IO Interactive, the developers behind the highly anticipated new James Bond game, 007 First Light, is best known for another mission-focused franchise driven by action and espionage. The Hitman series has a long history of delighting its fan base with new and interesting ways to navigate the robotic Agent 47 around his environment. World of Assassination really allowed IO Interactive to flex their level and mechanical design skills to create a vibrant and adaptable playground for creative gameplay. While Hitman is a brilliant stealth and slapstick masterpiece, 007 First Light needs to be its own unique game that stays true to the character and narrative of James Bond. This doesn’t simply mean a more narrative-heavy experience, but also one driven by Bond’s unique charisma and interactions with others.
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All that being said, these next key elements from the Hitman games would be brilliant to see make the transition to the world of 007; the world of espionage, if you will. Some of the mechanics that make Hitman the memorable success that it is would fit perfectly into a spy thriller. This is a wishlist of some of the best Hitman mechanics that IO has hopefully integrated into 007 First Light. Some are all but confirmed by the trailers, some are logical applications of IO Interactive's greatest hits, and some are pure fan service included out of sheer love for the franchise.
Ridiculous Environmental Takedowns
Always Bring A Wrench
James Bond and Agent 47 both love their environmental takedowns, and if the extended gameplay trailer and explainer are anything to go by, there will be plenty of environmental takedowns in 007 First Light. Followed by terrible quips and puns, of course. However, the trailers have shown nothing on the same cartoonish scale as the Mendoza grape press.
Bond’s shove move seems to respond to environmental factors, although it’s hard to tell from the gameplay demo exactly how much choice is involved during combat. There was evidence of environmental distractions and a classic chandelier accident. It remains to be seen if Bond will follow in 47’s cartoonish supervillain footsteps for environmental takedowns.
Single-Use Traps
One Per Customer
This may be a bit divisive, but one of the best decisions IO Interactive ever made was to make Hitman’s electrocution and some other environmental traps expire after one kill. It is a much-appreciated and forgiving mechanic that has saved many from disaster. The ability to avoid excessive collaterals or misfires is really useful and allows for greater control over the environment.
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If Bond is going to electrocute anyone or make any other improvised environmental traps, these should have a single-use expiration, just like they do in World of Assassination, especially since Bond will not necessarily be aiming to kill, but rather disrupt. If Bond’s primary goal is not to kill, this could probably be applied to other environmental traps or distractions.
Unlockable Outfits From Challenges
On The More Cosmetic Side Of Things
Once a player has come to terms with the mechanics of Hitman and played the main missions, that is when the game's replayability really begins to shine. One way that Hitman rewards repeat playthroughs is with the completion of unusual and unexpected challenges.
Completing strange challenges to earn weird and wonderful costumes and other unlockables is one of the great joys of completionism in World of Assassination, and it would be great to see similar rewards in 007 First Light. Should Bond have a blue flamingo mascot outfit? Probably not, but a few silly little unlockables would be much appreciated. There already appear to be some interesting options in the preorder pack. Hopefully, that’s a sign of things to come.
Protected NPCs
Collateral Damage
This may hurt to hear, especially for gamers who love a good level kill challenge, but protected characters that result in a fail state are very appropriate for a James Bond game. Think of Diana on the Mendoza map or the Constant on Sgàil in Hitman 2 and 3. It rewards strategic approaches and discourages charging into every area guns blazing.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
In 007 First Light, it looks as though the license to kill system may be a different way of enforcing this, encouraging players to role-play as a less bloodthirsty Bond. There may only be certain times when players are permitted to kill to maintain Bond's moral integrity — something IO Interactive never really needed to worry about with Agent 47.
Contracts, Or Another Kind Of Sandbox
Diana Sat This One Out
Part of what has ensured World of Assassination's continued player base is the Elusive Targets, Contracts, Freelancer, and other missions that allow the player to experience the same levels with different goals. This may be trickier to implement in a less flexible, narrative-focused game, but from what we’ve seen of the environments so far, the level design look vibrant and expansive for a linear single-player experience.
A huge appeal of World of Assassination is being able to play in the world IO Interactive has painstakingly created and making your own contracts as you do so. Community contracts show off the true adaptability and depth of the level design in Hitman, and we can only hope for the same in 007 First Light.
Important Dropped Items On The Map
Where Did I Put My Clown Costume?
There's nothing worse than dropping something important, or even mission-critical, and forgetting where it was dropped. This is still a major problem in Hitman when it comes to weapon-specific contracts and missions, but the simple marking of briefcases and previously-used disguises is a brilliant quality-of-life feature that would be useful in 007 First Light.
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From the gameplay demo, it is obvious that Bond may be revisiting locations multiple times to create distractions, gain new equipment, and unlock intel. Depending on the inventory system, dropping items could make for a very confusing and costly stumble back through the level without the implementation of these markers.
Easy To Understand Difficulty Tiers
Find Your Level
Hitman has well-implemented difficulty levels, which make it clear the key differences between difficulties. The difficulty level selection screen clearly outlines the differences between the three levels: Casual, Professional, and Master (see image). These change the damage that NPCs do, the visibility of hostiles, and importantly, how many saves a player can make during a mission.
It will be interesting to see if saves matter quite as much in 007 First Light, as they can be a key mechanic in Hitman and the difference between success and failure. Not being able to save makes a significant difference in pulling off a contract gone wrong, and in a more linear and story-focused game, it could break up continuity significantly.
Distraction Chains
Oh, Look, A Coin
Is there a more naive and innocent creature in gaming than a Hitman NPC who hears the alluring noise of a dropped coin? In most cases, distractions such as throwing a coin or triggering a high-tech toilet will target anyone within hearing range. Guards are more likely to respond, and sometimes the closest person will be the one to go looking.
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This predictability means that a patient hitman can take out a group of guards one after the other by luring them into a secluded area, knocking them out, and repeating. While it looks like Bond’s NPCs may not be quite so gullible, the ability to clear a level one guard at a time would be a lot of fun.
Customizable Loadout
Don’t Forget Your Rubber Duck
Bond films and games are characterized by highly specialized and improbable gadgets. It looks like 007 First Light will give Bond a variety to choose from, many of which seem to be tethered to a resource system and his watch. However, Q has been a busy boy, so who knows what goodies the player will have access to?
It would be a shame if players didn’t get a chance to choose which gadgets they bring to a level. Being able to customize a loadout and try new approaches based on the chosen tools is something that makes Hitman so endlessly replayable. Hopefully, IO Interactive has implemented something similar for Bond.
OpenCritic Reviews
- Released
- May 27, 2026
- ESRB
- Teen / Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence, In-Game Purchases
- Developer(s)
- IO Interactive
- Publisher(s)
- IO Interactive
