An early build of 007: First Light featured Daniel Craig as the legendary spy, but only a handful of lucky testers ever got to see it. This demo turned out to be instrumental in IO Interactive securing the rights to bring James Bond to life.

A few days ago, PlayStation’s State of Play gave the world its first real look at 007: First Light. The presentation showcased how IO Interactive, best known for the Hitman franchise, envisions the world’s most famous secret agent. The footage highlighted Bond’s gadgets, his driving skills, and his prowess with firearms.

The current star of the game is actor Patrick Gibson, recognized for portraying young Dexter Morgan on television. But in an interview with IGN, IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak revealed that Gibson wasn’t the first face of Bond inside their project — and that earlier version was vital in landing the rights.

“We actually put Daniel Craig in there […] We modeled his head and dropped it onto Agent 47’s body, just for a demo, to show what these kinds of environments could mean in an IO game. If you know the franchise, you’ll recall the Sapienza map, famous for its hidden virus beneath the complex. We showed some of that off, and yeah, it was pretty well received,” Abrak said.

Of course, once IO locked down the rights, that experiment was discarded in favor of the version we know today: “It was only meant as a demo. What they recognized in us — and what we’re trying to deliver — is a full-circle Bond experience. Not just gunfights and cutscenes, but the chance to dive into the fantasy side of Bond, where he relies not just on his fists but also on his wit and charisma.”

After seeing more of the game at Gamescom, we wrote in our early impressions: “007: First Light blends IO Interactive’s best-in-class level design and freedom of play with a more cinematic, spectacle-driven approach. That said, there are still questions about how direct action will balance against careful planning. Driving, exploration, and contextual mechanics stand out the most, while the gunplay seems designed to shock more than challenge — not necessarily a bad thing, but it could use a tighter balance.”

Source: 3djuegos