Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Most reviewers loved 007 First Light—so why did it leave me, a huge Hitman/IO Interactive fan, disappointed? In my critical review of 007 First Light, I break down the biggest reasons the game failed to live up to my expectations.
While most reviews of 007 First Light have been very kind, I can't help but feel a little empty having beaten it—having seen that potential of "007 tackled by the people who made Hitman" as YouTube's Number One Hitman Guy and feeling like the end product came up more than a little short. So here is my honest review to set the record straight.
First Light shifts the improvisatory dynamic of Hitman's stealth to 007's John Wick-esque gunplay, but it does so at the cost of making everything around those sparse action sequences staggeringly simplistic—coming across more like a Diet Watch Dogs than anything reaching the heights of the World of Assassination trilogy. In this review/analysis/critique of 007 First Light, let's talk about it!
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Support the show on Patreon - patreon.com/writingongames
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - 007 First Light left me disappointed
2:36 - What actually matters in First Light?
5:21 - 007's pretty remarkable action mechanics
6:40 - Shame about the rest
8:23 - 007 First Light's surprising story
9:06 - You can never dent the Aston Martin
11:00 - Outro
#007firstlight #iointeractive #hitmanworldofassassination #jamesbond #videoessay #gamereview
Most reviewers loved 007 First Light—so why did it leave me, a huge Hitman/IO Interactive fan, disappointed? In my critical review of 007 First Light, I break down the biggest reasons the game failed to live up to my expectations.
While most reviews of 007 First Light have been very kind, I can't help but feel a little empty having beaten it—having seen that potential of "007 tackled by the people who made Hitman" as YouTube's Number One Hitman Guy and feeling like the end product came up more than a little short. So here is my honest review to set the record straight.
First Light shifts the improvisatory dynamic of Hitman's stealth to 007's John Wick-esque gunplay, but it does so at the cost of making everything around those sparse action sequences staggeringly simplistic—coming across more like a Diet Watch Dogs than anything reaching the heights of the World of Assassination trilogy. In this review/analysis/critique of 007 First Light, let's talk about it!
Review copy provided by the publisher.
Support the show on Patreon - patreon.com/writingongames
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - 007 First Light left me disappointed
2:36 - What actually matters in First Light?
5:21 - 007's pretty remarkable action mechanics
6:40 - Shame about the rest
8:23 - 007 First Light's surprising story
9:06 - You can never dent the Aston Martin
11:00 - Outro
#007firstlight #iointeractive #hitmanworldofassassination #jamesbond #videoessay #gamereview
