007 First Light

I enjoy James Bond. I also enjoy cinematic action games. 007 First Light was everything I had hoped a cinematic James Bond action game would be. However, when it comes to games with stealth and coordination—I am just plain terrible. Still, that didn't prevent me from enjoying most of my experience.

What I Didn't Like

Context-Sensitive Controls

This is 100% a me problem, but controls that switch context depending on the "mode" your character is in are apparently impossible for me to keep straight in my head.

I ended up sinking about 20 hours into my story-level playthrough of the game, and even in the last few levels, I was punching at the air instead of opening doors. Or occasionally, when trying to do a stealth takedown, I would just get up and punch the enemy, blowing my carefully set-up cover.

It frustrated me all the way through my experience and reminded me that although everyone has their own strengths, they also have their own weaknesses. Playing these types of games is definitely one of my weaknesses.

Getting Lost

Games like 007 First Light are made up of beautifully detailed and expansive levels that you need to explore. IO Interactive did an exceptional job of building these levels, but there were a number of them where I just didn't know where to go. I was on the easiest difficulty, had hints, and yet I still couldn't seem to figure out where I needed to go next despite knowing what I had to do next.

I realize this might be a "me" problem again like the previous item. I can accept I am terrible at these sorts of games, but I played with my partner watching on the couch, and even she had few ideas on where to go next and had to look up some clues for me to follow.

Usually, when I was lost, there was some environmental object I was supposed to have noticed that blended into the background for me.

What I Liked

James Bond Story with Twists

If you've seen a James Bond movie or 10, you can likely see the reoccurring formula that comes with them. An evil villain tries to take over or destroy the world, James meets a femme fatale to help save the world, and the good guys win. It is a tried-and-true formula that is pretty easy to watch and consume for a couple of hours.

This game is more than 2 hours. It's more like 20, plus there are a lot of extra things to do to keep you occupied in terms of challenges. That sort of formulaic story probably wouldn't have kept my attention for that long, which is why I was glad to have been surprised with the twists in the game.

Without spoiling anything, this game definitely leans on the tropes of James Bond storytelling, while adding some twists into the mix to keep it interesting.

And they did keep it interesting.

Gameplay Variety

In a James Bond movie, he is a suave spycraft practitioner, expert marksman, and amazing driver under pressure. I wasn't sure how they were going to put all that into this game, but they did. The socializing/spycraft segments focus on using your charm to solve problems. You leverage his stealth and sneaking abilities when you need to get around places you can't charm your way into. When you're ready to cause some damage, you pull your gun or reload your arms and get ready for a fight. And finally, when someone is trying to get away, you can drive whatever you need to drive to chase them down.

Each of those types of gameplay ends up being quite the spectacle, especially the driving segments (which I loved). The variety was very welcome, but also seamless with the storytelling. The switching in gameplay felt natural because of the narrative, and there are very few games I know that pull that off.

All in all, that variety was very welcome and appreciated to keep my interest.

Making Fun of James' Charm

One of James Bond's superpowers is his charm with everyone, especially the ladies. There are a number of moments where the designers just lean hard into how ridiculous it is that everyone just instantly loves James, regardless of the situation.

I appreciated those little jokes from the NPCs who would instantly hit on James as he walked by or comment on how he looked. It made me laugh multiple times, and I very much appreciated it.

Conclusion

I won't be playing 007 First Light again. That isn't because it's not a great game, but because I'm terrible at these kinds of games. I did the same with the Uncharted games. I did the same with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. 007 is a great cinematic action game, and I would recommend everyone play it at least once, especially the James Bond fans out there.

But—no matter how good these games are, my inability to "git gud" will always prevent me from going back.