James Bond: 007 First Light Final Trailer and First Reviews
This video game is now upon us.
I previously posted about it here. In that article, I wrote this:
The Bond history in the world of gaming hits on so many levels. After all, it was Nintendo 64’s Goldeneye that really kicked off an entire generation of gamers and current consoles like the PS5 and the X-Box Series X/S.
I also compared the feeling I have about this game to the vibes I had before the recent Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Based on the trailers, gameplay footage, and player feedback (see reviews, below), it feels exciting and immersive and a whole lot of fun.
The developer/publisher is IO Interactive. First Light is an origin story, focusing on Bond’s recruitment into MI6 and a life of espionage. The story also appears to target a hunt for fellow spy 009.
From First Light’s trailer:
“… immature and reckless, headstrong, thrill-seeking … issues with authority … I want to make you a spy.”
The game is coming 27 May 2026 (THAT’S TODAY!) for X-Box Series X/S, PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. (Note: The release for Switch 2 has been slightly delayed until Summer 2026.)
Here’s the cast:
007 First Light Reviews
Here are some of the reviews, just released:
The Guardian:
007 First Light review – a triumphant James Bond game made by obsessive fans. — 5 stars
Polygon:
007 First Light is an incredibly shiny, well-polished game that truly lives up to its name. In fact, it’s tough to argue against it being the best Bond game of all time.
IGN:
007 First Light has made a fabulous first impression, and I’m certainly already quite comfortable to say it’s the best Bond has been since GoldenEye.
From Empire Online:
… developers IO Interactive have accepted the mission, bringing the famed Secret Service agent back to gaming with an original story that’s entirely divorced from its movie counterparts. At its best, it makes for a thrilling action-espionage tale, though some refinements in certain areas would not go amiss. — 4/5 Stars
GamesRadar:
007 First Light is the start of something special. That’s my prevailing thought after investing 15 hours into this adventure. It’s an infusion of fresh energy into a genre in desperate need of it, and an ambitious foundation that leaves so much room for iteration and evolution in the future. First Light isn’t without its flaws, but I certainly don’t regret any of the time I spent with it.
And here’s the trailer. Will you play this game? Let me know in the comments.
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A Blanket of Steel by Timothy S. Johnston and from Fitzhenry & Whiteside, LTD. is the recipient of the 2024 GLOBAL Thriller Award GRAND PRIZE and the 2024 CYGNUS Award First in Category.
— Timothy S. Johnston, 20 May 2026
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Praise for Timothy S. Johnston’s A Blanket of Steel
“Fans of Clive Cussler’s NUMA Files will be delighted with Timothy S. Johnston’s undersea novels. Truman McClusky and Dirk Pitt are cut from the same adventurer’s cloth.” — Nick Cutter, author of The Deep and The Troop
“Action that ranges from close range combat to torpedo-fueled attacks. The result is a thriller that keeps moving from confrontation to confrontation … with constant danger and the vast depths of the ocean as a setting, there is always reason to keep reading.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Read the book and prepare to be blown away by one of the best writers I have ever had the pleasure to read. Timothy S. Johnston is simply amazing.” — FIVE Stars from Readers’ Favorite
“A Blanket of Steel is not simply a ‘daring do’ thriller … It’s prescient.” — Amazing Stories
“A priority selection. An action-packed story that is hard to put down. A Blanket of Steel is outstanding.” — D. Donovan, Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
“Innovative technology, Mac taking risks no one else would dare and thinking his way through to brilliant solutions … But the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been before. This is it. The countdown to the final battle … Johnston does an excellent job of keeping the tension taut as he plays with the reader’s perceptions of characters we thought we knew and trusted …” — SFcrowsnest
“Expect to be left breathless. Trust me here. Please. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN.” — Michael Libling, author of The Serial Killer’s Son Takes A Wife and Hollywood North: A Novel in Six Reels
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A BLANKET OF STEEL is out now!
WATCH THE GRIPPING BOOK TRAILER HERE.
FOR PURCHASE OPTIONS CLICK HERE
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A Blanket of Steel from Timothy S. Johnston and Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Ltd.
Book Cover & Jacket Copy:
AN UNSTOPPABLE THREAT!
A mysterious assassin has murdered Cliff Sim, Chief Security Officer of the underwater colony, Trieste. Cliff was a mountain of a man, highly trained, and impossible to defeat in combat. And yet …
Someone brutally beat him and left his broken body in a secret Chinese facility at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
And included a calling card for Truman McClusky, Mayor of Trieste.
Taunting him.
Mac has led the underwater colonies in their fight against the world’s superpowers. Climate change has devastated the surface; nations suffer famine, drought, rebellion, rising waters, and apocalyptic coastal flooding. But now, as Mac leads the underwater colonies to freedom and independence, he’s faced with the gravest threat of his life: a Russian assassin, hellbent on killing Mac and everyone he cares for. Now Mac must uncover the identity of the killer, face him in combat, and at the same time lead people in battle against the largest underwater force ever assembled. It’s Mac’s final test, and to win the war, he must use every tool at his disposal, including the most surprising and devastating underwater weapons ever invented.
If Mac fails, all hope is lost for the future of human colonization on the ocean floors.
But the assassin could be anyone …
Watch your back, Mac.
A Blanket of Steel is the most gripping thriller yet in The Rise of Oceania.
FOR PURCHASE OPTIONS CLICK HERE
The other books in The Rise of Oceania series by Timothy S Johnston:
The War Beneath 9781771484718
The Savage Deeps 9781771485067
Fatal Depth 9781554555574
An Island of Light 9781554555819
The Shadow of War 9781554556007
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TSJ’s Awards
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THE WAR BENEATH: FIRST PLACE 2018 GLOBAL THRILLER Action / Adventure Category Winner, 2019 Silver Falchion Award Finalist, 2018 CLUE Award Semi-Finalist, 2019 Kindle Book Awards Semi-Finalist, & 2019 CYGNUS Award Shortlister
THE SAVAGE DEEPS: FIRST PLACE 2020 CYGNUS Award Winner, 2019 GLOBAL THRILLER Awards Finalist, 2022 Kindle Book Awards Semi-Finalist; 2019 CLUE Award Shortlister
FATAL DEPTH: FIRST PLACE 2021 GLOBAL THRILLER Award Winner, 2022 Silver Falchion Award Finalist (Best Action Adventure), 2021 CYGNUS Award Semi-Finalist
