For the first time in 14 years, cinema’s most long-lived superspy has returned to the world of video games, and it has been a resounding success. Unlike previous depictions of James Bond in gaming (from GoldenEye 64, the game that set the gold standard for single-player first-person shooters, to 007 Legends, the antiquated, well-worn endpoint of Bond adaptation), 007 First Light truly sets itself apart by introducing a radically new version of the character, not one tethered to the cinematic likeness or narrative identity of any of the on-screen depictions. Not only does the game birth its own canon by delivering an original story centered on the character’s first adventure as a 00 recruit, but that story also revolves around IO Interactive’s own unique version of Bond’s supporting ensemble, much like the way every cinematic reboot has done.
Of course, the central piece of IOI’s original 007 canon is the titular MI6 operative himself – Dexter: Original Sin alumni Patrick Gibson provides the likeness for the developers’ 26-year-old Bond, and his youth affords a certain singularity to him amongst other actors to pick up the mantle. The game starts out even before Bond becomes an MI6 agent, and the fact that players inhabit his shoes from the moment he pops up on the radar of British intelligence to the moment he officially receives his 00 clearance means that not only is he a historic depiction of the character, but he’s also one that players have a direct role in shaping. Despite the fact that he’s not directly modeled after any of the previous actors, there are still certain qualities found in Gibson’s Bond that strongly call back to the superspy’s previous selves, making the First Light Bond both a new creation and also a mashup of every Bond that came before.
Even though 007 First Light takes place in the modern day and works hard to firmly root Bond’s origin in contemporary cultural ideas, it still borrows heavily from Ian Fleming’s original source material. Like Fleming’s novels, Bond was born to parents Andrew and Monique, and was orphaned by a mountain climbing accident at a young age. On both the page and in-game, he serves as a member of the Royal Navy before being recruited by MI6. The similarities don’t just stop in terms of backstory – First Light’s Bond is the only depiction of the character to specifically adapt the 3-inch facial scar described within Fleming’s books, another minute but fascinating aspect that makes him stand out.
In terms of his relation to the six cinematic 007s, a little bit of each of them can be found in Gibson’s approach as well as the way he’s depicted in the game. There’s a self-assured, perhaps unearned swagger and confidence to him, coupled with a sarcastic wit that feels lifted from Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan’s lighter interpretation of the character. Like them, the James Bond of 007 First Light feels a bit like a playboy thrill-seeker as opposed to the blunt force object of Fleming’s novels, someone likely to savor a drink by the ocean as hired guns close in on his location, simply because he knows he’s a little untouchable.
That’s not to say IOI’s younger Bond is all smiles. Similar to Daniel Craig’s version, the 007 of the game is clearly being positioned to have his own series, and his arc in this first chapter is evidence that he’ll continue to evolve over whatever sequels are sure to follow. Part of that arc is coming face-to-face with the frequent loss and grief inherent to the world of espionage. In Casino Royale, the death of Vesper Lynd and the complex emotions Bond feels for her are part of what turn him into something of a callous, hardened brute; Gibson’s Bond might never become as cold as Craig’s, but it’s obvious that the mounting casualties he faces in his first adventure will serve as traumas that define him even as he's forced to compartmentalize that pain.
Timothy Dalton’s Bond (and to a certain degree, Daniel Craig’s as well) was defined by a certain hard-edged ruthlessness, with an efficient and detached approach to violence – that’s not necessarily the way First Light’s depiction is characterized within the story, but in those moments when the game grants players a License to Kill authorization, 007 becomes a remarkably efficient merchant of death. The game guides players to value stealth and discretion above all else, but oftentimes there’s no other option but to pick up a gun and transform into a one-man army, facing off against entire squadrons sometimes. There are quite a few setpieces in which you’re forced to turn off the charm and turn on the instincts of a nigh-assassin, and in the most exhilarating moments, the gameplay resembles the show-stopping forest shootout sequence from 2021’s No Time To Die.
Surprisingly enough, the Bond that IOI’s depiction least resembles is the one frequently pointed to as the best: Sean Connery, the thuggish, misogynistic womanizer with an arrogant and blunt charm. That’s not to say there are no strands of him present whatsoever – hilariously, Gibson’s 007 is no stranger to the character’s more physical appetites, and he also musters Connery’s debonair aura when necessary – but in the game, he’s far less amoral than the original Bond and more righteous, presented as morally sound even if reckless and headstrong.
Since the game’s release, many fans have been suggesting that Gibson play the character in Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming reboot. While it’s highly unlikely that the Dune filmmaker would choose an actor who just put his own stamp on Bond instead of working with a new actor to craft a separate and equally idiosyncratic take, truthfully, it doesn’t matter – Patrick Gibson and IOI have already created a new version of the character that rivals any live-action depiction while also paying homage to each of them. It’s a testament to the versatility of such an ever-lasting pop culture icon that we will soon have two different incarnations of 007 to look forward to: one on consoles and one on the big screen, with both hopefully offering their own imaginative visions of a character who has yet to lose his appeal over 60+ years.
