007 First Light Guide – 20 Essential Tips and Tricks You Need to Know Before Your First Mission

007 First Light is only a couple of days away, and we’ve got some insider knowledge to help you step into the shoes of a younger, rawer James Bond. Just like 007 himself learns the ropes of becoming MI6’s finest, you’ll want to know the tricks of the trade if you’re going to ensure every mission goes according to plan.

We’ve already put in a serious shift with the game, so here’s everything you need to know—from the opening hours to the endgame. Let’s dive in.

1. It’s 007, Not 047

It’s easy to treat any IO Interactive title like it’s part of the Hitman franchise, but that’s a mistake here. While Agent 47 relied on stealth and a quiet approach, Bond can certainly opt for the same—but being spotted won’t trigger a level-wide red alert. Levels are broken into smaller zones, giving you more flexibility, and failure to stay undercover isn’t punished as severely.

Clearing an area without anyone knowing you were there is still incredibly satisfying, but your guns and fists are always viable options if an opponent sniffs you out.

2. Know Your Audience

Bond is all about spectacle, but his definition of it changes depending on the situation. First Light gives you tons of opportunities to pull off cool moves, but it’s up to you to discover and act on them. Reading a room to decide whether stealth works, or bluffing your way past a couple of guards, can set up some very memorable moments.

If all else fails, pull out your guns or use your fists to stay ahead of your enemies.

3. Listen In on Conversations

A good agent is always hunting for information that pertains to their objectives. Bond is no different, and First Light encourages you to act like a spy in almost every scenario. Eavesdropping on snippets of conversation can open up new ways to be the suave, slick agent you’re meant to be. Do it every chance you get—you might just pick up something that gets you past a lot of trouble.

4. Strike Up Conversations

James Bond is charismatic and isn’t afraid to use it to his advantage. First Light leans into that side of the man, encouraging you to talk to NPCs instead of just sneaking past them. They’re useful sources of information—a very potent currency in IO’s gameplay loop. You never know what might come from a conversation, but it’s almost always useful to what you’re trying to achieve.

5. Remain Focused on the Mission

If you’ve had even a passing interest in Bond over the years, you know his single-minded focus has held him in good stead at MI6. Emulate that as you play, and concentrate on every little detail you come across. In some missions, you’ll need to remember names of persons-of-interest and choose the right one in conversations. Wrong answers have consequences—usually more problems to solve later. Getting it right the first time is the better approach.

6. Hide in Plain Sight

Bond knows when to keep a low profile, and First Light‘s disguise and impersonation mechanics let you do just that. Don a parka to fool mercenaries into thinking you’re one of them, or wear formal attire at fancy parties if you’re hunting a target. Blending in until you’re ready to be seen is a valid tactic—and a lot of fun.

7. Use Your Instinct Well

Every trained agent trusts their gut in less-than-ideal situations, and First Light understands that well. Your Instinct meter is a limited resource for a reason—use it at the right moments. It can bring guards to you for silent takedowns (which refill a bit of what you’ve used), alleviate NPC suspicions, or even let you enter a bullet-time mode in a pinch. Use it wisely, and no mission will be beyond your budding skills.

8. Tell a Few Fibs

First Light puts you in plenty of situations where the truth becomes a spectrum—and all you have to do is make NPCs believe you’re on it. How? By lying, of course. Use well-placed bluffs to make NPCs think you belong somewhere you shouldn’t be. Lies and social stealth are crucial to the experience—learning to use them effectively is key to success.

9. Maintain Steady Nerves

If your lies fail or your stealth approach gets ruined by an eagle-eyed enemy, there’s no need to panic—no matter how much the game tries to rattle you. It simply shifts you into a combat state, which you can clear with guns or well-placed melee hits. You’ll know you’re in the clear when the UI tells you the situation is contained, and you can go back to blending in and taking things slowly.

Remember: unlike Hitman, failing at stealth is just a stepping stone to succeeding in combat.

10. Get Comfortable Fighting Up Close

While stealth and infiltration are great, we were surprised by how well you can use the melee system to get up close and personal with enemies. Things get tough if you don’t get used to parrying attacks and using takedowns to remove pesky opponents from a fight. You have tons of options to switch between seamlessly—familiarising yourself with them all will serve you well throughout the adventure.

The bad guys tend to come in packs, so you’ll have to be better at the deadly dance of melee combat to be the last one standing. Then straighten your suit and carry on with the mission.

