Topic: 007 First Light

Good game, I finished it and I'd give it an 8 out of 10.

Same here maybe go as far as a 9 as it made a nice change from the usual stuff i play.

@Bell_412 I would agree it's a 9/10, kinda miss playing since I got the platinum but I will definitely go back once there are a few missions/DLCs released.

@Bell_412 I'd go 8. I think the final two missions are weak and the final boss is really bad. I do feel they've set up a good universe though

@cainhurst94 I get that but I am the type of gamer who would rather go through a game with just enough challenge to keep it interesting not frustrating, for me the game was spot on and the right length.

I will be cashing mine in at CEX when Halo comes out, loved the game but I would rather have the cash than wait for releases

Progressed nicely the last couple of days having finally got back to it. Really good Bond game. I know when I finish it I will want it to have had more story/missions as replaying and tac/sim modes aren't really for me, but it is very moreish as a game, thankfully the part I thought was going to be the end didn't end up being that, so I do have mpre to play, anyway.

They could maybe do with updating the game engine, there are some questionable elements in terms of it being a AAA game (wobbly graphics, glitches at times, weak physics and animations), but it doesn't detract too much from the actual moment to moment experience of the game and immersion.

@Werehog Thank you. ☺️ The cake was most cromulent. And sorry for the very late response, I didn't see a notification! 🙈

My progress has been rather glacial owing to the heatwaves and general busyness! It's cooled down a lot, now, so I'm trying to get some more done before it heats up again. I'm up to the mission at the museum after James is targeted in his flat by pesky assassins. I'm enjoying it a lot, with just a few niggles. I am finding the melee combat slightly iffy; I'm possibly just dumb and haven't worked out how, but it doesn't seem to stay locked on to a melee opponent, so James sort of flails around. I also would prefer deeper stealth. I must admit I did expect something a little more akin to Hitman, so I suppose that's on me, but more options would not have been a bad thing. In all, I think the game gets a nice balance between those stealth sections, gun combat arenas and big bombastic set pieces. The tone definitely feels like a Bond film, albeit with a rough-around-the-edges rookie. Presentation and performances are generally very good and I like the music. One of the more minor elements i've enjoyed is the shenanigans of the Q geeks doing experiments in the lab.

I would definitely recommend this game even if its not your usual type of game i cannot think of anything negative to say about it which makes a change.

@mookysam No apology necessary, it happens! Especially amidst all this heat. Thank goodness it's due to cool down in the coming days!

I'm with you regarding the game's hand-to-hand combat. Staying focused on a single opponent was part of the struggle for me, but I also found the controls somewhat counter-intuitive. I'd keep mixing up my counters, dodges, and grapples. Perhaps that's my own muscle memory's fault, but I've seen similar complaints shared elsewhere, so I'm hoping it's something I can overcome during my next playthrough. It definitely feels like, outside of specific encounters, the developers intended brawling to be the least-popular approach, but as you say, the balance is still pretty great overall. After so many years crafting open-ended Hitman levels, I'll forgive IOI a few rough edges in crafting something a little more focused, linear, and cinematic.

But I'm glad you're really enjoying it, and stopping to find all the neat lil' touches, like the details in Q Lab (which I regret sprinting past, so I'm looking forward to exploring that more). Best of luck making more progress soon, and I hope you have fun with the rest of the game!

Did anyone get this reference/easter egg? I was surprised to get a reference aimed at, I assume, the youth of today 😁 but I thought it was a nicely executed bit of humour in the game.

Bond asked him where the tranquility cave was, for reference 👀

@Ravix I loved that entire mission/level, everything about it were pure Bond vibes. There a few cameos in the game, Jacksepticeye (youtuber) is in the night club level!

@Oram77 I missed that one, I guess. I'm not big into the YouTubers, though 😅 but I agree, they seem to get the balance between appealing to a new audience and an old audience right, for me. Even all the more modern stuff is very Bond-coded. I assume a lot of people are still "waiting for a deep sale" but it is definitely a worthwhile experience. It has done pretty well for sales, but if people like Bond they most probably will like this so I don't know why it hasn't done even better.

