The Best Part Of 007 First Light Has Nothing To Do With The Gameplay
One thing you should know about me before I dive into my favorite part of 007: First Light is that I'm a huge music nerd. If I'm not working at GameSpot, I'm probably at a gig or in a field at a festival with my friends. I spend all of my free time playing games, writing about games, or around music in some respect, so you can imagine my delight when I found the ultimate combination of those passions while playing through 007: First Light.
After some jaunts to Malta to complete basic training and meet his colleagues, Bond is tasked with tracking down someone in a club in London. At the very beginning of the Night Out chapter, though, I lost all track of the story, Bond's mission, or really anything other than the scene unfolding in front of me.
The music—Chase and Status, if you were wondering—pounds through my headphones as the most impressive, and realistic, nightclub lighting bounces in time with the beat. The combination of the visuals and the intense rhythm had me frozen in place for quite a while, just taking in how impressive it was. Maybe it's that my most-lived experience of a nightclub in a video game is based in GTA Online, where a less-than-subtle purple glow envelops everything in sight, and playing with friends meant the music was drowned out by their incessant yapping.
In First Light, the transition from cutscene to gameplay is near-flawless, as Bond receives a notification on his phone shortly after raising a drink with friends. You're then put straight into his shoes, walking through the crowd to find a contact near the bar.
The crowd dances realistically, everyone making up their own moves to the catchy beat, and it's got everything that the clubs I frequent possess too—from the girls in full make-up and flashy outfits, to the loner dude in his oversized shirt and unique dad dancing.
When my contact asks me to head to the bathroom to find a package, I 'accidentally' find myself in the crowd once more, watching the flashing strobes illuminate the venue in quick succession, and letting the bass flow through my headphones for just a moment longer than perhaps the average player would do.
First Light isn't the first game to execute a nightclub scene so well. One of my other favorites is Club Hölle from Hitman 3, which just so happens to be developed by the same studio responsible for First Light. You're also introduced to it in the game's third mission, the same as First Light. IO Interactive just seem to have realistic nightclubs nailed, and I'm all for it.
So, if you see me posting on social media about taking 100 hours to beat 007: First Light, don't panic. Chances are that I've spent about 75 of those in the club, vibing with my NPC friends. I implore you to spend a few of yours there, too.