11. Pay Attention to Your Surroundings

More often than not, you’ll have something close at hand to get the drop on a troublesome opponent. Enemy giving you trouble next to a wall? Use it to knock them out. See a hackable device? Go for it. Spot a light source you can overload to blind enemies? Absolutely.

Bond is known to improvise, and there’s no reason you shouldn’t when you’re in a pinch.

12. Try to Save Lives Instead of Ending Them

All that talk about taking enemies down might suggest a younger, more reckless Bond plays fast and loose with the rules. But your License to Kill isn’t permission to do so indiscriminately. Bond has always disliked needless slaughter, and that hasn’t changed. It’s an entire mechanic built around killing only when necessary—be cognisant of that at all times.

13. Know When Your License to Kill Activates

Building on the last tip: your License to Kill kicks in only when enemies escalate by using lethal force against you. Take every step to prevent things from going that far—unless you’re feeling bloodthirsty or just want to cut loose. The options are there, but they often lead to the least desirable outcomes.

Gunfights are opportunities to show off Bond’s marksmanship, but we’d still recommend using firearms only as a last resort in most situations, just to ensure you’re getting the best of everything else First Light has to offer.

14. Try to End Fights ASAP

If you’re in a fight, end it before an opponent gets the bright idea to pull out a firearm. They’ll do that if you give them enough time to react, and dodging bullets gets old fast when other enemies are begging for concussions. Ending fights before guns are drawn also ensures you retain control of a situation—unlike if enemies in the area hear shots and decide to investigate.

15. Your Gadgets Are as Important as Everything Else

It’s surprising it took us this long to get to Bond’s metaphorical utility belt. Of course he brings nifty gadgets—it wouldn’t be a Bond game without them. But remember: while their use cases may seem limited, they’re only restricted by how creatively you choose to use them.

Test new gadgets when you unlock them, and see how you can weave them into stealth, combat, and infiltrations. Experimentation is the perfect way to stay ahead of those who’d see you brought down.

16. See Things Through a Different (Q)-Lens

One of the most useful gadgets to make a beeline for is the Q-Lens. Think of it as Bond’s own Eagle Vision—it lets you identify enemy locations through walls and spot hackable devices in the field. It ties in with our advice about reading a room, and the Q-Lens helps you identify useful stuff much faster than your boring old eyes. Pfft, that’s so yesterday—Bond is all about using the latest tech to his advantage.

17. Multipurpose Gadgets

There are plenty of these to find, so we’ll restrict ourselves to talking about one: a laser gadget with multiple uses. In stealth, use it to sever ropes holding heavy objects, letting the crash act as a distraction. In combat, use it to disorient an enemy and open them up for a brutal takedown. You can even fry locks if you need to get past a door in a hurry.

The possibilities are expansive—and they get even more so once you collect a few of these nifty tools.

18. Use Boss Arenas to Your Advantage

Remember when we said to always look for ways to turn the environment against your opponents? That’s especially true in boss fights, which are invariably difficult. Bond’s tenacity against rivals who match his skill is a hallmark of his success, and First Light cleverly encourages you to showcase that.

Some fights are perfect examples of all our gadget advice—so be prepared to use your tools and any environmental traps as extensively and efficiently as possible.

19. Sustain Your Momentum

Bond is inevitably the catalyst for high-octane set-pieces where a methodical approach becomes impossible. You’ll need to pull off fancy stunts to achieve your objectives—it’s part and parcel of life as an MI6 agent.

Keep moving during chase sequences or set-pieces; stopping often means failure. React to situations as they unfold instead of trying to stop and get your bearings. That’s what sets Bond apart.

20. Practice Makes Perfect

Dr. Selina Tan’s Tactical Simulation VR chamber might not seem like a big deal, but it’s a great place to hone your skills. You can select missions with unique challenges geared toward improving specific areas of gameplay. It’s also a great way to test new gadgets and find creative uses for them.

It goes without saying: those simulations are also perfect for coming to grips with melee combat and gunplay. Make it a habit to head there for some good old-fashioned practice if you want to be as stylish as possible on the global stage.

And that’s a wrap on everything you need to keep in mind before diving into the early days of the legend that is James Bond in 007 First Light. It might seem like a lot to take in, but that’s only because IO has given you all the tools you need to be the version of Bond that calls to you. It’s up to you to make the most of them in an adventure we’re eager to tell you more about.

Polish your guns, get some stretches in, and know that we’ll be prowling its many levels right alongside you.