007 First Light will be the first new James Bond game in 14 years when it comes out next year. Although we've only gotten a brief look at the game so far, it already looks like there is a lot to love about 007's next video game outing. However, there is one aspect missing from older James Bond games that has put a bit of a damper on my excitement for the new title.

007 First Light's trailer reminds me a lot of Uncharted, in a good way. James Bond feels like the perfect franchise for a cinematic game with big action set pieces. Games like Uncharted and The Last of Us have also proven that this style of third-person action game can do just as good a job of telling stories through gameplay as through cutscenes. This keeps the momentum of the story moving faster than shooters that simply switch between action and cutscenes that you have no agency over. Still, it's hard not to lament one aspect of classic FPS Bond games.

007 First Light Won't Have Multiplayer

007 First Light's Developer Confirmed Multiplayer Isn't Happening

When Screen Rant's Chris Carter spoke to Jonathan Lacaille, IO Interactive's franchise director, Lacaille made it clear that multiplayer was not in the cards for 007 First Light. In fact, Lacaille made it clear that IO had never even considered including a multiplayer mode in the game, instead choosing to lean into their strengths as a developer of single-player action adventure games. IO Interactive is best known for creating the Hitman series, and doesn't have a ton of experience with multiplayer shooters outside the Kane & Lynch games.

Considering IO Interactive's past projects, it maybe shouldn't have been a big surprise that 007 First Light wouldn't include a multiplayer mode. And, from what we've seen of the game so far, it doesn't seem like it needs a multiplayer mode to be a good game. Still, I can't help but be a little disappointed that the game won't have any multiplayer features, given how important multiplayer was to the James Bond series.

Multiplayer Was A Key Part Of Older James Bond Games

GoldenEye 007 Made Multiplayer A Major Aspect Of The Series

James Bond has a long history with video games, dating all the way back to the 1982 text adventure Shaken but Not Stirred for the ZX Spectrum. I was actually shocked to learn that there were 13 other Bond games before GoldenEye 007 was released for the N64. However, GoldenEye, or more specifically its multiplayer mode, is what a lot of players often think of when discussing James Bond video games.

In retrospect, GoldenEye 007's multiplayer was far from perfect. Most of this boils down to its antiquated controls, like having to choose between aiming your gun more precisely or moving, since N64 controllers only had one control stick. However, the game played a large part in popularizing split-screen multiplayer in FPS games, more than earning it its iconic status. It's also worth mentioning that, for all its flaws, GoldenEye's multiplayer was still a ton of fun, and its technical limitations or unbalanced mechanics, like Oddjob's hat, often added to the experience more than they took away from it.

Following the popularity of GoldenEye 007's multiplayer, the next few James Bond games continued to build on it. A highlight for me has always been James Bond 007: Agent Under Fire thanks to its addition of the Q-Claw, a grappling hook that pulls you through the air at high speeds. The claw had enough momentum to propel you through the air even after you stopped actively using it, allowing you to swing around the map with it like Spider-Man. It created some insanely fast-paced combat and completely transformed how I approached movement in FPS games.

Now, 007 First Light isn't the first James Bond game to ditch split-screen competitive multiplayer. James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing was an earlier shift in the series towards a third-person cover shooter which only included a cooperative multiplayer mode. However, the last game in the series before 007 First Light, 007 Legends, did include split-screen multiplayer, and I had sort of hoped that the new game would continue the tradition, even if I can understand why it isn't.

007 First Light Not Having Multiplayer Makes Sense, Even If It's Disappointing

007 First Light Should Focus On Delivering A Good Campaign Instead Of Stretching Itself Too Thin

Although I wish 007 First Light could have included multiplayer, it's probably not a bad thing that it doesn't. Multiplayer modes in mostly story-driven games like this often feel tacked on. That isn't to say they're all terrible, and I was pleasantly surprised by Uncharted 4's multiplayer modes. Still, this is more of a rare occurrence in my experience, and multiplayer modes in these types of games typically don't compare to something like Call of Duty, which puts more of an emphasis on its online modes.

There are also instances where combat that works alright in single-player doesn't translate well to multiplayer modes. I being forced to play Mass Effect 3's multiplayer mode to earn a good ending and hating every minute of it. The game's combat isn't that engaging, and the game relied a lot on my investment in the story to keep my interest in the campaign. We haven't seen much of 007 First Light's combat yet, but if the game relies on the story and set pieces to make the action exciting, multiplayer likely wouldn't live up to its campaign.

Time and resources are also factors in any game's development, and it's hard to argue that a game like 007 First Light should divert too many of its resources towards trying to cram in a multiplayer mode. The game will likely be better served by having its development team focused entirely on crafting and polishing the single-player experience. If the game gets a sequel, maybe multiplayer can be worked in since it will be working off the baseline established by 007 First Light, but I'd rather have a well-crafted product with limited modes than several disappointing ways to play.

As much as I understand IO Interactive's decision to not include multiplayer in 007 First Light, I can't help but be a little disappointed. Even though it has been a long time since GoldenEye or even Agent Under Fire, I still strongly associate James Bond games with their split-screen multiplayer. Hearing that the new game won't have it, however understandable a decision it is, is still a bit of a bummer.