007 First Light Review: IO Interactive Reboots Bond with AI and Charm
IO Interactive's 007 First Light launches on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S on 27 May, offering a modernized James Bond adventure that tackles generative AI. The game follows a young, reckless Bond (Patrick Gibson) as he joins MI6's rebooted 00 program, contending with the quantum computing system THEIA that makes autonomous decisions about criminal intent. Former agent 009 is flagged by THEIA, thrusting Bond into a conspiracy. The review praises the game's balance of action and character development, its grounded AI themes (contrasted with Mission Impossible films), and Gibson's performance as a Millennial-coded, charming Bond. The game was provided for review by the publisher.
Key facts
- 007 First Light launches on 27 May for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
- The game is developed by IO Interactive.
- Patrick Gibson voices James Bond as a young, reckless naval soldier.
- MI6's quantum computing system THEIA makes autonomous decisions about criminal intent.
- Former agent 009 is flagged by THEIA, triggering the plot.
- The review compares the AI themes to Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning.
- The game features a 16+ hour campaign with stealth, combat, and puzzle-solving.
- The review code was provided by the publisher.
- The review is by Leah J. Williams for ArtsHub.
- The game reboots the Bond franchise with a modern, nuanced protagonist.
Entities
Artists
- Patrick Gibson
- Leah J. Williams
- Daniel Craig
- Charlie Higson
Institutions
- IO Interactive
- Amazon MGM
- MI6
- ArtsHub
- ScreenHub