James Bond is back in polygonal form, some 14 years since the last 007 video game.
The first trailer for 007 First Light has been revealed and it’s shaping up to be a stunning origin story from IO Interactive, the makers of Hitman.
There are Hitman style beats all over the place here, but it also looks like GTA and the Uncharted series have been big inspirations for this new Bond adventure, too.
Plot wise, you play a young 00 looking to earn his stripes and become a fully fledged License To Kill super spy.
Before we go further, bathe your eyes in the full three minute reveal trailer below:
007 First Light - Announcement Trailer | PS5 Games - YouTube
Are you back in the room, 007? Good, now, we can talk about what just happened. There are exotic locations galore, some intense chess playing and a mystery surrounding just what the hell Bond did in Iceland. We suspect it was more than buying a couple of choc ices.
We also get some Q-style gadgets, a longing shot at an Omega watch and fast car chases. Bond is back, baby!
Once the EmMaj9 ‘Bond’ chord rings out at the end of the trailer, it’s pretty clear that IO Interactive know exactly what they are doing with the Bond franchise.
The PlayStation blog has this to say about the new game: “This is Bond as you’ve never seen him before — the youngest Bond fans have ever met. In 007 First Light, at only 26 years old, he isn’t the fully fledged 007 you know from the tux-and-martini days but a man with sharp instincts, sometimes reckless, who is still learning when to fight, when to bluff, and when to disappear into the shadows.”
(Image credit: IO Interactive)
James Bond has a long video game history, which started with James Bond 007 way back in 1983 (off the back of Octopussy). But it wasn’t until GoldenEye 007 was released on the N64 in ‘97 did people really pay attention — given that it's not just the best Bond game but one of the best shooters of all time, too. The last game was 007 Legends — a greatest hits of sorts that never quite hit the target. Here’s hoping First Light can remedy this.
There’s no 007 First Light release date as of yet but it is scheduled to launch in 2026, hopefully giving GTA VI a wide enough berth so it can pick up enough recruits to make sure this franchises runs and runs in video game form.