IO Interactive has taken the unusual step of dropping the first 13 minutes of 007 First Light in crisp 4K after early physical copies leaked ahead of the May 27 launch. The studio cites a handful of disc holders who got their hands on the game too soon, prompting an official upload to YouTube so viewers can see the Iceland opener "as intended" rather than through shaky cam rips.

What unfolds is a young Bond easing into the spy life with a wet, stealth-heavy sequence heavy on crouching in grass, shimmying along cliffs, and sidling through cave gaps. It feels less like a classic Bond cold open and more like a standard immersive sim tutorial, complete with a helicopter ride that lands squarely in generic shooter territory before the underwater float and the button-mashing begins.

The predictable plot device of forced leaks forcing a studio's hand lands flat here. IO's Hitman pedigree shines in the careful movement, but the choice to lead with such a subdued, gloomy Iceland mission raises the question of whether the rest of the campaign will deliver the grand, gadget-filled spectacle fans expect from the franchise's origin story.