A new James Bond movie? Judging from the comments on social media, it seems that's what some people thought when the opening sequence for 007 First Light dropped this weekend – it's that convincing. “When's it in cinemas?” someone writes on Instagram.
For those still unaware, 007 First Light is an upcoming video game. It just looks a lot like a film. Developer IO Interactive has matched the grandeur of a Bond movie release by replicating the style of the classic opening credits sequences, complete with silhouetted dancers, abstract shapes and a sumptuous soundtrack.
007 First Light will be the first major new Bond product since Amazon took over the franchise (so far it's given us remasters and some badly Photoshopped Bond posters – Amazon's first Bond movie isn't expected until 2028). The single-player third-person game will tell a new origin story inspired by Ian Fleming's novels and short stories, as well as the movies, with Patrick Gibson playing Bond.
Article continues belowThe opening sequence (above) gives the actor the same status as those who have interpreted Bond in the movie, with full opening credits. The music for the sequence is spot on, as it should be considering it was composed by David Arnold, who scored five Bond films, from Tomorrow Never Dies to Quantum of Solace.
He brings the rich orchestral gravitas while Lana Del Rey finally gets to deliver a Bond theme after her track for Spectre was rejected. Her moody, sultry delivery also sounds quintessentially Bond.
Visually, all the Bond tropes are there for that classic mix of glamour and espionage: bold contrasts, kaleidoscopic transitions, silhouetted figures, mirrored images, and obviously 007 running and pointing a gun.
The sequence takes a lot of influence from Daniel Kleinman's visuals for the Bond movies – he's done all the openings since 1995's GoldenEye, minus Quantum of Solace. The credits are even presented in the same minimalist sans-serif font used throughout the Daniel Craig era.
The last James Bond game bombed. 007 Legends, released in 2012, was so bad that Eon Productions and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer revoked Activision's non-exclusive licence to produce games with the IP. IO Interactive's movie-style opening makes a big statement, and it's a promising sign that 007 First Light will be a different story.
It's hard for a video game to attract adult non-gamers, but more than a few James Bond fans who have never played a game might be thinking of running out and buying a console or a decent GPU for their PC on the back of this sequence. That gives the game a lot to deliver, but its focus on stealth and strategy over gunplay may win over fans of the most recent movies.
007 First Light is scheduled for release for PlayStation 5, Windows (pre-purchase on Steam) and Xbox Series X/S on 27 May. A Nintendo Switch 2 version will be released later in the year.
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