James Bond is undoubtedly one of the most famous names in all of fiction, which is a pretty funny thing to be able to say for a secret agent.

With a multitude of books, movies, games, magazines, and countless items of merchandise, the character, and the version of the world he inhabits, is so familiar to so many.

IO Interactive was brave, then, to not only make the first major Bond game in well over a decade, but to introduce us all to a brand new take on the iconic super spy.

Thankfully, 007 First Light hits almost all the notes it needs to hit while establishing its own vision.

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A common shorthand for this game and its structure is Uncharted-meets-Hitman, and to be honest, that's pretty dead on. It definitely leans more in Uncharted's direction, with a really strong cinematic quality that leads you through the adventure in a highly compelling way.

007 First Light is a globetrotting action adventure game with a fresh-faced James Bond at the very beginning of his career at MI6.

After the helicopter he's onboard is shot down over Iceland, his time as a Royal Navy air crewman ends and his evolution into a secret agent begins.

From meetings with M and Q in the MI6 headquarters to a frankly excellent training montage gameplay sequence in Malta, the game spends a good few hours following Bond's first steps into the world of espionage.

James is fast-tracked through 00 agent training, and has to earn the respect of fellow trainees Cressida and Monroe. The trio of twenty-somethings become firm friends, but John Greenway, their instructor, is a tougher nut to crack — an ex-00 agent with no time for Bond's rebellious streak.

Alongside fresh spins on M, Q, and Moneypenny, it's a fun ensemble. I wasn't expecting the storytelling and the characterisation to be some of the game's greatest strengths, but IO Interactive has done a sterling job on that front.

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Obviously, James was the key one to get right, and the studio's done that. This young, inexperienced Bond is impulsive, headstrong, and reckless, but the character's trademark charm, wit, and cunning all creep in as the story goes on.

Speaking of story, it's a strong effort that, while a little predictable in places, makes for a fun action game that whisks you away to some wonderful locations.

As well as spending time in London, you'll visit Slovakia, Mauritania, Vietnam, and more. Some of IOI's experience with Hitman peeks through here; every environment looks great and has a lot of detail.

Not every chapter takes place in a sandbox, but the best ones do. I don't want to harp on Hitman too much, but I think the game is at its best when you're able to freely explore and reach your objective in numerous ways.

It's a great fit for James Bond, who can not only exploit a handful of different opportunities to get where he needs to go, but can also talk himself out of trouble without rousing suspicion. The bluff mechanic is one of my favourite features, really leaning into the character's smooth-talking ways.

With a few gadgets at your disposal, too, you have a lot of options to get through a mission, whether stealthily or not. Thankfully, if you're caught out, the game allows you to deal with threats either with those gadgets or with hand-to-hand combat, and so long as you're efficient, the situation doesn't spiral out of control.

The melee fisticuffs aren't too deep, but you do have to parry hits and sidestep grabs, and there are plenty of contextual takedowns. If you knock an enemy into a rail, they'll topple over it to the floor below — it's a bit silly but it all feeds into that feeling you're in a James Bond flick.

Occasionally you'll have a licence to kill — basically, in situations where the bad guys are using firearms. It all feels quite scripted when this happens, but these shootout moments are spaced out fairly well.

The gunfights can be a little too chaotic; there are often a lot of enemies to take down, and sometimes it feels like the only answer is to cause as many explosions as possible. Death comes quickly, so you're forced to stay moving and use every tool at your disposal before things escalate too far.

More scripted than gun battles are driving sequences, and unfortunately these feel like the weakest part of 007 First Light.

There are a variety of vehicles throughout the campaign, but when it comes to sports cars, the handling is difficult to nail down. I think that's because it's trying a little too hard to be forgiving; you're almost fighting the game itself for control as it attempts to course-correct in an unnecessarily heavy-handed way.

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I'm playing on a regular PS5, predominantly in Performance mode, and while the game really does look fantastic in places, it's a bit fuzzy around the edges. Removing some of the post-processing effects helps, but it can still look a bit muddy.

Unfortunately, I've experienced rare but noticeable frame rate drops. The game hits its 60 frames-per-second target most of the time, but particularly intense gunfights can cause some big dips. It's not really a dealbreaker for me, but it's a bit of a shame.

What's not a shame is the TacSim mode, which gives you a variety of scenarios to master. Whether stealth, melee, or gunfights, these are fun, repeatable missions that help you hone your skills, and the online scoreboards give it a slight competitive edge.

There aren't too many of these at launch, but it's clear the intention is to add much more to this over time. Given IOI's brilliant support of Hitman over the years, I'm hopeful this will really find its place in the coming months.

Conclusion

007 First Light is more or less exactly what I was hoping for. The characterisation of this young Bond and his associates is really strong, and the globetrotting story lets you explore some great locations. It really shines in its sandbox missions, but it weaves these together with its more linear moments in a seamless, cinematic way. Beyond some technical quibbles and uncertainty on the driving, IOI's new vision for James Bond makes a very accomplished start.