007 First Light’s James Bond Looks More Like Nathan Drake Than the Titular Character

Summary

007 First Light’s James Bond draws similarities to Uncharted’s Nathan Drake in survival skills and rebellious persona.
Differences between Bond and Drake include Bond’s training and access to gadgets, while Drake relies on basic weapons.
First Light may show James Bond’s growth from cocky agent to a more serious version, similar to how Uncharted portrayed Nathan Drake.

On Monday, June 2, Danish video game developer IO Interactive formally announced its upcoming James Bond game, to be titled 007 First Light. A few days later, at Sony Interactive Entertainment’s State of Play presentation on June 4, IO Interactive released 007 First Light’s first trailer, featuring both cinematic and gameplay sequences. Here, audiences were able to witness a young, recently recruited British Secret Intelligence Service agent, James Bond, as he recklessly partakes in a series of first missions around the world. While First Light’s James Bond is one of the youngest Bonds depicted in video games, many trailer viewers instantly saw similarities to Uncharted’s Nathan Drake.

007 First Light Can Build a Bridge Between the Films

A lot was recently revealed about 007 First Light, with the upcoming James Bond title hopefully acting as a good stopgap for the franchise’s films.

007 First Lights’ James Bond and Uncharted’s Nathan Drake Compared

In 007 First Light’s trailer, James Bond is described as having suffered a family tragedy at a young age and managing to survive the harsh conditions of a mountaintop all on his own. After being recovered, Bond was a bit of a maverick in his studies, being passed around numerous boarding schools in Britain and getting into conflicts with the higher ups but managing to excel at his studies nevertheless. As a young adult, Bond enlisted in the United Kingdom’s navy, where he continued to resist authority but was praised for his instincts. His time in the navy and, particularly, a dangerous mission in Iceland, eventually earned him the attention of MI6, which subsequently recruited Bond, albeit with a bit of hesitancy from its members.

Bond is depicted as being a charming, charismatic, skillful, and somewhat arrogant agent, being able to handily conduct stealth operations and take down foes in hand-to-hand or firearms combat, albeit with an explosive flair. While Uncharted’s Nathan Drake is someone who often goes against authority figures due to his nature as an Indiana Jones-like treasure hunter, he shares many similarities with the new James Bond. Both characters are orphans who had to survive difficult circumstances before eventually finding themselves traveling the globe, romancing women, and fighting armies worth of hostiles. Bond and Drake are additionally inspired by pulp adventure protagonists, with First Light’s Bond being based on the literary James Bond from 1952’s Casino Royale, while Drake is based on characters such as Doc Savage and Tintin.

Differences Between James Bond and Nathan Drake

While only a little bit is truly known about 007 First Light’s James Bond, players can already point out some critical differences between Bond and Uncharted’s Nathan Drake. For one, Bond is a professionally trained combatant with access to several gadgets, such as watches equipped with lasers or radio transmitters disguised as cigarette lighters. Meanwhile, Drake is a bit clumsy and never has access to high-tech experimental gear or weapons, instead using common pistols, exploration gear, or simply using weapons picked up from fallen enemies. Additionally, Bond comes from a world grounded in realism, while Uncharted is known for featuring some magical elements, such as the mutant making El Dorado Sarcophagus and Shambhala Guardians.

007 First Light is the first new James Bond game developed since 2012’s 007 Legends.

How 007 First Light’s James Bond May Be Inspired by Uncharted

With 007 First Light showcasing James Bond’s recruitment and rise in MI6, IO Interactive may be taking some influence from Uncharted for this James Bond’s character growth. James Bond is typically depicted as a serious, dutiful agent long after gaining his license to kill and having served on several dangerous, oftentimes soul-crushing missions involving the death of allies, friends, and lovers. First Light’s James Bond has been shown to still be an efficient killer but still young and cocky, often joking with his superiors, similar to how Nathan Drake acts around his mentor Sully as well as professionals and enemies.

Uncharted’s Nathan Drake never really grows out of his comical personality throughout the Uncharted series, but 007 First Light may depict how James Bond is forced to grow out of his arrogant persona to become the 007 agent book and film fans know. For example, Bond’s overconfidence could result in a target getting away or the death of a fellow agent, forming Bond into a more focused agent, similar to how the betrayal and death of Vesper Lynd broke Bond in Casino Royale. Alternatively, IO Interactive could go in a completely different direction with First Light and showcase the beginning of a Bond who maintains a cocky yet charming personality even after gaining the title of 007, similar to Drake.