You won’t notice a different skin on tiny headphones? I’m not for or against skins, I just don’t see the point of tiny objects having them.
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Perhaps one of the headphones skins is a massive over the ear type ???
I take your point though.
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When the earbuds are equipped they play the Golden Eye pause menu music.
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Bear with me here, but I think this wishlisting rewards is a mostly harmless marketing gimmick.
Irritating, sure. But not malicious in any way. Wishlisting works so that It becomes convenient for me to get the game at or after launch. Wishlisting doesn’t always mean you are preordering.
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So I’ve had variation of those notes in my text editor since June.
And since gameplay reveal is soon(ish).
I’m really curious on the core design questions, necessities, and their consequence for First Light.
The difference it will create to Hitman
And if the old Swiss Cheese design model is still the most relevant for it
To contrast.
In Hitman,
47 has one kind of objective (elimination), from the very start of the level. And the way the elimination can go is up to the level and the targets.
Hitman is famously about the targets and the level per the devs.
This gives us the swiss cheese.
And it gives the necessity of interconnectivity.
And of the challenges.
And of the repetition of elimination archetypes.
Because, sure, you have some opportunity that you will guess due to the core fantasy.
The Bank level has a bank heist.
The fashion show let you run the catwalk.
And you have some opportunity that the players learn through the whole game (they will know that there is a way to poison, and know what toilets are for)
But for most opportunities, you need to guide and give hints to the players. Because they can’t divine it.
Some are from the UI, and the missions stories.
Majority are by having most places be multi-purpose.
As you traverse to this corridor to a key you hear about an explosive golf-ball.
As you find that crowbar you stumble a ladder.
Etc.
And so the game is about running circled around the level until you act on your one opportunity. And finding the other ones.
It feeds itself.
And gives us the game we all love and play.
But in 007
The game is more about Bond himself.
And is much more intuitive on what it means.
You don’t need to tell the players that there will be opportunity of chases, of actions, of social charisma, and of stealth.
Or they will certainly be exposed to them in the tutorial, in the first session of play.
They know it.
You don’t need a design to feed it, You need a design to onboard it.
Even more they can stand alone a bit.
Heck, due to difference in their own design, the need to stand alone a bit.
You can have the player lock on a course action.
You can have more short terms and evolving objectives.
You can have wildly different end points and objectives.
And as said there is the necessity to have the design be more heavily leaned in curation in dedicated sections compared to Hitman. Multi-purpose is less possible, and since it might be less necessary…
I think that’s one of the way it will be more like Absolution.
More varied progressing objectives.
More moving on, no going back
More linear moments in the middle gameplay loop.
(you know, Le Chiffre ET mission design)
Hitman had the swiss cheese.
Maybe First Light will have either the spaghetti plate or the octopus.
(readiness to have unequal levels, some one notes is another Absolution parallel I can see. Bonus if some work like Payday escape scenario structure of “only under condition from previous actions”. WoA “each level is an island” is limiting, and going away from it could be welcomed by the devs.)
(that is if “Hitman like open sandbox level” are even the default one and not one among many.)
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Do they all, though? How many potential players haven’t ever gotten around to seeing an actual Bond film or reading a book, and only know him through references, shout-outs, and parodies in other media, if at all?
Probably fewer than, say, came into Hitman in 2016 without having heard of the earlier games. But the number is probably not zero.
That said, I think you’re right about a lot of the rest of it. I wouldn’t be surprised to see different types of levels, and more linear gameplay in some. And it’ll probably work better here than it did in Absolution; one common criticism was that Absolution wasn’t a bad game, just a bad Hitman game, because it lost Hitman’s focus on the targets and levels which a Bond game won’t be fighting.
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That is an interesting point. Bond wasn’t really present that much over the last decade or more. Yes, the movies, but the Craig-Era started 20 years ago, so many younger people weren’t around then or too young to watch it. The last game was over 10 years ago or so and wasn’t a hit. And the books - who reads them if they don’t know Bond already?
This game could be a starting point into everything 007 for many people. Therefore it makes even more sense, to make it an origin story for the character and a fresh start over all. Even Craigs Bond is retired for almost 5 years now. The whole brand needs something new and I hope this game will deliver.
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I wonder what the inventory/item wheel will in First Light.
I expect it to be more reactive, maybe even without pausing to not disturb the flow.
I expect it to be easier on the back and forth, snapping between options.
(The example we have in WoA with the camera does have a kinda terrible implementation in use)
And the gameplay could be less kleptomaniac.
So opening to a more managed, designed inventory, that doesn’t need to be ready for dozens of items.
Especially if it doesn’t need to feed a open the whole mission puzzle box as much as WoA does.
Restricting weapons would also make sense. Carrying five pistols would be an hindrance to the flow. The trailer did show quick pickup and throwing. Even more reactive.
Would ease even more a dedicated slots, naviguable, snapping inventory.
(and also open to visible hostering)
Also,
I can’t find it, but I remember watching a personnal video from the site of one of IOI devs,
He had made a level to train.
