Is ‘007 First Light' the Best James Bond Video Game of All Time?
For almost 30 years, GoldenEye 007 has stood alone as the best video game to feature James Bond. Originally released for the Nintendo 64 in 1997, Rare's first-person masterpiece cast you as Britain's most famous secret agent, tasking you with completing objectives with the various difficulty settings not only buffing enemies but also requiring you to finish more of those objectives to proceed. In the big picture, GoldenEye 007 proved that first-person shooters could excel on consoles, and its multiplayer component led to countless hours of local PvP.
While there's certainly a nostalgia element at work when comparing it to modern efforts within the genre, it's also impossible to overstate the influence it had on the industry. Beyond that, however, GoldenEye 007 has remained atop the Bond mountaintop in part because there just haven't been many worthy challengers. To that end, during the last 20 years, only four standalone Bond games have been released: Quantum of Solace (2008), James Bond 007: Blood Stone (2010), 007 Legends (2012), and a remake of GoldenEye 007 (2010).
That changed last week when developer IO Interactive released 007 First Light. The game has drawn nearly universal praise, earning an 88 on Metacritic, while Men's Journal's Brandon Key gave the game a 9.0 out of 10. Although GoldenEye 007 received a 96 on Metacritic, it seems fair to ask the question: Is 007 First Light the best Bond video game ever?
Having played through the game, my answer is a definitive yes. First Light takes its time, building a new Bond, one who is just becoming a secret agent, with early levels focusing on his introduction to MI6 and subsequent training. It plugs in updated versions of series stalwarts like Moneypenny, M, and Q, planting seeds for those relationships to develop over time. It's a refreshing approach after previous titles featured an established film version of 007, usually Daniel Craig or Pierce Brosnan.
First Light also leans into all the signature moments you associate with James Bond in a way no other game has. There are spy elements, driving, hand-to-hand combat reminiscent of the more recent films, shooting, and, of course, the dry wit. Granted, some of these areas are more fully formed than others. Specifically, the melee combat is the most fun aspect for me as Bond's punches and grapples deliver, highlighted by how the environment is utilized as foes are smashed into tables, machinery, and much more.
It's not a perfect game-the driving sequences are short and a bit underwhelming, the camera can get wonky in tight quarters, and accomplishing goals could benefit from more options-but this is the closest the gaming space has ever been to a Bond movie. The plot, the twists, the globetrotting action, the locations-it all feels distinctly Bond. So much so that I'd go a step beyond calling 007 First Light the best James Bond game, ever; it's also the best thing to happen to the James Bond franchise since Skyfall.
Related: The 007 Best James Bond Video Games of All Time
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 5, 2026 at 6:44 PM.