In the last year or so we've had excellent Indiana Jones and James Bond games made by studios that get the most important things right, too. There is quite a different landscape for adaptions in gaming/movies that goes both ways, these days. Good times 😄

@Werehog The controls definitely feel a little unorthodox compared to what I'm used to. I keep pressing the wrong buttons! Brawling is my last resort, but becomes unmanageable with a large group of enemies. It is pretty cool to takedown a room of enemies without being caught.

Now up to the Webb tower (I told you my progress was slow) and enjoying this more and more, especially the dialogue between Bond and Greenway. Have to say I'm surprised that this is now approaching buddy movie levels between them. Still sad about Monroe, though.

The bugs and odd syncs are pissing me off though. The worst is when it reloads and remembers where Bond is in a level, but respawns all the conscious enemies and forgets hints I've gathered. It made getting out of the museum tricky. The means of escape was rather thrilling, although I'm pretty sure that a single gunshot, let alone all the snipers and semi-automatic gunfire, would trigger a significant and swift armed police response.

I don't think this has been brought up in the thread but how does everyone think about Patrick Gibson's portrayal as Bond? If rumours are to believed MGM/Amazon are quite keen on having him as the next actual Bond! My personal vote for years as been Tom Hardy I feel he is too old at the point which is a shame...

@Oram77 My girlfriend was sitting next to me when I started the game and after about two minutes she went "Bond sounds exactly like Orlando Bloom". Couldn't get it out of my head after that. In terms of casting for the new movie, my money is on Jacob Elordi for Bond, with a cheeky side bet on Idris Elba for M.

@Oram77 he did a surprisingly great job. Surprising in the sense that he played Bond in a modern video game in a Bond-void after the successful last movies that had a definitive ending, which is pretty ballsy as it could get easily panned.

A good blend of confidence, arrogance, stubborness, but driven by empathy and doing what he sees right in the situation they face. And the occasional moment of humility, too.

Though some of the writing and gameplay make him a bit of a murder hobo in some moments, and more considerate in others. But it is a game, and it is therefore cool to have him go "i'm not mi6" and proceed to blow up a bunch of people but, honestly, that kind of tracks with Bond at times.

Also, his character model on numerous occasions looks more like Henry of Skalitz than Patrick Gibson, so that was always an amusing wrinkle.

@LN78 Haha oh lord if there's one actor I don't want anywhere near a 007 movie it would be him as the man can't act 🙈 I personally couldn't hear it but it's all about perspectives at the end of the day

@Ravix I think I will give this Bond a "pass" for some of his actions as this is meant to be his origin story. He kinda gives Casino Royal Daniel Craig vibes as he acts more thuggish then what came before that film, so hopefully in a sequel they can make him more suave like Brosnan. Oh also they could tone down on Bond CONSTANTLY talking to himself, I get that it's video game thing but that's not Bond imo. Hey my Henry could talk the hind legs off a Donkey, so maybe he could be used as inspiration!

@Oram77 Couldn't agree more - he's an absolute charisma vacuum, so my girlfriend's (entirely innocent) observation rather took the spring out of my stride!

@mookysam Well, if it's any consolation, I think I just about got the hang of brawling... during the final level's last brawl. D'oh! Methinks you're smart to avoid it as best you can, and the satisfyingly crunchy stealth takedowns make for a nice reward, too. I saw somebody mention that IOI hired the same animator / animation team from the Batman: Arkham games, which makes a lot of sense!

Darn it, I was about to say something along the lines of, "at least by taking it slow, you have the benefit of all the latest patches, meaning your endgame should play smoothly" so I'm sorry you're still encountering a handful of bugs, especially ones that undo your progress! Here's hoping IOI plan on addressing those as part of their content roadmap, if not in dedicated stability patches.

And yes, if nothing else, that escape sequence would have certainly made the news!

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@Oram77 It's almost a shame that Patrick Gibson agreed to play Bond in this game, as I'm pretty sure those rumours can be discounted, and that Amazon wouldn't wanna confuse its audience by having two canonically separate Bonds being played by the same chap. I say "almost" a shame because honestly, I reckon being a digital Bond is the better of the two gigs. Not least because we get to spend more time with him and enjoy way more than just a couple hours of his performance.