IO InteractiveI got an exclusive look at 007: First Light at Gamescom 2025, where one of the developers played through an early mission. What stood out immediately is how much of IO Interactive’s Hitman DNA has been carried over, but injected with all the personality and spectacle you’d expect from James Bond.
The mission we saw was set in a sun-drenched European countryside, with Bond starting out merely chauffeuring allies to a luxury hotel in pursuit of Agent 009, who has gone rogue. At this point, Bond is not the hero we know him to be, but a rookie in the field.
Just like in Hitman, the level began with a cinematic briefing, this time delivered by Moneypenny, setting the tone before Bond slipped into the field.
The opening stretch leaned heavily on stealth. Bond crept through tall grass, used distractions to draw guards away, and scanned the environment with his Q-watch to uncover clues.
IO’s familiar “sandbox within structure” approach is here, with both linear beats and open areas giving space for experimentation.
License to kill is taken seriously
But, the “license to kill” mechanic adds a twist. As this is Bond, not Hitman, you are not free to simply gun down anyone you see who might be in your way. A visual prompt only grants permission to fire once an enemy shows clear intent to harm, adding a thematic layer of restraint to combat.
Combat itself feels stylish and physical. Bond can throw his gun at close range – particularly useful if you run out of ammunition – and trigger a slow-motion aim mode to pick off enemies with precision.
It’s these flourishes that separate him from Agent 47. Where Hitman is clinical, First Light makes Bond impulsive and hot-headed at first, with the developers teasing that his character will evolve as the story progresses.
The big set-piece of the demo was a car chase that played out like something straight out of an Uncharted game. Explosions, high-speed turns, and choreographed chaos filled the screen. It’s a side of IO’s design we haven’t seen in Hitman, and it felt right at home in a Bond story.
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Not everything landed perfectly, though. Some of the dialogue came across pretty rigid, though it was clear this was still an early build. Still, the foundations are strong. IO has taken the careful infiltration of Hitman, added cinematic chases, and wrapped it all in the charm of Bond.
007: First Light already looks like the spy fantasy fans have been waiting for. It’s Hitman with hair, but also with heart.