The line between games and movies keeps getting blurrier | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyNotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.NotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.The line between games and movies keeps getting blurrierNotificationsNotificationsComments DrawerNotificationsCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...EntertainmentCloseEntertainmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EntertainmentGamingCloseGamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GamingReportCloseReportPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ReportThe line between games and movies keeps getting blurrier007 First Light is the latest example of how the mediums are learning from each other.007 First Light is the latest example of how the mediums are learning from each other.by Andrew WebsterCloseAndrew WebsterSenior entertainment editorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Andrew WebsterMay 28, 2026, 6:03 PM UTCLinkShareGiftImage: IO InteractiveAndrew WebsterCloseAndrew WebsterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Andrew Webster is an entertainment editor covering streaming, virtual worlds, and every single Pokémon video game. Andrew joined The Verge in 2012, writing over 4,000 stories.The most memorable part of 007 First Light is something that’s typically pretty boring: the tutorial. In many games, you’re forced through a series of tedious lessons in how to play, presented in a way that feels disconnected from the story itself and at a plodding pace. But First Light does something different. Because the game is centered on a young James Bond, one who is just learning to be a secret agent, the tutorial is structured like a training montage in a classic action movie. As months speed by, the game has a snappy supercut of Bond learning everything from firing a gun to parkouring across a building. But because it’s a game, these moments are also interactive, and you’re quickly learning the ropes alongside the character. It may seem like a small thing, but First Light’s tutorial is just the latest example of how blurry the lines between games, film, and television have become.Games aping cinematic traditions isn’t exactly a new phenomenon. The medium has been influenced by movies since its inception, whether it’s Donkey Kong pulling from classic monster movies or franchises like Uncharted and Ghost of Tsushima making movie-like experiences into something interactive. (Directors like Hideo Kojima love nothing more than squeezing Hollywood talent into their games.) But a game like First Light represents just how far this phenomenon has come. It’s not a movie tie-in, nor is it an approximation of a genre, like Uncharted is to Indiana Jones-style adventure movies. It’s a game-first iteration of one of film’s longest-running franchises.Related007 First Light is like a James Bond movie in the best way possibleExit 8’s director was inspired by watching people play the gameFirst Light isn’t some complete reinvention of action-adventure games. For the most part, it plays a lot like a cross between Hitman, an assassination franchise also made by First Light developer IO Interactive, and Uncharted, which is filled with action set pieces. But it also pulls from the world of film in smart ways. After an explosive opening section, you see a classic Bond intro credits sequence with a new song from Lana Del Rey, and then the game uses familiar cinematic language like the training montage to give it that movie-like feel. Things you’re used to seeing in movies, like Bond being beaten during an interrogation while tied to a chair, are now interactive rather than something you just watch. This is on top of the usual tricks of the video game trade: dramatic cutscenes, over-the-top action sequences, fast-paced car chases, and celebrity cameos like Lenny Kravitz (who makes a brief appearance as an African pirate boss with an inexplicable American accent).Image: IO InteractiveWhat’s especially interesting about this moment is not just that games are getting better at incorporating elements from film and television in a way that feels natural; inspiration now goes both ways. The Exit 8 film adaptation opened with a first-person sequence that was just like the game in order to “blur the lines between video game and cinema,” while Markiplier’s Iron Lung film was a lot like watching someone play the indie horror game. The Last of Us’ HBO adaptation is so similar to the games that watching it can often seem like a cutscene supercut.It’s a far cry from when movie games were mostly cheap licensed tie-ins rushed out to coincide with a theatrical release. And it comes at a time when seemingly every franchise, from Super Mario to Fallout, is now a multi-medium production. The Bond series is now under the Amazon corporate umbrella, which not only published the game but is also working on the next generation of the films. The company is doing something similar with Tomb Raider, making a live-action streaming series and publishing the next two game releases from Crystal Dynamics. For these franchises, games, film, and television are now treated as one holistic entity.This merging of mediums has worked out particularly well for First Light. It’s a game developed by a studio with a history in open-ended action games and a clear understanding of both what makes Bond work and how that can translate to a video game. That’s allowed the studio to mix up the mediums in ways that can even make a tutorial into something that feels like it’s ripped right out of an action movie.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Andrew WebsterCloseAndrew WebsterSenior entertainment editorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Andrew WebsterAnalysisCloseAnalysisPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AnalysisEntertainmentCloseEntertainmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EntertainmentGamingCloseGamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GamingReportCloseReportPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All ReportMost PopularMost PopularValve raises Steam Deck prices by more than $200Kia’s flagship EV has a battery problemThe golden age of handheld gaming is already overSony is offering up to 50 percent off some of our favorite PS5 gamesSony’s first RGB TV is a statement pieceThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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The intersection between games and movies is increasingly blurred, demonstrated by works like 007 First Light, which serves as a prime example of how different media evolve by learning from one another. This phenomenon extends beyond simple tie-ins, representing a deeper integration of cinematic traditions into interactive entertainment. Andrew Webster, a senior entertainment editor at The Verge, highlights how this blurring is evident in the structure of the game itself, particularly in its tutorial. Instead of presenting tedious, disconnected lessons, First Light structures its introductory experience like a classic action movie training montage, allowing the player to interactively learn skills simultaneously with the character, thereby mimicking cinematic pacing and narrative flow.

The influence of film on gaming is not new; the medium has long been shaped by movies, seen in franchises like Donkey Kong or the interactive experiences provided by titles such as Uncharted and Ghost of Tsushima, where movie-like aesthetics are incorporated into gameplay. Games like First Light push this phenomenon further by serving as a game-first iteration of established film franchises, rather than mere approximations of a genre. The game effectively mixes film language, such as dramatic cutscenes and action sequences reminiscent of James Bond films, with interactive gameplay elements, making cinematic moments, such as an interrogation scene, something the player actively participates in rather than passively observes.

This reciprocal influence is evident across the industry. Film adaptations, such as the Exit 8 adaptation or the HBO series for The Last of Us, often adopt gameplay mechanics to achieve a more immersive cinematic feel. Conversely, video games now draw heavily from cinematic language, demonstrating that inspiration flows both ways. This integration is further cemented by the trend toward multi-medium productions where franchises are treated as holistic entities, such as the Bond series operating under Amazon, or franchises like Super Mario and Fallout. This holistic treatment allows for complex cross-pollination.

This blending proved particularly effective in First Light because the development studio possessed a deep understanding of both cinematic conventions and action game mechanics, enabling them to integrate these elements seamlessly. The convergence of games, film, and television shows that these mediums are moving toward, where franchises are developed across multiple platforms, solidifies the idea that the distinction between these forms is dissolving into a unified, interconnected creative space.