IO Interactive Had to Reign Themselves In, Almost Turning James Bond into Mr. Gadget
IO Interactive had to rein themselves in on turning James Bond into “Mr. Gadget” in 007: First Light.
The developer behind the hit Bond video game has admitted they were close to embracing the kind of truly over-the-top gadgets fans are used to seeing on the big screen, but they decided against embracing the silliness.
Senior combat designer Tom Marcham told GameSpot, “We had things in it that we thought were going to be cool, but when you play it, it turns out it’s not cool, it just looks silly.”
“There was definitely a point where it felt like he’d become Mr. Gadget, and we had to tune it back.”
The decision meant gamers didn’t get anything on the level of an alligator submarine or boombox rocket launcher, to make sure Bond’s gadgets reflected the world of the 007: First Light.
Instead, the developers focused on espionage and the idea of creating an opportunity for Bond, which was a better fit for the gameplay’s focus on being close-quarters.
Marcham added, “We didn’t want to go into overly gamey stuff where he was always using tasers or sleep darts. It didn’t seem to fit the character.”
“So that led us down this route of having this close combat element.”
However, Marcham hinted there is still a possibility for more experimental gadgets as IOI looks to expand the replayability of the game.
He said, “I think we’ll continue to expand with ways you can replay encounters and play about with the ruleset so that we can get more out of the campaign that we have. We’re still messing around with the gadget side of stuff.”
“I think there’s a whole world that you can explore with who Bond is and why he uses gadgets.”
Last month, Amazon MGM confirmed they have the rights to any future projects, while there is more to come on 007: First Light.
In a statement, they said, “Amazon MGM holds the rights to any future James Bond video games but it’s still too early to discuss future projects. We have a great relationship with IO Interactive and are proud of what we’ve accomplished together on 007 First Light.“
“Our partners at IO will reveal more about 007: First Light in the near future and we’re looking forward to sharing what’s next.”
