IO Interactive's James Bond licensed game, 007 First Light, is now just three weeks away from its debut. As we got closer to the launch, the developers started revealing new details; now, YouTuber JorRaptor has reported that Gameplay Director Andreas Krogh confirmed the game's average length is around 20 hours.
That's without counting the Tactical Simulator mode (inspired by HITMAN's escalations), which will repurpose main story locations with added difficulty, restrictions, and online leaderboards, with new missions added post-launch. Notably, all cosmetic outfits (including pre-order and special edition ones) are restricted to the Tactical Simulator and cannot be worn in the main campaign, where Bond's wardrobe is narrative-driven. No New Game+ mode is currently planned, but even so, it sounds like there'll be enough meat for fans to chew through.
The length of 007 First Light is comparable to Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, and that's no accident. Compared to HITMAN, the new game from IO Interactive is much more story-driven and linear, though the developers still sprinkled in enough HITMAN elements to make it more interesting.
A mission set at a gala infiltration showcased during previews allowed multiple paths to the same objective: impersonating a journalist, stealing a press pass, overhearing guards about a missing colleague, and social engineering your way past them. The bluff mechanic is particularly impressive: if spotted, Bond can talk his way out of situations using context-aware, non-repeating dialogue lines that adapt to the player's prior choices.
The Q-Watch and a suite of up to seven gadgets (unlocked progressively through the campaign) power the stealth and combat systems of 007 First Light. Gadget use draws from a limited resource pool, requiring strategic choices, though you can replenish charges by finding items in the environment. A slow-motion mode consumes the same resource as a bluff and can be used during firefights to target weak spots. A few days ago, the developers also announced that stealth and combat will work differently from HITMAN. If you get spotted, it's not game over, and you can return to stealth if you're quick enough with the takedowns that nobody else is alerted.
Nintendo Switch 2 users also have no cause to worry. While the game is now expected to launch in Q3 on Nintendo's console, 007 First Light is already running well on the system, according to IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak. On PC, the game will support DLSS 4.5 with Multi Frame Generation and path tracing.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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