It’s no secret that Amazon is hard at work getting James Bond back on the big screen. With Dune director Denis Villeneuve and Peaky Blinders screenwriter Steven Knight on deck, casting is officially underway as the studio searches the world for a new, younger version of the iconic spy. However, fans of the franchise won’t have to wait until then to experience another exciting 007 adventure, as the latest reboot has been hailed as a “masterpiece.”
007 First Light reviews have officially been released, and critics have wasted no time in praising the IO Interactive video game title. It currently boasts an impressive 88 score on Metacritic, with critics describing the action adventure game as “one of the better Bond stories told in the last decade,” per Brent Koepp of Vice. Another review from Alister Kennedy of Gfinity hailed First Light as “an absolute masterpiece” that blends classic Bond action and Hitman-style gameplay, all propped up by “Patrick Gibson’s breathtaking, definitive performance as a young James Bond.”
In addition to being called one of the greatest Bond video games of all time, critics point out that 007 First Light calls back to earlier days of the franchise in exciting new ways. According to Omi Koulas of Checkpoint Gaming, the new reboot from IO Interactive “understands that Bond isn’t just gadgets and gunfights. There’s a lot of charm and chaos, and an abundance of improvisation under pressure.” Of course, not everyone is in love with the game, as some critics lament that First Light does not take enough risks. Nevertheless, players will soon be able to judge for themselves once it releases on May 27.
As the title suggests, 007 First Light follows James Bond in his early days as an agent for MI6 before undertaking the iconic triple-digit mantle. Dexter: Original Sin star Patrick Gibson has been cast as a 26-year-old Bond, whose origin story plays out alongside several recognizable characters from the franchise, including Priyanga Burford (Steeltown Murders) as M, Kiera Lester (Maigret) as Miss Moneypenny, Alastair Mackenzie (Andor) as Q. The rest of the cast includes Lennie James (The Walking Dead) as Greenway, Gemma Chan (Eternals) as Selina Tan, and Lenny Kravitz (The Hunger Games) as Bawma.
007 First Light is the first major reboot of the character since the Daniel Craig era ended in 2021’s No Time to Die. As players embark on a mission to officially become 007, the game serves as a litmus test for a young James Bond, which Amazon is also looking to bring to theaters in the upcoming movie. If First Light proves to be successful, it will be interesting to see how the franchise balances having two major versions of the character at once, especially as Gibson continues to earn praise for his portrayal of the iconic spy.
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