Is 007 First Light stealth or action?

Both. Almost every encounter can be played as stealth (takedowns, distractions, disguises) or loud action (cover shooting with Focus). The game rewards blending the two, and you can break line of sight to slip back into stealth after a fight kicks off.

Are the controls in 007 First Light hard?

There's a learning curve — Bond has a lot of options (takedowns, parry, gadgets, Bluff/Lure/Focus), which can feel like a lot at first. The Tactical Simulations range exists to practice them, and on Standard difficulty the parry and combat timing are forgiving.

What are the best controller settings for 007 First Light?

Start with Linear aim response, aim sensitivity around 1.3 (below your camera sensitivity), and — most importantly — lower the Camera Deceleration, which fixes the heavy right-stick feel more than raising sensitivity does. Tune from there.

How do takedowns work in 007 First Light?

Takedowns instantly drop an enemy who is isolated and out of other guards' sight lines. Use the Dart Phone or a thrown object to separate or distract a target first, and never attempt one while another guard can see it.

007 First Light Controls & Combat Guide (Stealth, Takedowns, Best Settings)

How combat works in 007 First Light — stealth vs going loud, takedowns, parrying, Instinct and Focus, plus beginner tips and the best controller aim settings for PS5.

Jun 6, 2026

Quick take

007 First Light gives Bond two ways through almost every encounter — quiet stealth or open combat — and the best players blend them. The systems that decide most fights are takedowns, parrying in melee, and spending Instinct for slow-motion Focus shots. New to it? Run the in-game Tactical Simulations first; they're a no-pressure range for aim, gadgets and melee.

007 First Light — Bond infiltrating a London club Most missions reward a mix of stealth and decisive combat. © IO Interactive

How combat works

System	What it does
Stealth vs loud	Every level can be played quiet (takedowns, distractions, disguises) or loud (cover shooting). Unarmed melee is silent.
Takedowns	Instantly drop an enemy who is isolated and out of other guards' sight lines. The core of stealth play.
Alert circle	A ring fills over an enemy who spots you — when full they open fire or call backup. Interrupt it by throwing an object at their head or using the Dart Phone, then take them down.
Parry	In melee, a well-timed parry blocks and staggers your opponent, opening a counter window. On Standard difficulty the timing is forgiving.
Focus (Instinct)	Spend Instinct to trigger Focus — a brief slow-motion state for precise, high-damage shots.
Instinct economy	Build Instinct from takedowns, kills and eavesdropping; spend it on Focus, Bluff (talk past suspicious guards) and Lure.
Gadgets	The Dart Phone distracts; later tools (Laser Strap, etc.) open new routes. Keep them equipped while you sweep a level.

Stealth vs going loud

Stealth is usually safer and earns more Instinct. Pick off isolated guards with takedowns, use the Dart Phone to pull a lone enemy away from a group, and Bluff your way past non-Watcher enemies. Bluff does not work on alert "Watcher" types — avoid their eyeline.
Going loud leans on cover and Focus. Bond can't soak much damage, so use cover, pop out for Focus shots, and fall back when the alert circle spreads. If a fight turns chaotic, breaking line of sight to reset to stealth is often better than trading bullets.

Beginner tips

Warm up in Tactical Simulations — practice takedown timing and gadgets before a real mission.
Only take down isolated targets that aren't in another guard's sight line, or you'll trip the alarm.
When an alert circle is nearly full, throw an object or fire the Dart Phone at the enemy's head to interrupt, then close in for the takedown.
Treat parry as your main defense in melee — block, stagger, then counter.
Drag guards into environmental hazards (exposed wires, glass cabinets) for silent instant kills. Several boss fights, especially the Murto twins, are built almost entirely around environmental traps.
Bank Instinct for the moments that matter — a clutch Focus, a Bluff past a checkpoint, a Lure — instead of burning it early.

Best controller / aim settings (PS5)

These are a community-tested starting point — adjust to taste. The single most useful change is lowering Camera Deceleration, which is the real cause of a "heavy"-feeling right stick (more effective than just raising sensitivity).

Setting	Suggested value
Aim Response Curve	Linear (try Exponential if you prefer precise low input)
Aim sensitivity — horizontal	1.35
Aim sensitivity — vertical	1.15
Camera sensitivity — horizontal	1.65
Camera sensitivity — vertical	1.30
Acceleration	~1.1
Camera deceleration	Lower it (fixes the "sluggish" right stick)
Aim deadzone	Default (lower slightly only on drift-free sticks)

Rule of thumb: keep aim sensitivity lower than camera sensitivity — fine aim for precision, faster camera for spinning to threats. On PC, mouse players can ignore this and tune raw sensitivity instead.

Tactical Simulations

Tactical Simulations (TacSim) are optional challenge scenarios in the main menu — a safe place to drill aiming, gadgets, melee and movement, with online leaderboards for scoring. They're also where a chunk of the 100% completion time goes (see how long to beat).

007 First Light combat FAQ

Combat tips reflect launch-version systems and community guides; exact menu names may vary by patch.