Video game review<\/h2>\n
The first rule of spycraft, we learn early on in \u201c007 First Light,\u201d is to always do the unexpected. The thing is, \u201cFirst Light,\u201d an origin story chronicling how James Bond becomes a 00 agent, is full of what you\u2019d expect from a Bond story: quippy one-liners, endless charisma, highly competent people romping around stunningly beautiful places and a story so over the top you can\u2019t help but shake your head at it. But what was<\/em> unexpected was how the somewhat clich\u00e9d individual elements were shaken (not stirred) together, creating a brilliant Bond cocktail that rivals the franchise\u2019s best films while being a thoroughly excellent game to play.<\/p>\n Developed and published by IO Interactive, \u201cFirst Light\u201d takes us back to before James \u2014 portrayed by a pitch-perfect Patrick Gibson, who honestly should be given casting consideration to play the role in the next movie<\/a> \u2014 was known as 007. When the game opens, he\u2019s a 26-year-old British navy aircrewman, headstrong and resistant to authority with a quicksilver tongue and a somewhat reckless need to save the day. But one explosive prologue later (anchored by Lana Del Rey\u2019s skin-tingling \u201cFirst Light\u201d song<\/a>), and James finds himself as the newest recruit in MI6\u2019s newly rebooted 00 program.<\/p>\n From here, the stakes gradually increase. A mission goes horribly wrong, lives are lost and James is compelled to get to the bottom of what actually happened. What follows narratively is on par with films like \u201cCasino Royale\u201d and \u201c007: Goldfinger,\u201d taking James across the world as he contends with nefarious villains (including a pirate king), romantic entanglements, hurtful betrayals and ruinous grief. Across 15 hours, you watch James mature from cocky and impulsive to someone we can root for, thanks in no small part to the stellar acting of the characters around him, including Alastair Mackenzie\u2019s Q, Kiera Lester\u2019s Moneypenny and Priyanga Burford\u2019s M. These iterations of beloved Bond characters are more than just background players; they\u2019re layered and interesting in their own right, and they grant a realistic dimensionality to James\u2019 evolution throughout the game.\u00a0<\/p>\n Developer IO Interactive is best known for its stealth-focused \u201cHitman\u201d franchise, and it brings that sensibility to \u201cFirst Light.\u201d James, first and foremost, is a spy, and the game wants you to sneak around, use subterfuge and take advantage of your environment to get where you need to be.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cFirst Light\u201d is broken into what\u2019s best described as spycraft missions and stealth-action missions. The former focus on gathering information and offer multiple ways to progress: Maybe you charm a bartender with a story about needing the perfect bottle of Champagne, only for it to be a distraction so you can sneak behind the bar to get a key. Maybe you use your high-tech Q-Watch to blind a security guard so he doesn\u2019t notice you. Or maybe you just bluff your way through the situation, using believable lies to bypass scrutiny altogether.<\/p>\n The second type of missions is where we get to the \u201cHitman\u201d-style stealth mechanics, along with the action sequences that were clearly inspired by the \u201cUncharted\u201d franchise. It will do you well to be patient and to try to avoid direct confrontation if you can help it; however, sometimes the situation calls for force (or throwing a teacup at someone and quipping out \u201cOne lump or two?\u201d).\u00a0<\/p>\n The combat is split between hand-to-hand and guns\/tech. The physical action is basic punching and countering, and is nothing to write home about. The guns feel solid and fun to play with, but it\u2019s the tech \u2014 primarily your Q-Watch and Q-Lens \u2014 that\u2019s the highlight here. The watch is a multifunction gadget that can do everything from hacking to shooting missiles. The Q-Lens lets you scan your (highly destructible) environment in great detail, a useful skill when you\u2019re trying to figure out your next move.<\/p>\n And much like \u201cUncharted,\u201d \u201cFirst Light\u201d isn\u2019t afraid to go big with its set pieces, which are spectacular. I\u2019m talking explosions, chases, one-on-one fights \u2014 everything you\u2019d expect from a summer blockbuster and then some.<\/p>\n Visually, \u201cFirst Light\u201d is quite the looker, using IO\u2019s Glacier engine to great effect. The characters are well-modeled, the exterior locations \u2014 from Malta to Vietnam to Antarctica \u2014 are gorgeous and the interior maps are full of detail. But it\u2019s the audio that\u2019s the true technical standout in \u201cFirst Light.\u201d The score, ranging from a pulse-pounding nightclub and nigh-silent chase sequence to very recognizable audio drops, is magnificent.<\/p>\n