Artykuł
007 First Light: 7 tips to help you master the art of espionage
S
Shaan Joshi
Saving the world is no simple task, so rather than throwing you headfirst into the high-stakes world of secret agents, our 007 First Light guide will catch you up on the basics of stealth and spying, putting you on solid footing to tackle each of the game’s missions.
Exploration is key
While your current objective will change as you progress your way through a given mission, for the most part, you’ll have a pretty clear idea of what you need to do. That being said, exactly how you go about accomplishing your goal is not always so clear, and in many levels, there’ll be multiple routes you can choose to pursue.
Rather than beelining for what might seem like the obvious path forward, take the time to explore your surroundings. Not only will you likely stumble across a useful disguise or a resource for your gadget, but you might even learn useful information such as the location of a keycard or the combination of a nearby safe. There’s a lot of leeway in how 007 First Light’s missions are structured, so taking the time to explore your environment and venture off the beaten path can often pay dividends.
Pick gadgets that suit your playstyle
While Bond’s arsenal of gadgets is limited at first, it quickly expands as you make your way through the game’s story, and before long, you’ll have to pick and choose which tech to take with you as you embark on your next mission. Thankfully, each gadget (courtesy of the talented folks at the Q-Lab) can hold its own, but you’ll want to make sure to pick your loadout according to your own playstyle.
If you like avoiding confrontation in favor of hiding in plain sight, you’ll want to prioritize the Dart Phone. Not only can it be used to temporarily disorient guards and other NPCs—getting them out of your way, or allowing you to pickpocket them—but it can even be used to activate some objects from a distance and cause a distraction. The same goes for the Smoke Pod. While it’s noticeably less subtle, being able to conjure up a thick cloud of smoke at a moment’s notice is the perfect way to slip past enemies or into a restricted area with minimal effort.
Of course, we can’t forget what might be the most versatile tool up Bond’s sleeve: the Laser Strap. Not only can this powerful laser be used to temporarily blind neutral NPCs and enemies alike, it can also be used to slice through locked doors and grates, and it can easily cut down a chandelier or other hanging fixture as a means of making a quick distraction (or knocking out an unsuspecting foe).
Regardless of which gadgets you pick, just make sure that you keep an eye on what resources they use. Q-Lab gadgets run on either electricity or chemicals, and while you can always replenish your resources with items strewn around each level, you’ll be in a much better position if you make sure your loadout isn’t reliant on a single type.
The Q-Lens is your best friend
It can be easy to forget since you always have it equipped, but Bond’s Q-Lens is arguably his most useful asset. In the blink of an eye, it can provide a snapshot of the environment around you, highlighting interactable objects, friendly NPCs, and enemies, and even nearby items that you can trigger via one of your gadgets.
However, the Q-Lens can also provide a few more hints that can prove invaluable when trying to gain access to new areas. For instance, scanning certain NPCs reveals whether or not they are resistant to being bluffed or easily tricked. Better yet, if they happen to be carrying a critical item, such as an ID badge, the Q-Lens will reveal what they have in their possession in case you want to try pickpocketing them.
Use your Instinct
Similar to the Q-Lens, it’s also easy to overlook Bond’s Instinct meter, even though it’s one of his most useful tools when trying to get out of a tough situation. If you’re caught sneaking around a restricted area, you can use up some of your Instinct to bluff and smooth-talk your way out of being escorted away (or worse yet, attacked). To be clear, tougher guards (referred to in-game as Watchers) can’t be easily fooled, but bluffing will work against your standard employees and henchmen alike.
You can also use Instinct to lure enemies towards you, which is perfect if you want to try and take them out silently or spring a trap on them. If you find yourself low on Instinct, don’t panic. It can always be replenished by performing silent takedowns, killing enemies, completing mission objectives, or even eavesdropping.
Always listen
Speaking of eavesdropping, when it comes to intelligence gathering, one of your best strategies is to simply do nothing and listen. Whether you’re trying to track down a person of interest or gain access to a new area, it’s not uncommon to find NPCs who will inadvertently let slip a few pieces of key information. These informative characters can be easily spotted by a symbol over their head that resembles an audio waveform.
Eavesdropping opportunities even extend to hostile enemies. When Bond hasn’t broken stealth, some henchmen might accidentally reveal the locations of potential disguises or locations of keycards, for example. And even when you’re in the heat of a gunfight, you should pay attention to any dialogue that gives away their tactics, whether it’s an attempt to flank and close in on Bond or flush him out with a well-timed grenade. Listening for these audio cues can easily turn the tide of battle or help you escape an untimely death.
Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty
While any spy worth their salt will try to avoid breaking cover and engaging the enemy head-on, there are times when the hands-on approach will prove most effective. Since Bond is prohibited from using lethal force unless it’s absolutely necessary, you might find yourself in a situation that you can’t bluff (or shoot) your way out of. In these moments, the best option might be to quickly subdue an enemy with a few well-placed punches.
While it can be rather difficult to fight off a wave of henchmen with nothing but your bare hands, knocking out one or two is well within your means, and assuming no one else notices you laying a beatdown, you can often diffuse the situation and go right back to being in stealth with no one the wiser.
If you do break cover after being spotted, be sure to keep an eye out for any enemies that have a yellow antenna icon above their head. These enemies will attempt to radio for backup, but if you can subdue them quickly, they won’t have time to call for reinforcements, which should make the rest of the fight much easier.
Practice makes perfect
During 007 First Light’s opening missions, you’re introduced to a lot of the game’s key mechanics (combat, stealth, and spy tactics) in rapid succession, and it can be a lot to digest so quickly. If you ever find yourself needing to brush up on the basics, you can always visit Q-Lab’s Tactical Simulation (or TacSim) department, which is headed up by Selina Tan. Towards the end of the second chapter, you can take the opportunity to chat with Dr. Tan, granting access to a pair of Escalation missions: one focused on advanced tactics and the other on close-quarters combat.
While more TacSim missions will unlock as you make your way through the game’s campaign, these two serve up a few tutorials that will teach you the ropes of parrying, dodging, grabbing, and melee combos. If you find yourself having trouble nailing down the timing required during hand-to-hand combat or button mashing to no avail, these training scenarios will prove quite useful.
007 First Light and its Deluxe Edition are both available for purchase right now on Epic Games Store. Any pre-purchase or purchase of 007 First Light on Epic Games Store will grant you the 007's Aston Martin DB5 (Obsidian Gold) Wheel in Rocket League and Fortnite from May 07, 2026 at 8 PM ET. Read the FAQ to find out more.
And if you haven’t done so already, be sure to check out our exclusive interview with IOI about their creation of this Bond origin story, as well as our guide on how to unlock some of Bond’s coolest costumes.