007 First Light’s writer has revealed that the game was originally pitched as an ensemble piece with different agents working together.
IO Interactive has achieved great success with 007 First Light, as the game has received critical acclaim and generated substantial sales. However, like all games, First Light was not originally conceived in its current form; it was initially pitched with a very different approach that evolved over time.
007 First Light Was Pitched as an ‘Ensemble Piece’
To fully understand the context, players should be aware of a key part of the game’s story, which may contain spoilers for those who haven’t played yet.
During an interview with Eurogamer, 007 First Light’s main writer, Michael Vogt, discusses how the game begins with James Bond joining the double-O program, where several numbered agents are trained together. Players experience various sequences across different locations, collaborating with different agents to complete their missions. Many believe this is how the game will unfold, but things take a drastic turn when one mission goes awry, leaving Bond as the sole survivor of the program.
Vogt explains that the training sequence was a ‘false promise’ to players, who were led to think that this was going to “be an ensemble piece” where all double-Os would work together. But as explained, things take a wild turn that changes the whole story. However, Vogt adds that in the very first pitch for the title, the team was “actually toying with the idea of making it an ensemble piece, that you had the different agents working together.”
The writer isn’t sure when things changed but does explain why. The story of the title plays out with Bond starting out as a happy-go-lucky character, with things being all fun and games for him, becoming a secret agent, going on an adventure, and traveling to places across the globe. However, one wrong mission came as a rude awakening, and he started to understand the harsh reality of life expectancy on this job. The character also matures from the event.
Do you prefer how 007 First Light is right now, or how it could have been with different agents working together? Leave your thoughts down in the comments, and join the official Insider Gaming Discord server.
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