Previews
18 article(s)Hands-on previews and first impressions of upcoming games.
007 First Light: IO Interactive Reinvents Bond Before Launch — Our Hands-On
IO Interactive has dropped the first playable footage of 007 First Light, and it's a surprise: the studio behind the World of Assassination trilogy isn't just recycling its Hitman formula. This new entry attempts to build a credible origin story for James Bond, balancing surgical infiltration with unrestrained action. After several hours with the game, here's what stands out — and what still gives us pause.
007 First Light Preview: IO Interactive Finally Shows Its Hand, and It's Solid
Less than a month before launch, IO Interactive finally let journalists play 007 First Light for over three hours. First takeaway: the studio clearly knows what it's doing with Bond. The formula is accessible, readable, effective — perhaps a bit too cautious in places, but the foundation is there. Here's what stood out from this preview that raises as many questions as it answers.
007 First Light: IO Interactive Reveals Its Assassin Sandbox — And It's Ambitious
IO Interactive isn't recycling its Hitman playbook: 007 First Light shapes up as a complete overhaul of the spy sandbox, with gameplay mechanics built around a young, impulsive Bond—still learning the ropes. Infiltration, hand-to-hand combat, gadgets, freedom of approach—everything seems in place. But between a polished trailer and a game that delivers on its promises, there's a gap only launch day will close. A close look at what IO is showing, and what it's still holding back.
007 First Light: Opening Sequence Revealed at BAFTAs, and It Impresses
IO Interactive used the BAFTA Game Awards to unveil the opening sequence of 007 First Light, featuring a theme by Lana Del Rey and David Arnold. A bold choice that immediately sets the title apart from typical licensed games. First impressions on what could be the most ambitious Bond game since GoldenEye 007 in 1997.
Metro 2039 Is Real — First Impressions of 4A's Next Underground Epic
After years of rumors and radio silence, 4A Games has made it official: Metro 2039 is coming, and an Xbox-hosted reveal stream is set to drop later this week. We break down everything we know about the next chapter in one of gaming's most atmospheric franchises — what the announcement signals, what the setting might mean, and whether 4A can recapture the suffocating tension that made Exodus a modern classic.
Fable: Playground Games Nails It — Albion Is Back
Two hours of gameplay previewed at Cambridge. British humor, a generous open world, and a Fable that remembers why we loved the series in the first place.