Review Roundup: 007 First Light — What Critics Are Saying
IO Interactive's Bond origin story is being called the best 007 game in decades. Here is the critical consensus, including the dissenting voices.
Before we start: HotGameNews staff have not played 007 First Light. This is a roundup of published reviews, and every score and quote below comes from critics and aggregator pages, not from us.
The scores. Released May 27, 2026, 007 First Light sits at a Metascore of 87 (“Generally Favorable”) from 96 critic reviews on Metacritic, with 94 percent positive, 6 percent mixed and none negative. On OpenCritic it has a top-critic average of 87 with 97 percent of critics recommending it across 184 reviews. Players are on board too, at 8.3 on Metacritic and 90 on OpenCritic. Metacritic’s midyear ranking of 2026’s best-reviewed games places it at number seven.
The praise. The Washington Post gave it a perfect 100, writing that it is “not only the best Bond game ever made, it’s also the best Bond story since Casino Royale in 2006.” Per OpenCritic’s outlet listing, IGN scored it 9/10 and called it “the best Bond game I’ve ever played,” while Tom’s Guide described it as “the finest James Bond video game in nearly 30 years.” DualShockers also gave 9/10, GameSpot 8/10, and Eurogamer and GamesRadar+ each awarded 4 out of 5. Critics single out the stealth and combat, and Eurogamer praised its “excellent fistfights and oodles of charm.”
The pushback. Not everyone is fully sold. PC Gamer’s score is 65/100, noting that while “IO’s take on the Bond-iverse shines,” the game around it feels familiar. Eurogamer found it “less cerebral and replayable” than IO’s Hitman work. Metacritic’s summary adds that some reviewers see it as watering down that series’ complexity, with one describing a middle ground between Hitman and Uncharted. Users mostly loved the mission variety, though some felt the pacing sagged toward the finale.
The bottom line. The consensus is remarkably tight: a confident, cinematic spy adventure that stealth fans and Bond fans can both enjoy, held back from all-time greatness mainly by playing it a little safe. For a licensed game with a history of missteps, an 87 from critics and a 97 percent recommend rate is a very strong showing.
Scores reflect Metacritic and OpenCritic at time of writing and can change as more reviews are added.