IO Interactive is best known as the developer of the James Bond title, tentatively titled Project 007.
The developer’s experience with the Hitman games and earlier titles will play to IO Interactive’s benefit. There are quite a few reasons why IO Interactive is the best choice to go with for bringing the beloved James Bond to the video game universe, ranging from level design to similarities between Agent 47 and Bond.
IO Interactive Places Heavy Emphasis On Mission Backdrops
The James Bond series has rich backdrops that offer a lot of depth in each scene, ranging from elite parties that Bond infiltrates to the villain’s lairs. IO Interactive is known for making very series that have a multitude of possibilities within gameplay.
From placing secret ageways in each location to using the environment to complete assassinations, the Hitman series backdrops have it all. This kind of emphasis will serve the James Bond game well because players will truly know how it feels to be a secret agent on a spy mission.
IO Interactive Injects Similar Bond Humor Into The Dialogue
The Hitman games might be about completing assassinations, but there’s quite a bit of humor in them as well. Agent 47 is known for his dry personality and tends to throw sarcastic remarks when in disguise. Of course, the James Bond series is famous for its puns and one-liners, so there’s a bit of familiarity between the two.
IO Interactive’s penchant for humor will do justice to the James Bond style that fans are expecting. 007 has the habit of making light of potentially lethal situations and IO Interactive is sure to incorporate that since they’ve already proven their skill in this regard.
Hitman Missions Are Comparable To The 007 Experience
One of the things the movies got wrong compared to the games is that they didn’t adapt the same feel of the source material. IO Interactive has the opposite task, in that they will take a film series and turn that into a video gaming experience, which is a challenge of its own.
However, the Hitman franchise already has a comparable atmosphere to James Bond. Bond traditionally covers his identity to carry out clandestine missions, usually in disguise and with a number of different targets. The Hitman series has all these aspects in its favor as well, so IO Interactive already has one foot in the door where bringing the James Bond series to life is concerned.
IO Interactive Has Prior Experience In Different Genres
IO Interactive is far from a one-game studio and has created different games varying in genre. These include the third-person shooters Freedom Fighters and the Kane & Lynch titles, to go with the action-adventure Mini Ninjas - and the Hitman stealth-based games are IO Interactive’s crown jewel.
With experience in a host of titles, IO Interactive is set to take up the James Bond IP as well. After all, the game will need to have elements of stealth, shooting mechanics, and an action-adventure feel, which has all been covered by the developers in their earlier games.
Agent 47's Brooding Style Can Be Adapted Into James Bond
There’s a distinct class and suaveness to James Bond that actors like Daniel Craig have nailed. The spy is generally brooding, sarcastic, and straight-to-the-point in his demeanor. While IO Interactive has kept Agent 47 much more silent in attitude, his finer points are similar to James Bond.
IO Interactive only needs to tweak the Hitman formula a bit to get to the James Bond presentation of things. Bond already carries himself with the same confidence and determination as 47, and the developers just need to add in the spy’s qualities to make the game work.
IO Interactive Can Surprise Players With Mysterious Characters Within Gameplay
While there are games that help players to get the drop on their targets, certain characters tend to show up that 47 isn’t prepared for. These characters are generally rival assassins, which leads to a match-up between 47 and a foe with a similar skill set.
James Bond movies have had moments along the same lines where Bond finds himself surrounded by enemies. This level of mystery in new characters with unknown allegiances will work very well in a James Bond game because fans will have to remain quick on their feet for an unexpected attack - fortunately, IO Interactive has already created such scenarios and can easily accommodate this in the James Bond universe.
IO Interactive Has A History Of Listening To Fan Reception
With such a long cinematic history, James Bond has millions of fans that want the game to be done just right. They need not worry about the developers ignoring their wish lists, because IO Interactive has a history of taking fan reception into when creating their games.
This was best seen after Hitman: Absolution, which was criticized for its linear design and grindhouse style that fans didn’t enjoy. The developers responded with 2016’s Hitman, which was a striking contrast to Absolution and had an open-ended presentation with a particular focus on its spy theme, just as fans had requested.
IO Interactive Has Taken A Unique Spin On The Open World Genre
It’s unknown if the James Bond game will have an open world, and some might even doubt if it’s possible. The same was once said about the Hitman series until IO Interactive successfully took a spin on the genre by making each mission in the “World of Assassination” trilogy take place in a self-contained open world.
It’ll be very interesting if the James Bond title has a similar backdrop, because fans will have full control of Bond without the limitations of linear level design. In any case, IO Interactive’s execution of the Hitman open world proves that it is capable of crafting another unique style suited to the James Bond theme.
Hitman 3's Final Mission Is Like A Prelude To A James Bond Game
The last mission in Hitman 3 takes place on a speeding train where Agent 47 has to eliminate a number of henchmen before reaching the main villain. This sounds like the template for a James Bond movie climax, where the protagonist always deals with something similar.
IO Interactive has thus already provided a slice of what James Bond fans can expect in gameplay. The mission is notable for its thrilling pace and the way 47 steamrolls through the opposition. Bond is notable for having the same execution in his climactic encounters, so IO Interactive has started off in an encouraging way.
IO Interactive Creates Cutscenes With A Cinematic Style That Will Favor A James Bond Story
Few games in the current landscape have a cinematic feel, as the focus has shifted to in-game cutscenes that are indistinguishable from gameplay. IO Interactive has stayed true to the classic style, which is reminiscent of movies - the cutscenes break into story sequences that are independent of gameplay.
This way of presentation suits James Bond because fans of the series are primarily from the movie franchise - the resemblance to the films is important to connect fans to the games. IO Interactive only needs to stick with the formula they had for the Hitman series and the cinematic quality will shine through for the James Bond title.
