There's a reason why, 64 years after the release of Dr. No, James Bond is still one of the most consistently successful and popular film franchises of all time. Aside from being the ultimate spy power fantasy, filled with over-the-top action spectacle and a protagonist that is charming as hell, there's also the sheer versatility offered by the character – every actor to embody 007 has approached the character in their own way, with their own individual quirks and characterization. Sean Connery set the template, George Lazenby was the lover, Roger Moore was hilarious, Timothy Dalton was closer to Ian Fleming’s brutality, Pierce Brosnan was a blend of the best of Bond, and Daniel Craig was a little more psychologically scarred. But, somehow, all of these men are Bond.
But what the new video game, 007 First Light, asks is: What kind of Bond do you want to be? Sure, certain 007 tropes are required, but the immersion in this new origin story is unprecedented in the franchise. In terms of Bond games, GoldenEye 64 is widely considered one of the superspy's best outings, as well as one of the most influential first-person shooters ever made – but in the decades after that game’s release, James Bond titles became stuck in the rut of familiarity, constantly falling back on FPS gameplay with the aesthetics of either Pierce Brosnan or Daniel Craig. Ten years after the failure of 007 Legends, we finally have another Bond game, one that builds its own distinctive mythos for the character from the ground up – and even with some minor warts, 007 First Light is a remarkable achievement that, for the first time, allows players to embody Bond in their own way.
