Upcoming James Bond game 007: First Light is going to be quite a departure for developer IO Interactive considering the studio’s primary franchise – Hitman. In an interview with PCGamer, art director Rasmus Poulsen spoke about what sets Bond apart as the player character when compared to Hitman‘s Agent 47, likening the former to a “hero” while the latter would be a “villain”.
“If Hitman is a single-minded killer and basically the bad guy of the game, Bond is the hero,” said Poulsen. “That means that we are much more focused on his journey as a character, and we are much more focused on saving the world.”
Narrative and cinematic director Martin Emborg also spoke about some other differences between Bond and Agent 47, largely coming down to how both of them would approach their missions. According to Emborg, the Hitman games are more about being patient and learning things like guard patrol routes. 007: First Light, on the other hand, will have “forward momentum,” said Emborg, encouraging players to be more straightforward in their approach to a mission.
“You need a lot of patience to play Hitman,” Emborg said. “You need to be sitting there seeing the patrol—he goes over there, and he likes wine, and you overhear that thing. But Bond, he can also just walk through the front door. ‘I’m actually just going to go and talk to them. I’m just going to go punch him right now’.”
Earlier this week, franchise director Jonathan Lacaille also spoke about the gameplay for 007: First Light, bringing up the fact that IO Interactive has to figure out a balance between the more systems-based gameplay from the Hitman games where players can be more creative, to 007: First Light featuring more set pieces and even some linearity.
“It’s either or,” Lacaille said, referring to 007’s action-packed gameplay and Hitman-styled systemic gameplay. “IOI has a pedigree, and that fits really well on IP, so we are leaning into that, of course. But that would not tell the full story of who Bond is.”
“We are leaning a lot on what IOI does best, but we had to come up with a lot of new things that IOI had to learn and to reiterate on to really bring the full Bond experience,” Lacaille continued. “For instance, driving, not done that before, and we’re doing that now.”
When it comes to gameplay differences between Agent 47 and Bond, Lacaille also brought up the fact that getting into a gun fight in Hitman is considered a fail state. 007: First Light, on the other hand, will give players plenty of tools to fight back if stealth fails them.
“Shooting usually was a failing condition in Hitman, and here it’s a big part of the game,” explained Lacaille. “We don’t want the game to just go by shooting and shooting and shooting. So we want to give the player a lot of tools to feel as smart as Bond in the game.”
007: First Light is coming to PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S in 2026. Check out its recent trailer.
