The new James Bond barely resembles 007’s past — and that was the goal

'Everybody has an opinion about this guy' — including developer IO Interactive Playing three hours of Hitman developer IO Interactive's new James Bond game 007 First Light, I was struck by how convincingly the game renders the world around the legendary spy. And yet, for me, 007 First Light struggles to summon the spirit of the character himself. The gameplay is a slick and engrossing mix of social spycraft, stealth, gadgets, and decisive action; the locations are handsome and plush. But the character, as played by Patrick Gibson, is almost unrecognizable. To begin with, this is a young Bond. 007 First Light is an origin story that starts with the character as a Navy Airman and follows his induction into the secret service. The usually cynical and worldly character is quite chipper and even idealistic in this version. He chats away to himself and his handlers in a manner that even Bond's smarmier movie incarnations — as played by Roger Moore, say, or Pierce Brosnan — would frown at. He is sincere and unpolished. To me, he seemed more Nathan Drake than James Bond, or perhaps like a sunnier version of Jack Lowden's character in Slow Horses. Within the confines of the preview, the cha