'He'll kill when he needs to, but he's not someone who loves killing' — 007 First Light dev explains the game's unique license to kill mechanic

• 007 First Light features a unique 'license to kill' mechanic
• It prevents players from using lethal force unless strictly necessary
• This conveys how James Bond will "kill when he needs to" but is "not someone who loves killing" according to a developer

Upcoming action game 007 First Light is filled with guns, but there are some key restrictions on when the player can actually use them. It has a unique 'license to kill' mechanic, which prevents players from using deadly force unless it's deemed necessary for survival.

According to senior combat designer Tom Marcham, this is a key part of protagonist James Bond's character. "He won't walk into a space and shoot the first person he sees," he said in a new interview with TechRadar Gaming.

"He'll kill when he needs to, but he's not someone who loves killing. [...] I think it's very important that we get that across. I think it fits the IP."

Marcham also revealed that the team found interesting ways to "play with" the mechanic. "We [sometimes] bring in a bunch of guys in who are clearly going to kill you, and we don't mess about," he continued. "We're like, 'no, shoot these guys' and we do that throughout the campaign in a bunch of different ways that I'm excited for players to experience."

This gives every encounter "a very unique flavor" where you're encouraged to "rely on gadgets and distracting rather than just head-shotting the first person you see every time."

The team also felt that it would allow the game's in-depth melee combat system to shine. That said, he was careful to explain that brawls always carry a risk of escalation.

"If you let that close combat fight drag on and someone pulls a gun, that's it. It's hats off," he said. "It's all violence from then on and you let the whole place go crazy."

Careful attention was also paid to the moments when players perhaps don't perform their best. "I think you will feel a little scrappy. I think it will feel a little grungy and dirty, and you'll get smacked a lot," Marcham said.

"We invested a lot in how Bond gets hit and how he rolls over things when he gets kicked and smashed, and that is something we lifted from the movie. He does get battered in a lot of the movies."

It sounds like Bond will be receiving his fair share of beatings when 007 First Light launches on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC on May 27, 2026. A Nintendo Switch 2 version is also slated for later this year.

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