From the moment 007 First Light was announced and playable at events like Gamescom, players have naturally begun to question how IO Interactive's take on James Bond ties into its previous iconic series of video games, the Hitman series. There's a plenty to draw parallels between here – in terms of stealth, social infiltration, sandbox level design, and having multiple routes to tackle any given problem, Bond's adventures feel eerily similar to the plight of Hitman's Agent 47. That brings one obvious question: is 007 First Light somehow linked to the Hitman series?
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Is 007 First Light Part of the Hitman Universe?
No, 007 First Light - Full story and plot is about James Bond's origin story as part of a standalone series about James Bond's journey up until his beginnings as 007 within the franchise. There are no plot links to Agent 47, International Contract Agency, Hitman, or any events within the game franchise. Players do not have to play the hitman games to understand 007 First Light.
Why Do the Games Feel So Similar?
The main reason?
IO Interactive. The studio has focused its attention for over twenty years on the mechanics of stealth-based approaches, environment telling the story through the player’s agency when approaching goals.
This was perfected with their recent Hitman game trilogy.
IO has chosen to bring several successful ideas from Hitman and transpose the methodology into a 007 universe. We expect many recognizable elements such as stealth missions, environment research, the ability of a player to approach enemies socially, or the possibility to approach goals in different manners. The result is, therefore, a truly “Bondish” game, but with a large part of the mechanics that made the recent Hitman titles successful.
Shared Technology and Development Expertise
Both franchises share technology in common, the most prominent is a technological commonality. Both titles in these games utilizeIO Interactive's own Glacier Engine for its games, which is known to power a host of Hitman releases in recent years.
The Glacier Engine enables:
- Large and detailed mission environments
- Complex NPC behaviors
- Dynamic crowd systems
- Multiple infiltration routes
- Seamless transitions between gameplay and cinematic moments
The reuse of that tech likely helps account for why some parts of 007 First Light will feel a bit like a trip to old, familiar stomping grounds to veteran Hitman players. It’s natural for those skills in making sandbox worlds feel convincing to spill over into a world of international espionage.
How 007 First Light Differs From Hitman
Although the two games share many similarities, they pursue very different gameplay goals.
Hitman Focuses on Assassination Sandboxes
Your goals in Hitman typically come down to something straightforward - kill your target. Players learn how to exploit environments and behaviors, and perform highly orchestrated assassinations through several dozen different execution methods, all in a test of planning, patience, and experimentation. Replayability is a hallmark and each level is a Rubik's Cube of assassination opportunities waiting to be unlocked.
007 First Light Focuses on Bond's Story
First Light is all about putting the story in the driving seat. Instead of basing the game solely around sandbox assassinations the focus is less on stealth and more on characters, story, and cinematics. Instead of starting in free play missions players take on Bond's challenge across a linear campaign that intertwines stealth with action, espionage, and detective work. The resulting game play has a pace and feel much closer to a James Bond film than an average mission in Hitman.
More Action-Oriented Gameplay
One of the biggest differences is combat.
While Hitman often rewards avoiding direct confrontations, 007 First Light embraces action as a core part of the experience.
Throughout the game, players encounter:
- Firefights
- Vehicle sequences
- Chase scenes
- Gadget-driven missions
- Large cinematic set pieces
Stealth remains important, but Bond is far more willing to engage enemies directly than Agent 47.
Hitman Easter Eggs in 007 First Light
There’s not exactly a shared universe between these games but IO Interactive certainly peppered IO Interactive’s back catalog with references to its own prior work.
We’ve seen fans already uncover a whole host of Easter eggs that throw a bit of love towards the Hitman franchise as well as the studio’s tenure. It includes but isn’t limited to the appearance of some recognizable rubber ducks, labels with nods to the Agent 47 nomenclature, and allusions to some of the Hitman’s classic stages and faces. For what it’s worth, all these things are more in the vein of fan service and fun callbacks than concrete lore establishing a shared universe and thus these have all but likely fallen as meaningless references the developer decided were humorous enough.
Is 007 First Light a Spiritual Successor to Hitman?
In many ways, yes.
While First Light is not a Hitman game, it feels like a natural evolution of the systems IO Interactive has spent years perfecting.
Both games encourage observation, creativity, and player choice. Both reward thoughtful planning and environmental awareness. Both place players inside highly detailed locations filled with opportunities for improvisation.
The difference lies in presentation.
Hitman prioritizes player freedom above all else, while First Light balances that freedom with cinematic storytelling and James Bond's signature style.
The result is something that sits comfortably between a traditional stealth game and a modern action-adventure title.
What Hitman Fans Can Expect
Hitman fans get a solid structure and completely different fantasy in 007 First Light. Players won’t be lurking in the shadows to pick off their targets, instead they are training to be an operative for MI6 and have missions everywhere around the globe. The infiltration, watching and interfering aspects are still there, as they now blend larger action segments with more narrative content to bring in 007 fanatics along with the avid fans of Agent 47.
Conclusion
007 First Light isn't associated with the Hitman story and isn't set in the world of Agent 47 but it unquestionably reflects the expertise in experience, technology and level design developed by IO Interactive through Hitman. The team that made it utilised the same Glacier Engine and many members of the same development talent that have brought so much of IO Interactive’s unique gameplay into the world of James Bond. Not a sequel and not a spin-off, 007 First Light is in many ways a spiritual successor to Hitman that takes that core open-ended, problem-solving game design philosophy and turns it into a Hollywood movie. LootBar offers discounted 007 first light xbox key and for over 200 supported games/apps with fast delivery and safe transactions.
