Before we get to what was revealed at the State of Play, let's go over what we knew before the event took place. According to the website, players will "Discover a new standalone, re-imagined James Bond origin story, and the events that led an audacious young hero to become the best MI6 agent. "
They will also discover a "Thrilling Espionage Adventure. Embark on missions in breathtaking locations, drive iconic vehicles, and dive into cinematic adventure in pursuit of a rogue agent who's always one step ahead." Sounds like Bond will have a Golden Eye situation.
The developers are sticking to their Hitman ways and allowing players to play the game as they see fit. "Spying your way. Go silent or go loud. Whether fighting with fists or firepower, using gadgets to infiltrate, or bluffing your way past guards, the approach is entirely up to you."
They're also allowing players to retry missions. "Welcome to MI6. Test your skills and replay your favorite missions with additional modifiers, for endless espionage fun." Sounds like The Division.
The official description from the website is as follows: "007 First Light is a thrilling narrative action-adventure game developed by IO Interactive. Follow James Bond as a young, resourceful, and sometimes reckless recruit in MI6's training program, and discover an origin story of the world's most famous spy. (Source)
Now let's get into what Sony revealed at the State of Play on Wednesday, September 3, 2025.
This was the first mission for Bond as a recruit. Not clear if this is the first mission in the game or not. Opens with a cinematic drive into seamless gameplay. 009 is the "Rogue" agent Bond is after. There's a classic feeling of Bond disobeying direct orders. There are dialogue options in the game. It does look like Hitman where certain items are needed to cause distractions, and get into restricted areas.
On the bottom left, there are two icons, a battery and a beaker, that deplete when using gadgets. You can use instinct to "bluff," "Lure," or "focus." There are options to "Shockwave Camera," use "smoke pods," "dart phone," and "hack watch." Bond picks up a lighter to set something on fire, causing a distraction. The game looks like Hitman with an Uncharted flair. Picking up certain items replenishes the gadget meter.
In typical fashion the pursuit of 009 ends in a car chase. What will be interesting is seeing if First Light will pull a Mafia: The Old Country where no matter how stealthy the player is, for some reason they always get caught. Based on their history with Hitman, I don't think that will be the case. In pursuit of 009 on foot ,James is caught off-guard by an enemy as he's sneaking through a pipe, which creates the classic 007 intro.
Shooting enemies also replenishes one of Bond's abilities. Blowing up explosives does not replenish, which is interesting. Bond can grab enemies and toss them off ledges. The overall gunplay looks smoother than in Hitman. You can throw weapons and kick enemies after sliding over the hood of a car. Using a car to jump to a hose, to throwing henchmen off the wing of a moving plane, to jumping out said plane without a parachute, it doesn't get more ridiculously awesome than that.
From the PlaystationBlog we've learned "As you progress through the missions, you will unlock more gadgets, empowering you through your journey to become a fully-fledged spy." One would assume that once unlocked, you could use gadgets that were not available before in previous missions, adding replay value. You can check out the 30 minutes of gameplay here.
You can listen in on conversations for additional intel on opportunities. The trailer showed three separate ways you could acquire a camera to pose as a reporter/photographer. Bond can "Sabotage" doors, which can lock NPCs in a room. You can use the environment to your advantage. Combat includes throws, parries, direct strikes, and environmental takedowns. The combat sounds like Sleeping Dogs, and the gadgets remind me of Watch Dogs.
When Bond is directly threatened he is granted a "License to Kill" allowing the player to pull out firearm and hit back. It is not clear if there will be loadouts, with the skills for example, or starting weapons.
Overall I'm more excited now that we've seen gameplay and more than just a trailer. 007 First Light officially releases on March 27, 2026.