The high-stakes world of international espionage will return with the upcoming title by IO Interactive, 007: First Light. But before that lore begins, we have plenty of games that, for decades, have been entertaining fans.

The James Bond franchise has been the gemstone of the action genre for more than 60 years now.

007 has paved the way for many action games, while evolving itself from the revolutionary 90s shooters to the cinematic adventures of the early 2000s.

Let us revisit some of the classics in the franchise, and of course, we're going to have exactly seven games on our list, because 007, right?

The list is based on game ratings on certain platforms, such as Metacritic.

James Bond 007: From Russia With Love

This title will have you reminisce about one of the oldest films in the James Bond franchise, From Russia With Love, as you'll play as the first actor to portray the character, Sean Connery.

The third-person shooter by EA also has Connery do Bond's voice acting for the game. The game also has elements included from other parts, like Thunderball's jetpack and Goldfinger's Aston Martin DB5. The game is also memorable because it revives Connery’s classic Bond persona from the early films.

007: The World is Not Enough (Nintendo 64)

This one is a first-person shooter, based on the 1999 film. Developed by Eurocom, the game consists of 14 levels and also features split-screen multiplayer. Bond needs to prevent a nuclear meltdown to save the world.

We're talking about the N64 version specifically, as it came with a 4-player multiplayer mode as well, while the other versions lacked split-screen mode. The game has marvelous, gadget-heavy gameplay and an intense soundtrack that will make you nervous at times.

James Bond 007: Agent Under Fire

EA went with an original storyline this time around, in which players need to defeat a villain who clones world leaders. The game has more than 12 levels featuring driving segments, shooting, and a variety of gadgets to help you complete missions. The game is action-packed and comes with a 4-player local split-screen mode.

007: NightFire

Some fans consider NightFire to represent the absolute peak of the Pierce Brosnan-inspired Bond games. The game follows 007 as he tries to stop an industrialist, Raphael Drake, the CEO of Phoenix International. The first-person shooter lets players stop Drake from using defense satellites to control weapons technology and conquer the world.

The game is less linear and takes a more sandbox approach, with classic gadgets like the laser watch and grapple phone. The opening mission, which requires infiltrating Drake's castle to meet Agent Nightshade, is one of the most iconic missions in the franchise.

James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing

This is originally the game, from which EA switched to third-person over FPS. This game took the term "star-studded" extremely seriously, with a cast that included Pierce Brosnan, Judi Dench, Nikolai Diavolo, Heidi Klum, and Willem Dafoe.

The voice acting is top-notch, along with its stupendous stealth, driving, and over-the-top third-person action missions. This was Brosnan's final portrayal as Bond, with many saying the game looked like his fifth Bond film.

007: Quantum of Solace

Quantum of Solace took a different route: developed by Treyarch, the franchise returned to being an FPS but could switch to third-person when the player used the cover system. It also has the voice and likeness of Daniel Craig.

The storyline is also intriguing, blending storylines from Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. It features modes like Team Deathmatch and Golden Gun, while also having an online multiplayer mode called Bond Evasion.

GoldenEye 007

One thing's for sure: no list of James Bond games or shooters is complete without the 1997 masterpiece, GoldenEye 007. The most imperative feature of the game is the 4-player split-screen deathmatch mode.

The game features an iconic soundtrack and objective-based missions in levels like Dam, Facility, and Bunker.

So these are the seven iconic games that you should play before 007: First Light drops, just to get the hands-on experience of how the 007 games feel with their immersive gameplay mechanics.

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Written by

Dhruv Singh

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote