Where is the 007 game?

 They're keeping we waiting, huh?

The greatest thing about the world of gaming is the variety of niches, tastes, subgenres and communities that can build up where you might never expect them. People can become so enamoured with a franchise that stopped releasing games eight years ago that they dedicate themselves to sharing inside Batman jokes on a forum that is slowly descending into an abject madness the likes of which hasn't been reached since r/Freefolk inherited the 'disgraced fandom' mantle from r/Prequel memes. We all have that one franchise or developer who might not enter the general dialogue when discussing best of their craft, but whom you swear blind allegiance to- bar none. For me that company is none other than IO Interactive, and their unique style of game is the replayability-infused Hitman franchise which is still getting updates to this very day that I enjoy very much.

I know they've not always been everyone's cup of tea, and the episodic release schedule of the original Hitman entry earnt them a few enemies- but personally I found the Hitman games to be absolute pinnacles of the Stealth-genre craft and genuinely believe these to be the best Hitman titles ever made. (Even if the three games together just about make up enough content for a single game if you aren't interested in replaying the amazingly intricate and varied levels like you're supposed to.) The only thing I wish they handled better was their story, because the Hitman games shift in narrative presentation, perspective and stakes so very often that by the time things start actually happening during the Hitman 3 story- I no longer really care for any of those characters anymore. They could have set fire to the entire cast and I wouldn't have blinked. But then, that was the consequence of trying to carry several other game's narratives on their backs and provide a satisfying enough conclusion to all of it.

What IO really needed was something of a fresh start. Something for which they could utilise the many fantastic talents the team had built up for amazing level design, robust clock-like AI routines and unfathomable replayability- but on a different canvass. Divorce themselves from the somewhat restrictive jacket of the Hitman game engine and move onto something newer, maybe even a little less stealth reliant, with a new face. What IO needed was to get the rights to the exact property that they did, which was why I all but jumped out of my skin when I saw the trailer for the perfect collaboration I could never have dreamed of. IO making a James Bond game. Not just Bond- but a rookie Bond at the beginning of his career learning the ropes and becoming the master spy everyone is slowly getting tired of. What a way to revitalise both the franchise and an IO that have no doubt grown restless working on only one game for the past decade.

My mind was abuzz with potential. The globetrotting antics of Bond and how perfectly they fit with IO's established record of stunningly well-realised global locations for each one of their games. The feeling of intrinsic and extrinsic progression through the mastery of each level and the provision of more impressive and useful tools. Some unique and high pressure missions through the introduction of the Elusive system. They've even had the time to work with different styles of development with the Sniper Challenges, online competitive murder modes and the Roguelite 'Freelancer'' system. They have the resume to make this work wonders! The only question is: when are we going to get to see the fruits of their labour?

Of course, IO is quite the talented company right now with a bigger grasp of themselves then they had before now they've gone all independent. Which means it probably doesn't make sense to only focus on one game anymore, which is why the team are also working on a 'Project Fantasy' supposedly which low-key sounds like one of those badly named Japanese RPG games. You know the ones: "Project Triangle Strategy", "Unicorn Overlord", "Metaphor: ReFantazio". (I swear to god those are all real relatively new or upcoming Japanese RPGs of considerable acclaim. That last one is even being made by ATLUS.) Although when I look at the basic elevator pitch on an online RPG game, I can't help but wave an arm at all the wealth of interesting and diverse RPG content here and coming and wonder what exactly it is that IO thinks they can bring to this table. We're full, try the next table over.

Unfortunately we're still in that infuriating period of the marketing where all we are allowed to learn about the game is the road to production because gameplay simply cannot even be implied until the reveal trailers start going live. Which means we have to endure stories about how IO had to convince the Bond rights holders to go for licencing them because they were apparently "Not looking for a game." A prospect I find downright fanciful and farcical. Oh, the Broccoli's aren't looking to get into the most financially lucrative entertainment medium in the world currently? What, is their brand too good to be sullied by games? The same brand they whore out to car commercials, phone coverage ads, perfume, alcohol and even a bottom-of-the-barrel reality show, all whilst they pathetically scrabble to fill the gap between the end of Daniel Craig's Bond and the start of the reign of whatever poor sap they can trick into putting their artistic development on hold for the next 10 years straight. (At least Marvel let you try other things between movies.) Yeah, I don't buy that somehow.

As for the 'stunning' revelation that Project 007 is apparently 'not just a shooting game'; well, duh! Since when have IO ever made a game that relied on the very base-most appeal to action that is served by games like COD or Battlefield? I'm thinking: Never. They've always been more deliberate, more cerebral; taking the core concepts of basic puzzle solving and expanding them out to a 3D environment in a non-linear transformation. I've said it before but the work that they do bringing head scratchers to life in an apparent stealth action game is astounding and commendable all in one, and I don't think there's a soul on earth surprised to know that the team did not, in fact, subject themselves to a building-wide lobotomy that rendered them incapable of putting together anything more complicated then a 'Redfall' or something. I'm almost suspicious that they felt the need to insist that at all!

If there's any justice in the world, Hollow Knight Silksong will get a firm release date during the game awards. But given that's about as likely as the One Winged Angel floating down from heaven in order to take over the world only to be stopped by his spikey haired clone and his band of eclectic misfits- I'll settle for an update on Project 007, please. They did an interview recently, which implies there might be something to say in the near future- but who the heck can be sure anymore in this world of journalism overload wherein ever game studio director is one wrong turn down an alleyway from accidentally stumbling onto someone's podcast and getting grilled about their deepest childhood secrets. Heck, I'll even take a CGI trailer at this point, just something to let me know we might see this game sometime before the next set of Bond movies start up, thus poisoning the well of this Bond universe to set itself up and stand alone.