Full disclosure: I wasn't sold on 007 First Light when it was first revealed. "This looks like a reskinned Hitman," was my first thought. I wasn't planning on buying it. That's not because I'm not a James Bond fan. I grew up watching Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan on my dad's VHS tapes, and, as a teenager and an adult, I thoroughly enjoyed Daniel Craig's portrayal.
But the last few instalments have felt boring and stale, to me. I loved Skyfall, but Spectre and No Time To Die weren't my cup of tea. That's where my head was at when IO Interactive announced 007 First Light... and then the game opened to rave reviews from critics. At the time of writing, the game has a 88 on Metacritic, and is one of the frontrunners for 2026's Game of the Year.
