Developer IO Interactive has released a new behind-the-scenes video for 007 First Light. Rather than focusing on the game itself, however, the video instead gives us details about the studio’s proprietary game engine – Glacier – that was used in the development of the Bond game. The video, which you can check out below, clocks in at almost four minutes in length, and features senior product manager Andy Touch and technical director Henrik Schlichter.
One of the more interesting pieces of information revealed in the video is the fact that the current iteration of Glacier can be traced all the way back to the release of Hitman: Codename 47, which was released in 2000. Since then, the engine has seen steady improvements over time. Schlichter has also confirmed that a major evolution of the engine came about in 2012, which would be shortly after the release of Hitman: Absolution, and likely in preparation for the first entry in the modern Hitman trilogy.
Touch notes that Glacier’s core design revolves around the principle of modularity and iteration speed. This allows the team to work together to build mechanics and systems while the game is still running. This includes tuning values, coming up with ideas, and other aspects of development without starting and stopping the game itself.
“On my first day at IO, I saw a level designer place a ladder in a level whilst Bond is animating and idling, and it blew my mind,” says Touch. “Glacier being made in Denmark, I guess calling it a bunch of LEGO pieces is very fitting as well. But using the template system, people can create different templates, and they can combine and mix them.”
“Let’s say someone wants an object you interact with in the game that then kicks off a countdown timer, and then an effect happens, and then this sends off a distraction stimulus to NPCs. We have all these separate pieces which different people in the team make and share with one another. So, the engine is built in a very systemic way so that a lot of the pieces are reused.”
As for other ways Glacier has seen improvements over time, Schlichter spoke about how the engine is capable of going from the first scene of 007 First Light all the way to the last scene without hitches. Gameplay segments can also be streamed in easily thanks to the studio’s process of developing them into “bricks”.
The quick prototyping allowed by Glacier also allows the development team to, for example, discuss the challenges that will be tackled throughout the day, and come up with a quick fix through a prototype by lunchtime. Touch notes that, even if these fixes don’t look like they would in the final game, they provide the developers the necessary building blocks that can then be refined.
007 First Light was released on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S earlier this year. A Nintendo Switch 2 version is also planned, and while IO Interactive hasn’t yet confirmed a release date, rumors indicate that it might be coming out on September 16th. For more details, check out our review.
