While 007 First Light's Bond May Look Like Nathan Drake…

IO Interactive, hot off the heels of its terrific Hitman: World of Assassination trilogy, is preparing to release 007 First Light, a proper, original James Bond game. Anyone who has played the modern Hitman games will likely agree that IO Interactive has done more than enough to prove its worthiness of the James Bond IP, but even so, the developer is sticking its neck out in some ways; unlike the World of Assassination games, 007 First Light doesn't have an obvious precedent to follow.

But some might argue that it does, especially after seeing First Light's reveal trailer. This game will focus on a younger, less experienced Bond, who is decidedly fresh-faced and boyish-looking, with a charm that is less rugged and gentlemanly than that of his film counterparts. In truth, this Bond seems an awful lot like Nathan Drake, the most recognizable and iconic swashbuckler in gaming media. This resemblance, and the general premise of a James Bond story, which is usually about trotting the globe and pulling off crazy heists, might lead some to believe that First Light will share some DNA with Uncharted. But while taking some notes from Naughty Dog's seminal adventure series wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, audiences should pump the brakes before assuming that First Light will be a Bond-painted version of Uncharted.

007 First Light James Bond smiling close-up promo gameplay screenshot

007 First Light Missing Key Feature That Defined Some of the Best James Bond Games

007 First Light skips one of the hallmark features of some of the highest-rated James Bond games ever—but that may help it forge its own identity.

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By Dominik Bošnjak

007 First Light Won't Be a Dyed-in-the-Wool Action-Shooter Like Uncharted

007 First Light Players Won't Be 'Always Shooting'

"There are great shootouts in the [James Bond] movies – but, if you think about it, it’s not that many, right?" That's what IO Interactive co-owner and First Light creative director Christian Elverdam told The Guardian when discussing the upcoming game, expressing the developer's goal of creating a balanced James Bond story. A big part of this, according to Elverdam, is to present a campaign that isn't all about shootouts or massive brawls, but a number of other, appropriately suave and nuanced gameplay opportunities.

In reality, 007 First Light will almost definitely have some shooting-and-punching-focused setpieces, but these will surely be counterbalanced by slower or more methodical sections. For instance, one can assume that there will be several puzzle and stealth levels in the game, as quick thinking and covert operations are important parts of James Bond's toolkit—they are arguably more important to the character than his combat prowess. Other key Bond characteristics, like driving fancy cars and charming those around him, can be expected to find their way into the game as well. The point here isn't that shooting is bad, or won't be in First Light, but that the game probably won't focus too much on such high action. This is a good thing.

007 First Light Should Be More Like Hitman and Less Like Uncharted

Of course, one can only hope that 007 First Light will be a chance for IO Interactive to experiment and break away from the Hitman fundamentals, but the developer shouldn't divorced them entirely. The stealth sandboxes of the most recent Hitman games in particular feel perfectly suited to a Bond story, and the cool competence of Agent 47 ought to translate to First Light's rendition of 007 as well.

Since 007 First Light is introducing a new version of James Bond, he could theoretically be more like Agent 47 than, say, Daniel Craig's rendition of the character.

Crucially, the high-level strengths of the Hitman franchise are what ought to translate to First Light, and this is something that IO Interactive seemingly agrees with. In that same conversation with The Guardian, Elverdam noted that much of the World of Assassination trilogy "feels like spycraft already," and that that formula plus "some leaps" is what will form the backbone of 007 First Light.

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