Reviews

8:51 007 First Light was very well reviewed: as of Nov 4, 2026 it holds an OpenCritic Top Critic Average of 87, with 97% of critics recommending it across 196 reviews, and Metacritic scores of 87 on PS5, 88 on Xbox Series X and 84 on PC. IGN gave it 9/10 and GameSpot 8/10; The Guardian, VGC and Tom's Guide gave 5 out of 5, and PC Gamer, at 65/100, was the low outlier among big outlets. Players rate it about as highly: Steam's user reviews are Very Positive, 90% of 19,713 in English. Critics praised the Bond feel, the cast and the freedom inside missions, and faulted its familiarity, its slow starts to missions and its easily fooled guards. Is it worth it? For anyone who likes Hitman or Bond, the critics' answer is yes.

Quick facts

Sources: OpenCritic, read Nov 4, 2026; OpenCritic news (TheGamer), May 26, 2026; Metacritic and Metacritic PS5 critic reviews, read Nov 4, 2026; Steam store page, read Nov 4, 2026.

What is 007 First Light's Metacritic score?

On Nov 4, 2026, Metacritic gives 87 on PS5 (from about 100 critic reviews), 88 on Xbox Series X (11) and 84 on PC (54). On the PS5 list, 93 reviews are positive, 6 mixed and none negative. There is no Switch 2 entry yet, since that version comes on Mar 18, 2027. On review day, May 26, Metacritic stood at 88 and OpenCritic at 89, the figures behind TheGamer's headline that it was the best Bond game since GoldenEye by its review scores; later reviews brought both down a point or two. GoldenEye 007 itself has a Metascore of 96; the rest of the series is on James Bond Games in Order.

Review scores by outlet

Sources: OpenCritic: 007 First Light reviews and page 2, read Nov 4, 2026; Metacritic PS5 critic reviews, read Nov 4, 2026; OpenCritic news (TheGamer), May 26, 2026. "May 2026" marks a review OpenCritic lists without a day in the pages read.

GamesRadar+ (Josh West) reviewed it on May 26, 2026, but OpenCritic showed no score for it as read; Polygon's review carries no score. Kotaku's review, also unscored, found the story ran to about 15 hours of the 20 its reviewer spent.

What did critics praise?

• It feels like Bond. Shacknews called it "a crowning achievement for IO Interactive", and Tom's Guide "the finest James Bond video game in nearly 30 years".
• Freedom inside missions. Shacknews found that "every problem has multiple solutions", comparing the levels to modern Hitman; Game Rant's shorthand was "Hitman meets Uncharted".
• Approachable stealth. Game Rant liked that getting caught is "rarely a death sentence", and COGconnected found it more approachable than Hitman (007 First Light vs Hitman).
• The cast, with Patrick Gibson's young James Bond and Lennie James's John Greenway both later nominated at the Golden Joystick Awards (Awards and Nominations).

6:38 IGN's Luke Reilly, in his video review of May 29, 2026, says starting with so young a Bond "was a risk", and that Patrick Gibson's "archetypal hot shot" grows through his new role models, Q and Lennie James's Greenway, "a similarly strong performance", into the Bond "we're very familiar with".

What did critics criticize?

• Familiarity. PC Gamer's Joshua Wolens wrote that IOI's Bond world shines but cannot make up for a very familiar game around it, and OpenCritic's summary names familiarity and length as the common complaints.
• Slow starts. Game Rant found the information-gathering stretches that open missions overlong and "hand-holdy", calling the pacing the game's biggest flaw.
• The guards. COGconnected: "if you see an enemy, chances are there is some way to cheese the encounter". Hardcore Gamer found the Hitman-style areas usually offer only 2 or 3 alternate approaches, and bodies cannot be hidden.
• Gadget resources. PlayStation LifeStyle found the battery and chemical limits overly restrictive (Gadgets).
• Driving. TheSixthAxis called it "serviceable" and a bit floaty; Hardcore Gamer found the vehicle and diving sections sluggish (Driving and Chases).
• Bugs at launch, which the first patches dealt with (Patch Notes and Updates).

