007: First Light — Hands-on demo recap

IO Interactive is bringing James Bond into a new origin story with 007: First Light, blending the studio’s stealth pedigree from Hitman with blockbuster Bond action. I attended a closed-door Gamescom demo and here’s a concise rundown of what I saw.

Three gameplay pillars

• Sandbox/social stealth: Early sections play like a social-sandbox. Bond infiltrates a mansion, uses distractions, social interactions, and vertical traversal to access objectives without brute force.
• Action setpieces: The demo escalated into a cinematic car chase through a Swiss market — destructive, chaotic, and very Bond-like — then into an assault on a guarded airbase.
• Combat and gadgets: Gunplay mixes duck-and-cover tactics with environmental interactions (lots of explosive barrels). Bond’s Omega Q Watch acts as an elegant HUD and analysis tool for gadgets, markers, and contextual options.

Notable moments

The car chase felt scripted — you can drive, but progression often waits for the game to trigger events — yet it delivered spectacle. The airbase finale included charging through defenses, commandeering a transport plane, tilting cargo using the Q Watch, and a dramatic parachute escape.

What sets it apart

Unlike IOI’s Hitman series, First Light is less about assassination-for-assassination’s-sake and more about combining stealth, social mechanics, and blockbuster action setpieces. Developers emphasize player choice — multiple approaches to objectives — while maintaining a linear narrative thread around a young Bond in MI6 training.

Platforms & release

IOI has announced the game for modern platforms and suggests a 2026 release window (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC). Official info, trailers, and updates are available from IO Interactive.

Official page: https://ioi.dk/007firstlightgame

Trailer: YouTube — 007: First Light trailer

Final thoughts

First Light attempts to cover every Bond beat — stealthy infiltration, social play, vehicle mayhem, and aerial escapes. I’m cautiously optimistic: if IOI can balance the three gameplay types, it could be a fresh, satisfying Bond experience. What do you think — eager for a Bond origin story or ready to skip another reboot?