007 First Light is a fantastic action-adventure game that perfectly blends stealth, gadgetry, and combat into one heck of a cinematic experience. It’s easily one of the best James Bond games ever made, and I hope developer IOI gets to make a sequel. Until then, what should you check out next if you’ve finished First Light and are still craving some immersive sim–like action and stealth? I have some suggestions down below that could scratch that 007 First Light itch.
Hitman: World of Assassination
Let’s get this one out of the way right off the bat. IOI’s previous Hitman games, specifically the World of Assassination trilogy, play a lot like 007 First Light. However, Agent 47 is more brutal and goofy than Bond, and the worlds he visits are much larger sandboxes than anything seen in First Light. But if you enjoyed how First Light played and how it mixed social stealth, action, and exploration together, you’d likely enjoy the newer Hitman games, too.
Alpha Protocol
Weirdly, there aren’t many contemporary spy games out there that don’t star James Bond. But there is Alpha Protocol, a flawed attempt to create a Spy RPG. This was developed by Obsidian and was a buggy, somewhat unbalanced mess at launch. Still fun, but not great. Today, thanks to modders on PC, you can turn Alpha Protocol into a much better game and one which might deliver some of the spy fantasy that First Light provided.
Splinter Cell: Conviction
There are many Splinter Cell games, and I think most fans of the franchise would agree that Conviction is…not the best of the bunch. But what makes Conviction a bad Splinter Cell game also makes it a great action-stealth game to play after First Light. Unlike the rest of the series, Conviction is more aggressive, action-packed, and at times plays more like a third-person shooter with optional stealth segments. Sounds a lot like First Light, huh? Sam might not be as suave as James, but he gets the job done.
James Bond 007: Blood Stone
Yes, I’ve included some other James Bond games on this list. I’m allowed to do that. It’s my list. For this first one, I’m picking Blood Stone, which was a third-person action-adventure game that played more like Uncharted than a lot of the other shooter-focused entries in the Bond franchise. Don’t get me wrong, you still do a lot of shooting and killing in Blood Stone, but the vibes and action overall feel closer to those of First Light than what you’d find in most of the Bond games.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Phantom Pain isn’t simply on this list because it’s a third-person action game with a lot of stealth options and gameplay features. Instead, it’s here because Kojima’s final MGS game also includes a lot of ways to mess around with enemies and the world, which will feel very familiar to anyone who has just wrapped up First Light.
Watch Dogs 2
If you loved hacking and tinkering with objects, computers, and other items in First Light, then you should play Watch Dogs 2. Then again, I just sort of recommend Watch Dogs 2 all the time to anyone who will listen. Ubisoft’s open-world action game has plenty of stealth and hacking in it that should come naturally to any First Light players. Plus, San Francisco is such a fun place to explore in Watch Dogs 2. What a great game. Shame they never made a real sequel, and instead we got that oddball mess that was Watch Dogs: Legion.
James Bond 007: Everything Or Nothing
The second and last Bond game on this list is Everything Or Nothing. And… yeah, it’s mainly here because it is one of the rare examples of a third-person James Bond game. And it’s a solid one, too. It stars Pierce Brosnan in an original story and is built to look and feel a lot like a modern Bond movie. Not super long or complicated, but pretty dang fun, especially if you love some classic PS2-era action.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
This is the only game on the list that isn’t third-person. And I almost didn’t include it because of that fact. But, other than that difference, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and First Light are very similar games in a lot of ways. They both set out to be accessible im-sims with a focus on action and they both succeed. Arguably, The Great Circle does an even better job at giving the player numerous options to handle enemies and other scenarios, so it might be the perfect next game to play after First Light. Plus, you get to punch Nazis. Come on, what more could you want?
Batman: Arkham City
And last, here’s a curveball: A Batman game. Specifically, Arkham City. On the surface, maybe this Batman sequel and First Light seem very different. But both games star a cool dude who is tough, whip-smart, and always saves the day. Both games let you use gadgets and stealth to get the drop on enemies. And both heroes are reluctant to kill, though Bond is far more comfortable blasting people away than Batman. If you haven’t played Arkham City yet and just wrapped First Light, I’d recommend hopping into Gotham and kicking some goons in the face.