James Bond is undeniably the world’s most famous secret agent, so it is not really a surprise that he has had as much history in the world of video games as he has on the big screen.
Granted, quite a lot of these were quite naff cynical cash-ins (as is the fate of many licensed games), while the earliest text adventure games were arguably closest in spirit to Ian Fleming’s original novels. Ultimately, more fell in the ballpark of uninspired run-and-gun 2D shooters, whether that’s the side-scrolling platforming of James Bond 007: The Duel on the Mega Drive or the top-down vertical scrolling of Licence to Kill for computers.
It was, however, the age of 3D that saw 007 really begin to carve out his own identity in gaming, with different developers and publishers trying to put their own spin onto what makes a great Bond game. As the first 007 game in more than a decade approaches – with its own theme sung by Lana Del Ray, no less – it’s time to look back at seven (see what we did there?) games that have shaken and stirred us as MI6’s best.
Goldeneye 007 (N64, 1997)
Still held up as the best Bond game of all time, if you just go by how much the 4-player splitscreen multiplayer was a regular fixture of parties and sleepovers, even if most of that time was spent in shootouts in the toilets of Facility.
Play it today and the film’s actors’ digitised faces slapped onto blocky character models look laughable, while the control scheme will feel baffling after years of being attuned to playing modern first-person shooters with a pad. Yet Goldeneye remains special for bringing a genre largely confined to PCs to consoles. And even though mowing down enemies isn’t actually very Bond-like at all, the missions themselves are actually more involved than you remember, equipping you with an interesting range of gadgets, while also challenging you with more novel ways than simply shooting your way out with the different agent difficulty settings.
James Bond 007: Agent Under Fire (PS2, GameCube, Xbox, 2001)
Under publisher EA, there were attempts to repeat Goldeneye’s success, but after middling results with game tie-ins with the films, Agent Under Fire opted for an original Bond storyline unrelated to the films, and as such also didn’t star any of the films’ actors.
While still not as ground-breaking as Goldeneye and being a bit too on-rails in its gameplay, it was nonetheless a solid-enough shooter, having been developed with the same idTech engine used to make Quake, while also including some fun driving levels handled by the same team behind the Need For Speed games. Not shaken, but still a bit stirring. Plus you could even play against bots in deathmatches.
James Bond 007: Nightfire (PS2, GameCube, Xbox, 2002)
Another original Bond storyline, though at least this time they managed to have Pierce Brosnan’s face laser-scanned in for the role. A truly globe-trotting spy adventure that takes you from the streets of Paris to Austrian castles, and even to outer space, it’s all anchored by satisfying first-person gunplay that gets as close to the highs of Goldeneye.
You might even say that the attempt to vary up the gameplay dilutes things when the shooting is where it’s at best (including a similarly robust multiplayer option with additional maps based on other films in the Bond franchise), but the driving sections – later excised from PC ports – are not without their charms, including a car chase that culminates you driving across a frozen lake.
James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing (PS2, GameCube, Xbox, 2004)
Everything or Nothing shook things up by presenting its action in a third-person perspective (used less effectively in the not-so-good PS1 game Tomorrow Never Dies), which allowed for more actions like stealth, crouching behind cover, getting into fisticuffs up close, and driving missions that get you behind the wheel of an Aston Martin, a Porsche, a Subaru rally car and more. There’s even a two-player co-op mode where you can play through the same levels of the campaign but with two unnamed operatives.
With even more blockbuster production values than before, including Pierce Brosnan fully reprising his film role along with Judi Dench as M and John Cleese as Q, and more A-listers like Willem Dafoe, Heidi Klum and Mya (who sings the title song), it’s often heralded as the best game after Goldeneye. At the very least, it’s a more fitting swansong for Brosnan’s Bond than Die Another Day.
From Russia With Love (PS2, GameCube, Xbox, 2005)
An adaptation of the 1963 film that not only uses the likeness of a young Sean Connery as Bond but even includes new voiced lines from the legendary actor himself? What’s not to love? Granted, it’s a cheeky adaptation or director’s cut, sneaking in elements from later Connery-starring films like the jet pack from Thunderball, as well as new enemies, including an absurd moment when you go from fighting the villainous Red Grant to the most video gamey henchman you can think of.
While a greater emphasis on melee combat was inspired by Connery also being more of a brawler, as a third-person action game it’s actually quite standard-issue compared to Everything or Nothing before it. But as the last of EA’s games with the licence, It was nonetheless a worthy tribute to arguably the best Bond actor in his final ever performance of the role in an adaptation of his personal favourite Bond film.
Goldeneye 007 (Wii, 2010)
There are video game remakes and then there are video game reimaginings. This Goldeneye, released during publisher Activision’s tenure, would fit the latter. It doesn’t just update the graphics and gameplay of Rare’s all-timer for a modern audience but also reimagines the story in a contemporary post-Cold War, post-9/11 setting in the Daniel Craig era.
While diehards will still argue it doesn’t hold a candle to the N64 original, on its own merits it was still an excellent Bond shooter that maintained the original’s clever difficulty system while incorporating modern elements like improved stealth gameplay, explosive tank driving sequences, boss fights, as well as online multiplayer – but not without ditching the classic splitscreen option for a proper nostalgia trip. That said, the best you can say is that this was a remake that didn’t rely on nostalgia alone.
007 First Light (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Switch 2)
Activision’s handling of the 007 franchise was so lacklustre that our favourite secret agent was effectively put on ice until now. While past games have tried to capture the feel of Bond through actor likenesses, soundtrack and tie-ins with the films, it’s perhaps fair to say that the shoot-first gameplay has lacked the depth of truly making you feel like a 00 agent.
Enter IO Interactive, a developer that has proved its chops with one of the most sophisticated games of global espionage with its Hitman series. Rebooting the franchise with an origin story of a young Bond before he’s even earned his number, it’s also a reinvention of what makes a Bond game. In this case, it’s a smart blend of Uncharted-style linear blockbuster action with more open-ended approaches to a given situation that Agent 47 might have while traversing glamorous and dangerous locations around the world.
While the mix of gameplay elements hark back to past games, there’s a more measured approach, such as how you can’t just gun down bad guys until you’re in mortal danger and unlock the ‘licence to kill’, while it’s also possible to de-escalate the situation just by knocking out the immediate threats around you. Perhaps the most novel addition is this cocky Bond’s gift of the gab where you can charm your way past your obstacles. After so many years away, First Light may well be the best Bond game made yet.
