007 First Light

A 007 for the current generation, but one that delivers in all regards in terms of updating the character, bringing it into the appropriate air for the modern times, as well as lovingly paying proper tribute to the origins and legacy media. Ultimately, IO Interactive, among the few truly golden studios of Northern Europe and Europe in general, were given the impossible task of making a better stealth/action game than their own Hitman franchise, while handling a beloved and iconic IP, and on top of that all, having to make it a better game than Goldeneye. Few franchises have the chops of having such a super classic like Goldeneye, one of the most revolutionary and iconic FPS games of all time. Games since then have never captured the hype and appreciation since, until now. 007 Last Light is not only the best James Bond game of all time, its one of the best games in the genre and easily, the best game IO Interactive has made. A feat for all of gaming, but also a feat for the studio itself. Their own engine is a technical marvel of software engineering. Working reflections, realistic and immersive, but uniquely lively graphics that is completely gorgeous. Finally, a game that is not on Unreal. And thus, the optimization is absolutely top tier. This Danish studio has always pushed their engines to incredible limits. People my age remember being amazed by the amount of NPCs they managed to have roaming around on the PS2 copy of Hitman Blood Money, only to be further amazed by the dense crowds of the new Hitman trilogy. And once again, they completely succeed in making a game world feel so genuine, alive and populated. In terms of presentation, 007 pushes beyond most current gens and feels genuinely like a model for the next generation. That being said, there are some embarrassingly weird graphical glitches here and there still. Sometimes, accessing the journal or gadget desk turns frames to single digits for seemingly no reason, albeit this being solved with a restart. In another instance, the camera locked in a certain, fixed direction during a boss fight while James hilariously was beaten to death off screen. Other than that, the game truly is impressive in every instance. The only thing that mechanically made me mad, and it only happened once, was trying to accomplish a task only for an NPC off screen to literally interrupt me mid-task, and opening a reply prompt that stopped my mission necessary action. Forcing me to do it all over again. It was small, simple and utterly outraging for some reason. Other than that, the game is fair. Far easier than Hitman and in all the best ways. If you try to play this game like Hitman or any other game, simply don't. James is sort of like Indiana Jones, in that he is more a brawler than a shooter. I found the shooting somewhat frustrating at first, until a friend suggested playing it like an action movie and not a typical shooting game. And thus, the game immediately clicked. The once intrusive and sticky cover system became a fluid way of catching your breath inbetween dynamic combat interactions, disarming, dismantling and engaging enemies in an intensely kinetic, cinematic and satisfying way. The game's soft sci-fi, a staple of the spy and James Bond genres, thematically is flawless in the relevant arguments of today. Ethics failing to keep up with technology and the unethical application of supposedly ethical missions utilizing unrestrained software and hardware irresponsibly. And unlike most post 9/11 milslop games, the antagonists are not motivated merely by greed, but also have some genuine ideological, nationalistic sentiments that really feel like proper Bond villain stuff. They are bold in what they given our new Bond, in terms of characterization. All of the things that make him Bond are there. The womanizing, the banter, the slickness but intense capability to unconventionally makes his way through antagonistic set pieces and character driven encounters. Everything is grounded well enough to show some real high brow realities in a wide-eyed, self aware setting that also knows when to turn the dial all the way up. James has deep platonic friendships with women, to coincide with his one night stands, making him further an enjoyable character and very lovable to any player regardless of gender. He is a Bond you really root for and this honest origin story, drawing from so many great inspirations and from genuinely some very dedicated creative pools at IO Interactive, does not relent in being a full package. A nearly twenty hour single player story that never overstays its welcome. Great pacing, great at playing with your emotions, knowing when to be serious, knowing when and how to be funny. The best portrayal of dry British humour in almost any game. All around, 007 is the master piece that will be a permanent gem in IO Interactive's crown for many years to come. The Danes have done it again, being among the only Europeans besides Poles and the Swedes who can actually make a truly legendary game. Please, whoever is running that constitutional, social democracy of theirs, really needs to funnel more money from the Copenhagen treasury right into IO Interactive for more certified kino-gems as this.