence of acquainted high-luxury manufacturers, which in one other sport you’d accuse of being cynical product placement, however right here is arguably important to the 007 identification. That is why in the beginning of the mission, Bond, in his chauffeur disguise, is driving a Jaguar Land Rover, whereas he later will get behind the wheel of an Aston Martin in the course of the aforementioned automotive chase. If I assumed the automotive chase itself was truly a bit linear and went on a bit longer than obligatory, this was made up for by the fight part of the demo.
(Picture credit score: IOI)
In contrast to Agent 47, you may’t simply whip out your gun each time, and it is solely throughout a final resort situation that Bond is granted licence to kill, which additionally suggests these will happen in scripted moments of the sport. Nevertheless, this wasn’t only a linear hall cowl shooter sequence, as I used to be watching Bond spinning round to take down goons from all sides, whereas making use of what is accessible. Typically that features some predictable and conveniently positioned pink barrels, canisters, and tanks, although the marginally slow-motion explosions look cool nonetheless.
However two much more bad-ass moments I seen had been how Bond will also be improvisational in fight. Borrowing a Hitman mechanic, he is in a position to lob his gun instantly at an enemy’s head to stun them, leaving them open for him to hurry them with a melee assault. Talking of detailed and expressive animations, probably the most spectacular of those was seeing him kick a shotgun on the bottom up into his arms as a substitute of only a bog-standard crouch and pick-up animation.
After all, the caveat is that this may not be a mirrored image of the ultimate sport since issues can all the time change in improvement, though what I noticed actually was somebody enjoying it reside and never only a recorded presentation. Finally, this primary take a look at 007 First Mild is a showcase of how a lot IO has overhauled its Glacier Engine to serve a way more cinematic character and story-driven blockbuster, whereas nonetheless carrying over parts of the sandbox gameplay which have made Hitman’s reboot over the previous decade a deserved success.
(Picture credit score: IOI)
007 First Mild is releasing on PS5, Xbox Collection X/S, PC and Nintendo Change 2 in 2026. For extra Bond enjoyable, learn our take a look at the cancelled Lego James Bond online game and take the final film logos quiz.
