10 Video Games You Need To Play If You Love James Bond

James Bond has influenced a ton of media. Whether it be films, novels, toys, or comics, 007 has been inspiring ideas left and right, which given his job, that might annoy him if he found out about it. That said, one medium James Bond has influenced that hasn’t been discussed as much is that of video games.

Though James Bond himself has many well-received video games to his name, including the iconic N64 title Goldeneye 007, he’s also been given no shortage of love from unrelated games. With No Time To Die still coming out this year, let’s look at some.

10 Superhot (2016)

The Bond elements are more difficult to see at first with Superhot as opposed to the rest of the list, but there is something 007 fans will get out of the strategy shooter. You move, the world moves, that’s the premise of Superhot boiled down to five words, but there is way more to Superhot than that.

Superhot is a game where style and gameplay mesh brilliantly, this is similar to how when a Bond movie is at its best is when it’s style and narrative align, also there is always a solution to when you’re in a jam in Superhot, which is also the case with 007. At first glance, Superhot may seem very basic, but there is a lot of strategy going into this game.

9 The Sly Cooper Series (2002-2013)

Sly Cooper ranks low on the list, mainly because Sly and his gang are thieves as opposed to spies. The rest of the franchise screams Bond more than a lot of the games on this list, so it couldn’t really be kept off. The Sly Cooper franchise is one of the most underrated series in gaming and has one of the best track records in regards to quality.

Throughout the four main entries, Sly Cooper travels to many exotic lands, encounters many colorful villains, and possesses a type of charism that 007 would approve of. Regardless of it’s Bond influence, more people need to discover this charming little series.

8 Deus Ex (2000)

Though the series’ third entry is a bit fresher in the mind, the original Deus Ex is just as worthy of being played. A legendary title from the dawn of the new millennium, Deus Ex follows J.C. Denton, an agent for an anti-terrorist agency with the charisma of Microsoft Sam, as he deals with a conspiracy that pulls him in the hook-line-and sinker.

Premise-wise, Deus Ex admittedly has a bit more in common with the likes of The Matrix or The X-Files, but there is quite a bit of 007 to the game if you play it. In fact, the game’s lead writer, Sheldon Pacotti, admitted that though X-Files was the primary influence, it ended up feeling more like James Bond.

7 Killer7 (2005)

A that raises questions as to whether or not it’s a horror game is that of Killer7. A Suda 51 project that was praised by critics yet failed in the sales department, Killer7 could best be described as an enigma. Following Harlan Smith, a wheelchair-bound man with the ability to transform into one of seven different assassins.

Harlan Smith, along with two of the assassins Garcian and Dan Smith have personalities that scream James Bond, as they are two cool killers who bounce off of a selection of colorful characters. That said, the villains that they combat feel more like something out of a horror movie than a Bond film.

6 Tomb Raider: Anniversary (2007)

When fans attempt to pinpoint the inspirations for Lara Croft, many jump to the Indiana Jones movies. That isn’t wrong, however, many forget that Indy drew inspiration from 007, as Steven Spielberg wanted to direct a Bond film which led to Raiders of The Lost Ark, and there are just as many ties to Bond with Lara as there are to Doctor Jones.

The original PS1 Tomb Raider series is a classic one, don’t get it twisted (though Chronicles is a bit rubbish,) but Tomb Raider: Anniversary, a remake of the first game, would probably be a better option than returning to the somewhat janky original. Regardless, you owe it to yourself to pay this sassy British adventurer’s first appearance a visit.

5 The No One Lives Forever Duology (2000-2002)

Developed by Monolith Productions, who would later become famous for the F.E.A.R. games, No One Lives Forever are two hidden gems that take quite a few cues from the early Bond movies. The games have just the right amount of cheese to call back to the Connery era of Bond, but to the point where it becomes Austin Powers.

Cate Archer, an agent from the counter-terrorist group UNITY, is essentially female James Bond. She has the Britishness, the humor, the gadgets, and the skill with firearms. Even the villains that Archer battles are the type of villains that James Bond used to face.

4 Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Series (2002-2013)

It feels like a bit of a cheat to say that all the games that involve espionage are influenced by James Bond, but Splinter Cell has a more grounded flavor that helps it stand out from 007.  The series follows black ops agent Sam Fisher as he combats terrorists, conspiracies, and more.

Next to Bond’s author, Ian Fleming, Tom Clancy is one of the most famous spy authors in the history of literature, and the fact that this series has his seal of approval in the title makes a statement. Splinter Cell has a far more American feel than James Bond, but it will scratch a very similar itch.

3 The Hitman Series (2000-2021)

On the surface, there isn’t really much in common between the witty, charismatic James Bond and the stoic, sardonic Agent 47, but the surface can be very deceiving. The Hitman franchise can be seen as a nice meeting ground between the more cheesy, sci-fi plots of the Roger Moore era, and the darker Daniel Craig reign.

Bit of advice, start with 2006’s Hitman: Blood Money before revisiting the earlier titles, but regardless, do not underestimate this series. The Hitman games are stealth games at their very core and thus tend to be on the more difficult side.

2 Perfect Dark (2000)

A true spiritual successor to Goldeneye 007, Perfect Dark was developed by Rare, the developers of the aforementioned classic, but many think Perfect Dark may be even better. Summarizing the protagonist, Joanna Dark, could boil down to “female James Bond in the future,” which wouldn’t be far off.

However, there is much more to the plot of Perfect Dark than just that, but to say any more would do nothing other than spoil the experience of this classic shooter. That being said, a bit of a warning first, the N64 original isn’t the most stable version, so we’d recommend checking out one of the various XBOX ports.

1 The Metal Gear Solid Series (1998-2015)

Kept you waiting, huh? Yes, there truly was no doubt whatsoever what series was going to be number one. The Metal Gear Solid franchise, the brainchild of the legendary Hideo Kojima, is an amazing stealth game series that truly kicked off in 1998 and should have ended in 2015.

Again, it’s a bit stereotypical to claim that all games that deal with secret agents were inspired by 007, but this example has some basis in truth. According to Kojima, an avid film buff, the narratives for the games took cues from many sources, including Bond movies like Goldfinger and Dr. No, which you can see in the final games.

About The Author

Seth Rector
(172 Articles Published)

Ever since he was a young lad, Seth Rector has had a love for all things that reek of geek. Movies, tv shows, comic books, and video games are what he considers his wheelhouse. A writer at heart, Seth says he’s over the moon now that he can write about what he loves. When he isn’t writing for Screen Rant, he is putting his film degree from Lights Film School to good use by working on future film projects.

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