With no exact release date in sight for IO Interactive’s upcoming 007 First Light outside a 2026 estimate, there’s no telling how long the wait will be until you can experience the spy thriller action for yourself. Thankfully, there’s no shortage of games to scratch the itch that the 007 series has left in its decade-and-a-half-long absence. From team-based heist shooters to a plethora of stealth-focused espionage titles, there’s one franchise that bears a striking resemblance to Bond’s iconic adventures.
Part of what makes the 007 series is its unique blend of tropes and genres that make it an incredibly distinct moviegoing experience, setting a new standard for the industry to follow. While both the film and gaming adaptations have had their share of ups and downs over the years, First Light seems to take the best elements of its predecessors while exploring rare new territory for the iconic character. Even if there’s no shortage of 007 games to pass the time before First Light launches, one upcoming release is the perfect option to satisfy your Bond needs this summer.
Snake Eater Has All The Makings Of A Classic Bond Adventure
While you’ve likely played a few entries or at least heard of the legendary Metal Gear Solid franchise before, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater stands out as the title most similar in the series to a traditional Bond narrative. Set during the peak of the Cold War, Metal Gear Solid Delta‘s storyline follows a one-man operation in an exotic jungle to save the world from a Soviet-era nuclear war. Aside from its base plot elements, Delta has all the classic Bond tropes, from deadly femme fatales, quirky gadgets, and iconic villains, all wrapped up in a bundle of betrayal.
The upcoming game is canonically the very first entry in the Metal Gear Solid timeline.
The best part of Konami’s Metal Gear Solid 3 remake is that the upcoming game is canonically the very first entry in the Metal Gear Solid timeline, being the perfect jumping-in point without needing any prior knowledge about the series. While the original Sanke Eater can be rough around the edges at times, the latest remake aims to offer a more seamless gameplay experience while still keeping the original experience intact.
Given that the original Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater offered several revolutionary mechanics that still hold up today, the modern overhaul is a perfect chance to bring these features to life with an even more memorable experience than the best Bond film can provide. To take your spy thriller immersion even further, Metal Gear Solid 3‘s pre-order edition grants you access to the White Tuxedo bonus skin, which itself is a direct nod to the iconic outfit worn by Connery and Craig in Goldfinger and Spectre, respectively.
Sharing More Than Just A Few Subtle References
Even though Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater easily bears the closest resemblance to a Bond film, the comparisons go much deeper to the very roots of the series. Kojima himself has stated several times over the years that the Metal Gear Solid franchise was heavily inspired by the iconic spy franchise, combining the narrative elements and plot points with revolutionary game design that helped to redefine the industry. While we might never see an official Metal Gear Solid movie, Bond’s latest films could be the closest we’ll ever get to one.
The novelization of the original Metal Gear Solid was even written by the author of several James Bond books, Raymond Benson.
While James Bond’s DNA runs throughout the series as a whole, one of the most notable examples is Metal Gear Solid 3‘s protagonist, Big Boss himself, being inspired by Sean Connery’s Bond. Even if Snake’s most iconic gadget is the simple cardboard box, a plethora of exciting gadgets like the Fulton system are inspired by similar ones in films like Thunderball, being just as effective as they are goofy. With both franchises pushing the international espionage genre forward over the past few decades, it makes sense that elements of the Metal Gear Series would also bleed over into the films.
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While Bond has implemented the surprise brother twist that could be loosely inspired by the Metal Gear Solid series, the main plotline for the most recent No Time To Die film seems to borrow heavily from Metal Gear‘s FOXDIE narrative. Following each protagonist being infected with a nanomachine virus that activates upon contact with certain people, it’s far too similar to be a simple coincidence. Given that 007 First Light is likely to pay homage to the films in more ways than one, reviving elements from past entries or even Metal Gear again could bring it to even greater heights.
007 First Light Has Plenty Of Games To Take Inspiration From
Laying The Foundation For What Could Be The Best Bond Game Yet
It’s easy to point fingers at which games or films that 007 First Light could take inspiration from, but IO Interactive has already made it clear they’re planning to focus on a brand-new origin story and direction for the fresher Bond. Acting as a soft reboot of the series, First Light could still use elements from the novels, films, and past gaming entries while still staying true to its unique identity for the series. Even if First Light only takes minor notes from other franchises, there’s still plenty of source material to borrow from, both in and outside the series.
There’s still plenty of source material to borrow from, both in and outside the series.
Despite the massive similarities with stylized villains, cinematic design, and reliance on classic spy tropes, even a game as old as Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and its upcoming Delta remaster have fantastic elements to incorporate. While Delta‘s realistic survival-based mechanics wouldn’t be a seamless fit for Bond, Metal Gear‘s engaging boss fights would be fantastic to see carried over into 007 First Light, especially with Bond’s fantastic history of henchmen. Combining a nuclear plotline, themes of betrayal, and a billion-dollar treasury to save, 007 First Light could benefit from Delta’s equally nuanced storytelling and sandbox gameplay mechanics.
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While it’s easy to want to see elements from the Metal Gear Solid franchise making their way into 007 First Light, given that we haven’t seen a new mainline entry since Metal Gear Solid V in over a decade, there are many closer games to pick from. The Hitman series is easily the first contender for a 007-themed spy adventure, with IO Interactive carrying over the best aspects of the long-running series. Even if I’m more than happy with 007 First Light‘s exciting gameplay and narrative potential, future sequels could even incorporate the new multiplayer mode coming to Hitman 3.
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