Anyone checking out 007 First Light today?

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First Light has all of the glitz and flair one might expect from a media property associated with James Bond, let alone a Triple-A-feeling video game release.

All the bells and whistles are here in terms of eye-popping visuals. Fun lighting effects, reflections, colorful palettes and care for environmental details make the variety of locales scream Bond film, too, whether players soak in the MI6 offices or get lost in the dense scenes in places like Slovakia and beyond.

Sound design is top-notch, too, whether it's crunchy-sounding combat (pelting an enemy with a thrown object found in the environment is always a treat) or fantastic voice acting fit for the big screen.

The attention to detail extends to vehicles, a critical staple of the Hollywood iterations of the series. Forza-like trailers, this game could make, which is oh-so-fitting for the Bond-verse.

Painting broadly, gameplay is what most should expect from a third-person game in terms of exploration and combat. Not a bad thing, either.

There are linear gameplay moments the game dubs "narrative-driven areas," though the range is impressive. We're talking vehicle chases, moments filled with violence or even simple conversations that give the player agency over how things unfold.

Important, no doubt, but the bigger element from the developer of Hitman is their tried-and-true open-ended areas.

Similar to Hitman, players can tackle these open areas in any way they see fit. Stealth is one track, enabling plenty of 007 gadgetry (like quick hacks) in the process. Eavesdropping can provide intel, while pickpocketing can simply steal things like access to new areas.

There are multiple Hitman-Bond blends of concealment, too. Players can wear disguises, but they won't fool certain enemies. But a "bluff" system gives players the chance to talk their way out of trouble too, which is fun. It plays into the character's personality and rewards discovering intel so that the bluff actually works.

Where this game leaves the Hitman saga behind is the pacing of stealth. It's faster and there's less rote memorization of enemy routes and more on-the-fly reactionary stuff. If there's a big disappointment for stealth, it's the removal of being able to carry bodies and hide them.

Guns-blazing is another, with combat feeling punchy and diverse. There's a wide range of choice that is refreshing, too, as Bond can shoot for the legs to disarm without killing, or even throw an exhausted weapon at enemies.

When Bond needs to throw hands, there's a solid melee/fighting loop in place, with combos, blocks and parries. Disarming an opponent is there with proper timing too, as well as certain environmental hazards able to be used, too.

Improvisation and experimentation is again a delight. It's a little scaled down and the locations aren't as big compared to Hitman. But the counterbalance is speed, and multiple runs through the same area can produce dramatically different experiences. One could reason that this is amplified by difficulty level, as the enemy AI on the easier toggles is a cakewalk.

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