By 007 First Light is pretty new territory for Hitman developer IO Interactive (IOI), as long-range combat is no longer a “last resort” for players; seeing as they’re assuming the role of James flippin’ Bond, shooting guns is a core component of the game.
Talking to our pals over at PC Gamer for their latest print issue, 007 First Light gameplay director Andreas Krogh touched on this very key distinction between this game and the series IOI has become known for.
“In Hitman we viewed ranged combat as a last resort for most players, which made it fairly hard and for most players something they wanted to avoid,” said Krogh. “This time around we have a character that invites ranged combat to be a viable option.”
Krogh said he and his team “set a challenge” for themselves “to create the best weapon-handling we have done to date.
“First and foremost, we wanted to create a great system both mechanically and technically, but we also wanted it to feel fluid and responsive.”
For the uninitiated, in Hitman, if you’re spotted trespassing, you’re pretty much donezo because the guards then actively pursue you, and the odds are massively stacked against you. Bond is no stranger to stealth missions either, but when push comes to shove, he’s a little more trigger happy than Agent 47.
“The aim is that even if you try to stealth and things go wrong, you will just handle the situation slightly different than what you set out to do, but you will still have a very satisfying experience shooting your way through,” said Krogh.
IOI has put effort into distancing 007 First Light from the Hitman series, saying over the summer that its take on a James Bond game isn’t exactly an Uncharted game, but also isn’t a reskinned Hitman game.