RedC
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Andreas Crow – Gameplay Director, 007 First Light
• Core philosophy: player choice has value.
• Goal: make players feel creative in how they approach challenges.
• Creativity → sparks joy → motivates continued play.
• Applies to both level design and player tools.
Core Design Pillar: "Choice in Every Encounter"
• Example: two NPCs blocking your path.
• Go around?
• Distract them?
• Take them out?
• No single "correct" path — player should feel creative regardless of approach.
• The design supports stealth, combat, or hybrid improvisation.
Level Design: Visually Communicate Options
• Players must see that choices exist.
• If a building only shows one door → implied linear path.
• If the building shows:
• A door
• Roads around it
• NPCs mingling nearby
→ Player immediately senses multiple approaches.
• Environmental readability is key to signaling freedom.
Tools: Enable the Spy Fantasy
• Provide a wide enough toolset to support multiple playstyles (within Bond fantasy).
• Tools include:
• Gadgets (smoke devices, distractions, takedowns)
• Social mechanics (talking, bluffing, luring NPCs)
• Crucial element: player trust — tools must consistently have meaningful effects.
The "Secret Ingredient": Controlled Uncertainty
• Player example:
• Throws smoke grenade at two NPCs.
• Attempts to sneak between them.
• Doesn't know exactly how long distraction lasts.
• Successfully slips through.
• Result: "It worked — my plan worked."
• Uncertainty creates tension → success creates ownership and satisfaction.
Hitman DNA + Bond Evolution
• Team leverages stealth loop learnings from Hitman:
• Environmental interactions
• Moment-to-moment stealth gameplay
• But Bond is a different protagonist.
• Combat needed major upgrades (Hitman combat was more "last resort").
• Goal: stealth, melee, and ranged combat all feel equally viable.
New Stealth Evolution: De-escalation Instead of Restarting
• Traditional stealth loop:
• Stealth → spotted → escalation → combat → player restarts.
• Bond approach: introduce bluffing and confrontation mechanics.
• If caught:
• Talk your way out.
• Distract mid-conversation.
• Throw smoke and escape.
• Goal: maintain forward momentum instead of punishing with restarts.
"Situation Contained" Design Philosophy
• Encounters structured so that:
• If you mess up, it's often just a small group alerted.
• Win the fight → stealth loop resumes.
• Encourages improvisation instead of failure loops.
Combat Overhaul (Beyond Hitman)
• Combat areas had to be significantly elevated.
• Close combat references: Arkham-style inspirations.
• Environmental destructibility: modern action influences (some Uncharted-like energy, but deeper systems).
• Shooting system rebuilt from scratch:
• Aim assist
• Gun feel
• Iteration-heavy process
• Emphasis on parity: stealth, melee, and ranged combat should all be equally fun and viable.
Pure Combat Sections (New for the Studio)
• Unlike Hitman's open-ended chaos combat, Bond includes authored combat sequences.
• Example: airstrip encounter.
• Lessons learned:
• Script enemy flow to avoid unfair "shot from behind" moments.
• Control enemy spawn directions based on player position.
• Introduce dramatic set-piece beats (cars driving in, enemies spilling out).
• Balance between authored momentum and player freedom.
Driving Mechanics: Built from the Ground Up
• Studio had no prior driving expertise.
• Strategy:
• Hire experienced devs.
• Reference other games' vehicle feel.
• Iterate extensively.
• Driving feel:
• Between arcade and realism.
• Realistic visual feedback (debris, damage).
• Accessible handling — not hardcore simulation.
• Challenge design focuses more on:
• Avoiding obstacles
• Chasing targets
Rather than perfect simulation steering.
Forward Momentum as a Core Theme
• Bond "thinks on his feet."
• Mechanics reinforce movement and aggression.
• Combat systems encourage closing distance:
• Limited ammo → move forward to collect more.
• Disarm enemies.
• Throw empty guns to stagger opponents.
• Chain momentum through combat.
• In stealth:
• Use cover to observe briefly.
• Choose quickly.
• Act.
• In environments:
• Explosions create new paths.
• Player actions reveal new options.
• Everything pushes forward progression rather than stagnation.
Overall Design Intent
• Player chooses their playstyle: stealth, melee, ranged, hybrid.
• All approaches should feel equally supported and viable.
• Creativity + improvisation + uncertainty + forward momentum define the experience.
• The goal: make players feel like Bond — adaptable, decisive, always moving forward.
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