10:47 Reilly's own reservations in IGN's video are of the same kind: gadgets run on batteries and chemicals gathered from "so much of this stuff laying around" that gathering is "an arbitrary task" a cooldown could have replaced, melee is "a little clunky at times" when Bond is swarmed, disguises appear only where the story scripts them, and Bond cannot hide or drag knocked-out guards, "which does leave the stealth feeling a little archaic in 2026".

What do players say?

Steam's user reviews are Very Positive: 90% of 19,713 English reviews all time, and 87% of the 2,073 written in the last 30 days, as of Nov 4, 2026, after the Extended Operations update. Metacritic's PS5 user score is 8.3 from 2,880 ratings. The game's sales, 4 million in three months, are on Sales and Players.

Is 007 First Light worth it?

26:11 By the reviews, yes for most players: 97% of critics on OpenCritic recommend it. It suits players who enjoy Hitman's sandboxes but want a shorter, more guided, story-led game, and Bond fans above all. Players who want deep, punishing stealth may find it light, though the 00 Difficulty added on Oct 1, 2026 answers some of that. As of Nov 4, 2026 it is 40% off on Xbox and on Steam's Deluxe Edition (Editions and Prices), and about 15 to 20 hours long. Skill Up called it "an easy day one purchase" for anyone the Bond fantasy appeals to, and for others a game to pick up "down the line when some more content and some discounts have rolled through".

21:08 Mortismal Gaming, reviewing after finishing everything (May 29, 2026), found it "a really fun stealth sort of espionage action adventure" but "kind of short" for a $70 game, and advised waiting for a price you are comfortable with.

Frequently asked questions

What is 007 First Light's Metacritic score? As of Nov 4, 2026, 007 First Light scores 87 on PS5, 88 on Xbox Series X and 84 on PC on Metacritic.

What is 007 First Light's OpenCritic score? 007 First Light has an OpenCritic Top Critic Average of 87, with 97% of critics recommending it across 196 reviews, as of Nov 4, 2026, rated "Mighty".

What did IGN give 007 First Light? IGN's Luke Reilly gave 007 First Light 9/10 on May 28, 2026.

What is the lowest review score for 007 First Light? Among major outlets, PC Gamer gave 007 First Light its lowest score, 65/100, praising its Bond world but calling the game around it very familiar.

Is 007 First Light worth buying? By the reviews, yes: 97% of critics recommend 007 First Light, and 90% of English Steam reviews are positive as of Nov 4, 2026. It suits Hitman and Bond fans most.

Is 007 First Light better than GoldenEye? By scores, no: GoldenEye 007 holds a Metascore of 96. On review day TheGamer called 007 First Light the best-reviewed Bond game since GoldenEye.

Sources

• 007 First Light: The Kotaku Review, Kotaku, May 26, 2026
• 007 First Light review: Tomorrow Never Dies, Shacknews, May 26, 2026
• 007 First Light Review, Game Rant, May 26, 2026
• 007 First Light Is The Best Bond Game Since GoldenEye, According To Its Review Scores, TheGamer via OpenCritic, May 26, 2026
• 007 First Light Review, PlayStation LifeStyle, May 27, 2026
• 007 First Light Review, Target Mostly Acquired, COGconnected, Jun 2, 2026
• Review: 007 First Light, Hardcore Gamer, Jun 2, 2026
• 007 First Light Review, TheSixthAxis, Jun 4, 2026
• 007 First Light reaches 4 million copies sold, IO Interactive, Aug 20, 2026
• 007 First Light, OpenCritic
• 007 First Light reviews, OpenCritic
• 007 First Light, Metacritic
• 007 First Light PS5 critic reviews, Metacritic
• GoldenEye 007, Metacritic
• 007 First Light, Steam store
• 007 First Light Review - The Final Verdict, GamingBolt, May 26, 2026 (video)
• 007 First Light Review, IGN, May 29, 2026 (video)
• I recommend: 007 First Light (Review), Skill Up, May 26, 2026 (video)
• 007 First Light - Review After 100%, Mortismal Gaming, May 29, 2026 (video)