This week I attended the world premiere of 007 First Light, the highly anticipated new video game from IO Interactive, and the first James Bond game since 2012.
With Hollywood production values, a star-studded cast and equally star-studded list of brand partnerships (yes, Bond's Omega watch is available to buy), First Light looks like it might just be the first 007 video game to truly capture the essence of the film series – and put an end to the debate over whether Bond belongs in video games at all.
Whereas past video games featured little in the way of characterisation (often all you'd see of Bond was his tuxedo-clad arm), graphics and motion capture technology have evolved to the point where video game characters feel more human the ever. And nobody has felt this more keenly than the came's principal cast.
“I hadn’t accounted for how much they wanted actors to bring of the craft of acting to this work," said Priyanga Burford who plays M. “Being asked to do something skilful and nuanced was a real pleasure.” Not that it didn't come without its challenges. "The motion capture suits are humbling. We all got to know each other really well, in a big grey condom."
Lennie James, who plays Greenway, also found the experience bizarre. "A couple of times I went to the toilet with the things still on me. People ran after me and said, you don’t want to do that. But ultimately I had to keep reminding myself it’s for a game, not film or TV. Even though there all all these cameras and 75 nerds in the backgrounds, you get so into it."
As for 007 himself, Patrick Gibson is still coming to terms with the fact that players will soon be playing him. “It’s bizarre to have players play me. Be nice to me is all I ask – don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. The idea that somebody is stepping into my shoes is a weird thing. But really, they’re not going it as me. They're doing it as Bond."
