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I’ll be honest with you all; when I heard about the new James Bond game from the makers of the Hitman series, I had A Concern. See, I’m a huge fan of the Hitman games and their ability to make murder into a puzzle that I want to solve in the most broken, ridiculous ways. Thankfully, 007 First Light looks to be taking all the goofy action that I love about Hitman and giving us a main character with actual personality, which makes me more excited for it than I am for GTA 6.

The reveal trailer for 007 First Light did the game a disservice, in my opinion. It was heavy on action, with plenty of gunfights and explosions and quips you’d expect from a James Bond game. However, the gameplay didn’t feel like it belonged with Hitman. The second trailer was a bit better – it showed some gameplay and showed some of the infiltration missions that James Bond would typically go on. However, it wasn’t until September when IO Interactive showed off enough of the gameplay that I knew this was a Bond game made for the Hitman sickos like me.

The thing about the Hitman games is that they’re actually not great action titles. The general rule of thumb is that if you get into a shooting match in these games, things have gone wrong and your Agent 47 is probably about to die. That mentality of avoiding combat is not exactly familiar territory for James Bond, who tends to jump from one explosion to the next.

My concerns were cleared up when an extended gameplay clip that showed most of the first level in 007 First Light was released. Here, we had a breakdown of the tone for the game, which was a young and impulsive James Bond early in his career. His job is to watch the car park but he lets his intuition guide him and soon he has to sneak into an exclusive party where a rogue agent is reportedly holed up. What we see isn’t a linear infiltration mission but the branching choose-your-own-path gameplay that Hitman is known for.

There are multiple routes available to the player, ranging from completely stealthy to excessively loud.
In fact, the section of that gameplay trailer that I have found myself least excited for is at the end, where James Bond has to run and gun his way onto a departing cargo plane. There is a long car chase and multiple explosions that simultaneously kill Bond’s enemies while leaving him suspiciously unharmed. Sure, it looks exciting, and the visuals are very cool, but it feels like the countless other third-person shooting games we’ve seen over the years. The final moments, when Bond is looking for a parachute to wear while falling out of a plane, are very Uncharted, but the rest of this sequence feels straight out of GTA.

Thankfully, the Hitman games are absolutely built for a James Bond story. Typically, each mission takes place in a new set piece, often in an exotic and beautiful location, which is the formula Bond films have used for decades. While Hitman has a story to follow, it is very much secondary to the exploration and experimentation with the environment that keeps me coming back for more. With the gameplay that I’ve been craving in place, I find myself getting more excited for 007 First Light with every reveal. This is game marketing done perfectly, showing me just enough to tell me what I’m getting without giving everything away.

2025 was the year that indie studios really flexed their muscles and put out the most talked-about games of the year, but 2026 seems to be the moment where AAA studios showed their worth. While GTA 6 is going to be the most talked-about one when it lands in November, if 007 First Light delivers on the concept of Hitman gameplay with a more interesting protagonist, it will be an early Game of the Year contender for me. 

The gaming industry has come a long way since Pong blew all our minds in the 70s. We've got everything you need to know about the next big thing in games. Of course, Grand Theft Auto VI is going to be the big game of 2026, but there are plenty of other games coming out between now and then. Here is our starter guide for every gamer:

• All upcoming games in 2025 and beyond
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