Relatively linear, going from a cave, to a cliff side, to a few buildings, to a satellite dish I think superweapon.
Insightful on placement of atmosphere triggers, line of sights for player readability of the level (to guide navigation, to ease the taking of information of patrols, to mask things to have curated reveal…)
Should have bookmarked it. If anyone else know it, I’m taker.
Scatch that, I actually did:
To be clear: certainly not indicative of First Light or anything else.
Just some interesting find I had a year or so ago,
It’s just very neat.
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In this upcoming State of Play, tune in for over 30 minutes of gameplay featuring a playthrough of Bond’s first mission as an MI6 recruit. The action includes everything from high-speed car chases to on-foot stealth sequences and shootouts. Stay tuned after the playthrough for insights from IO Interactive on the intense espionage gameplay.
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Full on state of play.
Good for them.
The promise of all three major gameplay types in sequence pretty interesting in design. Especially if it’s not from gameplay choice, but from level design. on this showcase.
First “real” mission. Maybe made to be part of a player first session. So it could just be a question of giving all the awe during it.
Maybe a surefire curated introduction to both inform the player that they exist, look out for them (see my rant seven above). And making certain they happen if the gameplay become freeform enough that it’s impossible to guarantee another curated introduction.
I just hope the game is not too sequential.
Player agency above the 5 minutes gameplay loop.
I wonder what it means for the release date. I don’t see it releasing more than a year after it Last financial report shows that IOI don’t expect a surge this year. And then there is the Grand Theft Auto elephant in the room,
So maybe Q1 2026? April?
Would make it interesting, with the 10th anniversary of WoA in March.
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These financial reports, are they accessible or more privileged?
Q1 2026 maybe, but it depends on how finished everything is. IO aren’t known for delayed releases like other companies, and this appears to be their primary focus
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My guess is that it’s the mission after Iceland. From Sony’s Playstation Blog:
In this upcoming State of Play, tune in for over 30 minutes of gameplay featuring a playthrough of Bond’s first mission as an MI6 recruit. The action includes everything from high-speed car chases to on-foot stealth sequences and shootouts. Stay tuned after the playthrough for insights from IO Interactive on the intense espionage gameplay.
From the first trailer it looks to me like Iceland (probably the opening level) happens when Bond is in the navy and is what gets him in consideration as a potential 00, hence their discussion about him. So my guess is that this will be the second mission. But we’ll see.
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I think you’re right.
I could see it be the one shown in the trailer too: stealth while disguised, chase with the car, firefight in the airport.
I think it’s the one taking place in the Carpathian Mountains.
And from the trailer it’s one where he interacts with Isola, also disguised. Their interaction felt like a “first time working together”.
I’m still a bit anxious on the game if it’s too sequential.
Open to it though.
This is a showcase, so sure for everything.
Knowing IOI there will be multiple options for each gameplay sequence, but I hope there are multiple global scenario for the level itself, the showcase being only one possible.
Then again, it could itself be a soft tutorial of the loops.
Iceland only on mechanics.
It would also be more pretty and iconic to showcase.
Kinda need the Austin Martin and the glamour…
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Good points, yes. I am cautiously excited. Gameplay is where IO shines, and we’ve only seen one cinematic trailer that I personally had mixed feelings about. I am hoping for some original, fresh gameplay ideas. I just hope it’s not a generic action adventure game. But showing off a full 30 minutes already, they do seem confident.
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It could be metal gear solid-like. (bonus if boss fights)
Or it could be absolution-like: some levels are more open up to being WoA adjacent, some more guided, some are short scenarii…
Uncharted-like, no player agency above the five minutes gameplay loop, no choices in sequence events, gameplay types are chosen for you and all curated design would be the worst though.
Yet…
We know that the game will have leaderboards, replay, change of suits.
And there are hints of selectable loadouts, and challenges.
If it’s the “disguised as staff” mission from the trailer, it would be interesting if we start with it.
Because from the wishlist unlocks, we know that suits are selectable.
Best of best case scenario: the showcase is a reinforced “first location start” from Hitman 3.
Maybe even by starting undercover, and with Isola guiding the player in-universe (she is in the car in the trailer)
Which locks to a certain play, even maybe sequence. Especially if it’s the first mission, and still sort of a tutorial.
Then could open the level to a more open approach. Maybe even with new entry point. In replays.
(now I’m imagining Hokkaido Ninja entrance like options, but in a “no social time, up the roe ladder approach from the start” kind of things)
I just really hope for semi-open levels you can finish under any approach, including pure ones.
And above all player agency spanning the hour.
(IOI if you close the gameplay by saying “and what you saw happen, the chase, the shoot-out, could not, even be entirely avoided depending on your actions” then I will buy the game eyes closed. If not, and then confirmed not, Then waiting for sales it will be.)
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Standard edition will be $70/ £60 and a collectors edition will be $300
Pre orders will start today.
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At that price, I guess it comes with a big statue and/or car model. Plus a functioning exploding pen and laser watch.
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Probably just a digital art”book” and digital soundtrack 
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