IO Interactive has shared new details on its upcoming James Bond game 007 First Light, including a new mode that looks inspired by one of Hitman’s best post-launch ideas. Called Tac-Sim, players will get to take on missions with various parameters, each one designed to test their 00 agents with increasingly challenging objectives. The mode sounds similar to Hitman’s Escalation Contracts and Freelancer, and for added incentive, it includes an online leaderboard to see how you stack up against your fellow agents.
Completing a Tac-Sim will also reward players with experience points that can be spent on gadget upgrades, outfits, and new weapons. To keep things interesting, “Game Changer” modifiers will task players with completing certain sub-objectives, like finding secret notes, taking on powerful enemies, and not firing any rounds. IO Interactive says that it plans to expand on Tac-Sim over time, creating new post-launch content for the game.
Hitman’s extra modes helped add hours of replayability to all three games in the World of Assassination trilogy, while Freelancer mode introduced roguelike elements to the experience that reinvigorated Hitman 3 at the time. It’s not unsurprising to see these ideas resurface in 007 First Light, as it shares an open-ended approach to its mission structure that looks like it was directly inspired by Hitman.
The studio also shared a few new details on all of the Q Division gadgets that Bond can make use of in his missions, including the Q‑Lens to highlight useful information, the Q‑Watch to neutralize threats, the Laser Strap to create distractions, and more. Alongside Bond’s talent for bluffing, combat skills, and ability to slow down time when engaged in shootouts, Bond should have plenty of tools in his arsenal to successfully complete a mission.
The new trailer also ended on an intriguing note, as IO Interactive mentioned that “an agent is never as good as when surrounded by allies,” and that players will “figure out this part” when the time comes. The wording certainly sounds like a tease for some sort of multiplayer, but for now, 007 First Light is described as a single-player game.
Launching on May 27 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S–and at an undetermined date for Switch 2–007 First Light also shares one vital piece of DNA with its source material: a flashy title sequence. The game’s cinematic-inspired opening was produced by award-winning performer Lana Del Rey and composer David Arnold, who previously scored five consecutive James Bond movies.