FROM DENMARK WITH LOVE

Bond is back for his most ambitious virtual adventure yet in 007 FIRST LIGHT

- By Rick Lane

James Bond returns to videogames, and about bloody time. It's been 13 years since Ian Fleming's Scottish superspy last infiltrated gaming's bubbling volcano base. And if we're talking about good Bond games, there's a chance you weren't born when the last one came out. GoldenEye 007 is nearly 30 years old and has aged like Roger Moore in A View to a Kill, while every virtual Bond escapade since has ranged from aggressively mediocre to outright duff.

But with 007 First Light, there's hope things will be different. This time, Bond has a handler with proven espionage credentials—IO Interactive. In its brilliant World of Assassination trilogy, the Hitman developer has already built what seems like the perfect template for a modern Bond experience; games about exploring glitzy locales through sophisticated social stealth, thrumming with the potential to explode into violence.

As it turns out, however, First Light won't be a straightforward Hitman clone. IO Interactive has bigger plans than that. says Martin Emborg, narrative and cinematic director on First Light. “[It’s] a full spectrum experience where the player of course will engage in his particular brand of spectacular action, but crucially also his quintessential wits and charm.”

Indeed, it’s better to think of First Light less as Hitman with cars and gadgets, and more as IO's equivalent of Indiana Jones & The Great Circle. Like MachineGames' adventure, First Light draws upon the specific experience and design philosophy of its developer, but the game is ultimately built its central character rather than trying to force him into a specific mould.

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