007 First Light is easily the best James Bond game since GoldenEye - can it beat it?

007 First Light is easily the best James Bond game for 27 years judging by the 30 minute gameplay presentation I've seen from IO Interactive.

It genuinely looks like a crossover between Hitman, one of the best stealth series of all time and IO's own IP, and Uncharted, one of the greatest action adventure gaming series of all time.

Gameplay showed a young Bond stealthily infiltrating a hotel where a target is located (like in Hitman) before a car chase through the Slovakian countryside complete with a gallery of enemies in a shootout and an action-heavy plane scene (like in Uncharted) and this hybrid comparison kept springing to mind.

That's a really good thing. I love Uncharted and I love Hitman, both for very different reasons.

And from what I've seen of 007 First Light so far and listening to what developers have had to say about it, blending the two together has all the makings of one of the most exciting releases on the horizon.

James Bond in 007 First Light / IO Interactive

What did 007 First Light gameplay show?

The shared gameplay starts off with Bond's first mission as an MI6 recruit. The player will be able to control him as he drives a Jaguar on a mountainous road in Slovakia, chauffeuring the team he's with in pursuing rogue agent 009 at a mountainside hotel. Bond is still in training at this point.

The lighting through the trees in the mountain is stunning and the reflections and sound effects from driving through water on the road are really noticeable.

However character models aren't the best looking I've ever seen - they do look a bit plasticky but they're not terrible.

With it being a Bond game, there's the signature flirting and jokes dotted throughout. He drops the three agents he's with at the hotel for a black tie event before parking up the car and patrolling the perimeter.

However he spots a member of hotel staff chucking a suitcase off the side of the building. And, of course, despite being given the order to stay put, he goes to check out what's going on.

There are linear and more open missions in 007 First Light - you will sometimes be given a choice in how to complete certain objectives and in others you will be led down a path to move the story along.

Here, Bond has to infiltrate the hotel with the entrance guarded by security he does not have a badge for. There are multiple ways available for him to get into the hotel, a bit like different approaches that can be taken in Hitman, and it's down to the player to work out different ways they want to achieve the objective.

Bond has a Q watch which highlights hints and objectives. You can explore the perimeter to look for different hints and ways to get to where you need to. There are restricted areas where Bond can get in trouble if he's spotted.

In the gameplay shown, he distracts security guards to pick up a lighter before setting a small wheelbarrow of hay on fire to cause another distraction so he can sneak into the hotel by climbing the building.

Once in the hotel, this is where the Hitman influences really shine through,

It feel like such a living environment with maids cleaning ahead of their guests taking to their rooms later on, people milling around in the corridors, chatting and commenting on Bond. He spots the suspicious hotel staff before pursuing him.

However other agents are dotted around the hotel and Bond needs to make sure he doesn't get spotted by them either or else it's game over.

He speaks to the barman to try and find out more information about the staff member but again, there are loads of different ways that can be explored to do this.

A Slovakian mountainside hotel is the setting for James Bond's first mission in 007 First Light / IO Interactive

Gameplay then cuts to 009 getting away in a car with 007 giving chase in a car he hijacks. A mysterious, unknown woman gets in the car with him who turns out to be working for French intelligence that's also after 009.

A car chase through the Slovakian countryside then follows - and it's spectacular. It's very Bond. Developers said they want to give players the chance to drive iconic cars in high-stakes chases.

The car's handling looks quite arcade like as Bond drifts around pretty much every corner he goes around. Gameplay shows him driving through a market, pulling off insane stunts and jumps. The intensity of it does go up and down a bit though as there are more 'normal' stretches where Bond just drives.

009 leaves his car by the side of the road by a hangar where there are loads of enemies as he's planning to escape by plane. 007 is given a gun by the French spy and this is where the Uncharted thoughts come in.

Bond has a licence to kill. He cannot kill enemies unless he's been shot at first. But as soon as the first enemy takes fire at 007 here, the gloves are off and Bond goes full Nathan Drake.

The mechanics here show cover based shooting with a vertical element to it. Enemies are on different platforms but there's also a lot around the environment that can be shot at to be blown up to take them out too. There's a lot of destruction that looks great when it happens

Bond starts with a pistol but can quickly pick up an assault rifle or shotgun when he takes out an enemy that's holding one and can cause carnage.

There is one thing that felt odd here - Bond goes to fight a heavily armoured foe and shoves him down some stairs. But the enemy is instantly downed and Bond has his shotgun as if he's fallen off the edge of a cliff. Enemy AI generally doesn't look the smartest.

Bond continues to fight through the waves of enemies by shooting at huge explosive tanks - and the frame rate noticeably takes a dip in this section. Of course, this is a very early build and nowhere near the finish product though.

He eventually gets on a vehicle and just about boards the plane in time of it taking off. It's not known he's got onto the plane by the enemies who are on it. Uncharted 3, anyone?

Bond can then hack the airplane control and bank the plane to offer him an advantage as he fights through enemies hunting him down. Cargo can be moved to slam into enemies to take them out quickly. Again, there's a frame rate dip here.

With the plane going down, Bond attaches his watch magnetically to the plane as he free falls in the sky towards Earth. He needs to get a parachute before it cuts to the opening title of 007 First Light.

What an explosive start.

The high speed car chase from the gameplay presentation was thrilling / IO Interactive

What else has been revealed about 007 First Light?

Speaking after the gameplay reveal, developers confirmed a few details about the game in a presentation.

Linear sections include story beats, fighting specific enemies, car chases, shootouts and more. More open sections feature stealth, action and everything in between - there are different ways to achieve the same objectives where players can create their own storylines. Players will not be penalised for choosing to go more action focused than stealth but it may make some situations trickier.

There are spy craft tools which include the ability to eavesdrop, pickpocket, inspect the environment and find clues, as well as instincts such as lure, bluff (where Bond can talk his way out of certain situations) and focus in combat.

Gadgets include the ability to hack and shoot lasers and darts. Combat options include close combat, ranged combat and confrontation.

From the gameplay presentation and what developers have said about it, 007 First Light is shaping up to be the best James Bond game in almost three decades.

Can it eclipse GoldenEye to take the outright James Bond crown? We'll have to see.

Elsewhere from indy100:

• James Bond game 007 First Light gets explosive first trailer
• Sydney Sweeney tops list of Bond girl favourites following American Eagle backlash

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