- 007 First Light franchise art director Rasmus Poulsen says the game has “distinct differences” from IOI’s Hitman games
- The developer said the Bond game is “a clear succession of our skill set and our ambition”
- He also said the young James Bond route was a “massive opportunity” for the studio to play with the notion of what a modern 007 game can look like
IO Interactive has revealed more about 007 First Light, including the “distinct differences” between the Bond game and its Hitman series.
Speaking to TechRadar Gaming at Gamescom 2025, franchise art director Rasmus Poulsen discussed First Light‘s original coming-of-age story and how the game differentiates from the Hitman games the studio is so well known for.
“We saw online some of the notions that were rummaging around when it was announced that we were going to develop a 007 game. So it wasn’t, you know, a mystery to people,” Poulsen said. “And in that instance, it wasn’t really a mystery to us, either, because, of course, we’ve been inspired by transplant through the years for our earlier games. And in that sense, it was a clear succession of our skill set and our ambition, actually, in terms of how it’s different.”
Compared to Hitman, the developer explained, First Light is a cinematic experience with a focus on character and story, and though stealth action is a prominent feature of the Bond game, our playable character and how players engage with the world will be much different.
“Stepping into the shoes of this young Bond in this original coming of age story that we have crafted specifically for you guys, the gamers, it is clear that there’s some distinct differences too, namely that you’re a distinct good guy this time around versus then a, let’s say, mildly speaking an anti hero, maybe even the bad guy in Hitman,” Poulsen said. “And so, of course, in that sense, there is quite a difference to the rules set with which you engage with the world.”
As for why this story will feature a young Bond, he explained that it was “a massive opportunity” for IOI to play with the idea of what a modern James Bond game really is for the first time since 2012.
“Of course, when you ask what he is really, what’s the DNA, the next question that arises is, well, how did he get here?” the developer continued. “And in that sense, for us, it’s a wonderful opportunity to marry the journey of the audience into the IP just as it marries the journey of young Bond into the larger world of espionage. So it allows us to really align the audience of games with the character of Bond himself.”
007 First Light launches in 2026 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S.
