IO Interactive, the studio behind Hitman, has put substantial work into making sure 007: First Light captures the heart of James Bond. We’ve already come across full videos highlighting the watch Bond will be sporting, or the Aston Martin he’s expected to pilot, plus a familiar figure appearing in a villainous cameo. Even the 007: First Light Bond Theme is performed by acclaimed singer Lana Del Rey. Still, the question remains: what lies behind the game’s, ahem, pull?
Think about it this way—what’s more closely tied to James Bond than a charged romance subplot? With the exception of Quantum of Solace in 2008, I can’t remember a Bond movie that doesn’t include one. As far as I know, every film (and I’m speaking mainly about movies, since I’ve only read a single novel) gives our agent a “Bond girl” he eventually pursues. Does 007: First Light follow the same pattern? And if it does, how compelling is it likely to be?
I recently pressed narrative and cinematic director Martin Emborg on the topic, especially since the studio hasn’t shared much detail. His reply was rather general. “I think we’ve already revealed a bit in the trailers,” Emborg said. Is that a yes—meaning romance and maybe even more intimate moments? He didn’t commit. “I encourage you to watch the trailers,” he added. So I did.
Out of the roughly 20 trailers IO Interactive has posted for 007: First Light on its YouTube channel, only two even brush up against anything that could be read as remotely seductive (depending on how you define “sexy,” naturally). In the 007: First Light announcement trailer, there’s a brief look at Bond on a boat or yacht as a woman in an oversized shirt—completely bare-legged—leans toward him in a slow sway. The message is pretty unmistakable: something is going on.
Then, in a 007: First Light story trailer, we get a bit of teasing conversation poolside. An attractive woman in a swimsuit steps out of the water and tells Bond in a suggestive tone, “You seem like the kind of guy who knows what he enjoys.” IO Interactive captured this beat for promotional use, which makes it feel like the kind of detail Emborg might have been hinting at. Otherwise, why spotlight that image at all?
For clarity, the person shown in these moments is Miss Roth, a French intelligence operative who temporarily allies with Bond to track down the rogue agent 009. She’s also the one we see Bond flirting with at a gala in other trailers, and she’s present in scenes where he spends time with her while driving around. Based on that, it’s fair to assume Miss Roth could indeed become a romantic interest. Still, that’s all the evidence I was able to pull from the trailers.
Even so, there’s a bigger issue worth considering. Sure, Bond’s magnetism can be a tempting element in the films, but it’s also connected to some more troubling traits—especially the outdated mindset Bond has toward women. Ian Fleming wrote the Bond books across the 1950s and 60s, a period when public attitudes about women were very different. So if the plan is to carry this character forward 60 years later while trying to preserve what makes him “him,” how do you handle that challenge?
“It’s pretty straightforward,” Emborg replied. “When you look at all the films and their different interpretations—across games and other media, too—it’s always seen through the lens of the time it was made. That’s why you can spot how the same stories are being read differently as the years move on. That’s been true for 60 years. And now it’s our turn to examine the character and figure out what it means to save the world in 2026. Some parts may feel less relevant, while others may matter more.
“But I do think he’s a timeless character,” he added. From there, he outlined the game’s narrative direction, stressing that even with MI6’s high-tech capabilities, it’s Bond’s “human tenacity” that helps him flip unfavorable odds. “That’s what M sees in Bond. That’s what he’s always been.
“But we have – beautiful women are present. He’s a young man, he’s got charm, and he’s undeniably cool” -Martin Emborg
“But we do – beautiful women are included,” Emborg continued. “He’s young, he’s got charm, and he’s undeniably cool. People just tend to get nervous about those elements. That said, I’m looking forward to players stepping into the game and getting to know the character, because everything we’ve worked on is meant to give you the most genuine Bond experience we can.”
Irish actor Patrick Gibson plays James Bond in 007: First Light, a game that delivers a brand-new, original story within the Bond universe—one that looks at how he earned his 007 status. It touches on themes similar to Fleming’s first Bond novel, Casino Royale, which just so happens to also serve as the basis for Daniel Craig’s Bond debut in 2006, but First Light stands on its own.
There’s also plenty of fresh Bond energy building right now, as auditions for a new cinematic Bond actor begin. With no current cinematic Bond following Daniel Craig, IO Interactive has had more room to explore creative directions for 007: First Light—even if it has still held ongoing weekly conversations with Bond rights holders MGM and the Broccoli family. Even so, not everyone is fully convinced by Gibson’s take on a younger Bond. IO Interactive, however, insists that what we’ve seen so far is only the surface, and that more is on the way.
Time will tell, and the wait won’t be long. 007: First Light launches next week on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X on Wednesday, May 27.