007 First Light: A Full Debrief After 3 Hours with IO's New James Bond Game

MISSION SUMMARY

London. A stone’s throw from King’s Cross. Crowds were too busy taking photos of Platform 9¾, so the setting was suitably discreet. The only potential threat: a Tube Strike on the same day.

The briefing was succinct. Hands-on with 007 First Light, a new training simulation developed by IO Interactive.

I wasn’t given the full picture – more a curated slice of the full programme. Three hours of rigorous testing, to be precise. Three operations, each escalating in complexity. Enough to understand its intent; not enough to master it.

That, I suspect, may have been the point.

SIMULATION OVERVIEW

The programme is structured with quick-thinking and repetition in mind.

On the surface it resembles a traditional story-led experience. In practice it feels closer to a systems-driven sandbox – one that expects you to learn, adapt, and try again.

Those familiar with the Agent 47 programme, colloquially known as Hitman, will immediately feel at home.

In addition to the core simulation, a system referred to as ‘TacSim’ allows operations to be reconfigured and replayed under different conditions, with leaderboards and unlockables encouraging improved performance.

Unfortunately, I was only briefed on this. It wasn’t available to test.

FIELD REPORT 01: ICELAND - ‘AGAINST ALL ODDS’

The Iceland operation opens abruptly. Driving rain; difficult conditions. Reminds me of the Hawke’s Bay simulation from the Agent 47 programme.

A routine training exercise aboard a helicopter goes bad fast, leaving a would-be operative stranded in hostile terrain. SAS support is quickly eliminated. MI6 assumes control. Unexpected.

It’s a surprisingly cinematic affair; I’ve heard word of similar simulations from a mutual named Nate Drake.

Climbing sheer rock faces, navigating narrow paths, and pushing forwards against the elements. Tough, it’s cold, but I persevere anyway. No other option.

Visually, it’s striking – state-of-the-art stuff, albeit on a next-gen Nvidia rig. There’s no sign of a PS5 powering the simulation – not even a PS5 Pro. I can’t comment on how it’ll run on your home console.

I can only tell you what I saw: rain lashing the camera, soft moss clinging to slick stone. It’s impressive.

As I zig-zag through hostile mercenaries, part of a Balkan gang named Arrowhead, I familiarise myself with the controls. It’s unorthodox, like the Agent 47 programme. R1 to run. It takes some time to reacclimatise.

Arrowhead has occupied a giant tent. It’s rigged to explode. Inside, a nerve agent. I got poisoned. I don’t recall finding the antidote. MI6 helped.

There are lives at stake, so I deviate from orders. This is where the simulation really opens up; left or right, it’s my choice.

I snake to the left, using environmental distractions like radios to attract the attention of the surrounding aggressors. Inside an out-building I find allies; they direct me to more friendly faces on the right.

We make a plan: light a flare, then leg it. That R1 button again. As Iceland ignites behind me, I feel like I’m in a movie.

I can hear the sudden crooning of Lana Del Rey.

FIELD REPORT 02: MALTA - ‘A NEW HOME’

Malta is a tonal shift. Blue skies; sun baked scenery. Much-needed respite from the harsh conditions of Iceland.

This is a simulation within the simulation – a training exercise, introducing core systems within a controlled environment.

A tool known as the Q Lens acts as a form of enhanced perception. If you’ve played a video game, you’ll be familiar with exactly how it functions.

The Q Lens can highlight interactable points of interest. I use it to remotely tamper with CCTV cameras and computers.

The structure of the simulation reveals itself here: multiple routes and numerous points of interaction. Radios can be turned on; systems can be hacked.

I’m on the clock. I made a mess of it.

Obvious opportunities were missed. Routes were closed off. What felt like the correct approach at first quickly unravelled into something far less efficient.

But it’s instructive rather than frustrating. I felt like I learned from my mistakes. I’ll take those skills into the next operation.

This is a simulation built on iteration, not perfection on the first attempt.

FIELD REPORT 03: LONDON - ‘UNINVITED’

Kensington, London is where everything converges.

It begins quietly inside a London apartment, grounding the experience in a way that almost feels disarmingly domestic. There’s context but the details are redacted. The information is classified until launch day.

The stakes escalate: a rooftop pursuit across the English capital’s most affluent district; a sprint upon a crane overlooking the skyline.

All that leading to a high-stakes gala, not too dissimilar to the Parisian fashion show in the Agent 47 programme. Tight security. Layered objectives. Multiple paths to success.

The initial goal is easy: reach an upper balcony.

Getting there is anything but.

Posing as a journalist requires a camera and a press pass – one that isn’t readily available. Conversations become opportunities; bluffing a necessity.

A brief exchange with a PR manager reveals one route; an overstretched security team unlocks another.

From there, it’s a chain of small decisions:

• Slipping behind a busy bar to gather intel
• Finding a password in an unlocked drawer
• Using that info to access restricted systems

Each step feels logical in isolation. Together, they form something closer to a puzzle.

Mistakes were made. Plans fell apart. Improvisation took over.

And yet, the structure held.

There’s clear inspiration from the Agent 47 programme: social stealth, layered systems, and the freedom to approach objectives from multiple angles.

But where that simulation routinely embraces chaos, this feels a touch more restrained. Less focused on experimentation for experimentation sake, more focused on controlled execution.

When things did escalate, the shift was immediate. Gunplay is slick, cinematic, impactful. But it rarely feels like the intended path. Even when under duress, I didn’t always have a License to Kill. It felt like the simulation only wanted me to shoot when it said so.

This is true of the boss fight with [REDACTED].

Armed with only my wits, I was required to use the Q Lens to get the upper-hand on my aggressor. I activated electrical panels; tapped into industrial fans. These all led to a final face off, where I somehow persevered.

And then the eventual escape – in this case, via an unglamorous bin lorry.

Effective, if not elegant.

SYSTEMS ANALYSIS

Across all three operations, a consistent design philosophy emerges.

Stealth and social manipulation are prioritised above all else. Tools like the Q Lens, environmental hacks, and proximity-based interactions allow for a range of approaches – from subtle infiltration to more disruptive tactics.

Combat exists, but feels deliberately secondary. Hand-to-hand encounters lack impact, and direct confrontation often introduces more problems than it solves.

The comparison to the Agent 47 programme is unavoidable, but this is a more restrained interpretation of that formula. Less sandbox chaos, more structured problem-solving.

Without the ability to dispense bodies and readily change uniforms, the underlying “puzzle” isn’t always immediately readable.

There’s a sense that the simulation expects a level of understanding that only comes with repetition – something the inaccessible ‘TacSim’ function promises to support.

OPERATIVE ASSESSMENT

The simulation’s restraint is admirable.

While the spectacle exists in pivotal moments, the simulation emphasises deliberation and decision-making; patience over impetuous behaviour.

This is less about playing James Bond, and more about learning how to operate like him: reading situations, exploiting weaknesses, and maintaining control.

DEBRIEF CONCLUSION

STATUS

Ongoing

RECOMMENDATION

Continued evaluation required

Based on initial exposure, 007 First Light shows clear potential. This simulation is not a straightforward action experience, but something more considered. A systems-driven interpretation of what it means to be 007.

I’m not convinced I’ve fully understood it yet. I’ve certainly not earned the number.

But that, I believe, will come.