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Reception
May 28, 2026 at 09:27 AM
Add launch performance on base consoles as an explicit recurring criticism in the aggregate reception.
007 First Light launched on May 27, 2026 to strong critical reception. Critics broadly praised the writing, characterization, level design, gadget integration, soundtrack, and the studio's translation of Hitman-style systems into a Bond fantasy. Common criticisms covered the driving sequences, late-game action set-pieces, the standard-difficulty enemy AI, and the info-gathering pacing in the early campaign.
Writing and characterization. Reviewers consistently praised the script and the cast performances, particularly Patrick Gibson's young Bond and Lennie James's John Greenway.
Level design. The chapter set-pieces (the museum gala, the luxury spa, the Antarctica installation) received specific praise as the strongest single-mission designs in the campaign.
Gadget integration. The Q-Watch and Q-Lens loop received cross-the-board positive reaction; reviewers compared the watch-hacking system favorably to similar mechanics in other action games.
Soundtrack. The Flight's score and Lana Del Rey's title theme "First Light" were repeatedly cited as standout audio production.
Bond fantasy delivery. Reviewers agreed that the game successfully delivers the cinematic-Bond fantasy through stealth, gunplay, gadgets, and set pieces.
Driving sequences. The most-cited weakness. Reviewers consistently noted that driving feels stiff compared to dedicated racing games and is the layer of the campaign with the least granular control.
Late-game action set-pieces. Several reviews noted that the campaign's action set-pieces are stronger in the early-to-mid arc than in the final stretch; the late campaign tilts toward larger combat encounters that emphasize the cover-shooter mechanics that some reviewers consider clumsy.
Standard-difficulty AI. Reviewers described enemy AI on the default Intended difficulty as forgiving ("forgetful, deaf, blind"). Players seeking a more demanding stealth experience are advised to bump difficulty to Hard or Veteran.
Info-gathering pacing. The eavesdrop loop and the information-collection sequences in the early campaign were called out as hand-holdy by some reviewers, particularly in the training segments and the early London missions.
Driving sequences (again). Worth repeating: this is the most consistent reviewer criticism across all major outlets.
Critical reception skewed strongly positive, with critic scores clustering in the high 80s on a 100-point scale. Multiple major outlets named the game one of the best Bond games ever made. The phrase "best Bond game in decades" appeared in several headlines. Reviews ranged from positive recommendations to perfect-score endorsements. Some outlets called the game a Game of the Year contender.
A recurring caveat in otherwise strongly positive reviews concerned performance at launch. Reviewers noted visible image-quality trade-offs in the performance modes on the base consoles and some frame-rate dips in the higher-fidelity mode, and described PC performance as scaling with hardware so that mid-range systems needed reduced settings. The enhanced console hardware and capable PCs were singled out as the better way to play. The day-one update is reported to have improved PC frame pacing and shader stutter.
Player community reception, judged by Steam reviews and console community sentiment in the launch window, was generally positive. The Denuvo addition six days before launch sparked the most visible community pushback. Players who pre-ordered before the Denuvo announcement filed refund requests under Steam's standard refund policy. Beyond Denuvo, player community discussion focused on the campaign length, the gadget catalog, the trophy roadmap, and the comparison to the Hitman trilogy.
Reviewers consistently compared 007 First Light to IO Interactive's modern Hitman trilogy (2016 through 2021). Common observations: 007 First Light is more linear than Hitman's sandbox-style hubs; the social stealth system is recognizably a Hitman descendant; the combat layer is more developed than Hitman's; gadgets feel similar to Hitman gadgets in functionality but more Bond-themed in presentation; the campaign's narrative is more linear and more cinematic. IO Interactive's own framing has been that 007 First Light is purpose-built for Bond rather than a Hitman-with-Bond-paint reskin.
As of launch day (May 27, 2026), no major year-end awards have been issued. Coverage that uses Game of the Year language is anticipating future awards rather than reporting them.
