This year IO Interactive, the studio behind the acclaimed Hitman series, announced Project 007. This new James Bond adventure is going to explore the early days of Bond's career as an agent. Considering the developer's proven track record with stealth-action gameplay, fans have little concern that the game will look and play great. However, one mystery revolving around the game is whether or not it will draw inspiration from prior material.
As seen in numerous James Bond films, from Connery to Craig, plots have often adapted many of Ian Fleming's original Bond novels and short stories. However, even with 25 films to date and a number of video games as well, there remain a handful of classic tales yet to be used. Whether or not IO Interactive wants Project 007 to be completely original remains to be seen, but some unused stories can provide fun backdrops and narratives for Bond's next mission.
The Hildebrand Rarity
The third short story Ian Fleming ever wrote for Bond, "The Hildebrand Rarity," was included in a Playboy Magazine published in 1960 before being brought over to Time. While many of the plot elements in this mystery thriller have been utilized in other media over the years, such as the Bond villain Milton Krest appearing in 1989's License to Kill, there is still plenty of material to use.
A good portion of the story sees Bond on assignment in the Seychelles Islands, a truly exotic location that could be brought to life with modern technology. This sort of setting would be a breath of fresh air from the urban settings seen in several Bond adventures, already helping it stand out. Furthermore, the story features chilling plot material compared to a lot of 007 missions, which could lend itself to a darker game overall. IO Interactive has shown an ability to handle heavier subject matter with its Hitman games, so this would be a good fit.
007 In New York
The many missions of James Bond take him across the globe, often to stunning locations. This isn't to say the super spy hasn't also gone to more familiar territory, as seen in the 1963 tale "007 in New York." As the title of the story suggests, this short story follows 007 as he travels to New York in pursuit of an M16 agent in order to warn her that the love of her life is a KBG agent. It's a race against the clock, something fast-paced and exciting that could lend itself to an action game.
In terms of the source material allowing IO Interactive to show off its technical prowess, New York is known for being a jam-packed, bustling city with a population in the millions. With so many denizens roaming the streets, IO Interactive can show off its crowd tech, as seen in Hitman, in which dozens of NPC's actively roam the screen all at once. This could be used in a tense trailing mission, during which the player needs to follow a target through a busy city street.
The Property of a Lady
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The women in 007 stories are often as much the star as James Bond himself. From Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale to Paloma in the recent No Time To Die, these femme fatales are clever, tough, and keep Bond on his toes. "The Property of a Lady" is another story that hit the scene in 1963, following Bond as ne investigates Maria Freudenstein, a double agent working for the Soviet Union. Maria has her eyes set on a Faberge egg, which is allegedly her inheritence but she really intends to destroy.
While the 1983 Roger Moore film Octopussy was inspired by this storyline, it is a very loose adaption and can be considered its own piece of media. This leaves IO Interactive plenty of room to more closely examine the original storyline and use it for Project 007. Considering the studio wants Project 007 to be something of an origin story for the character, and "The Property of a Lady" has Bond facing off with one central character, this plot could echo themes from Casino Royale, which successfully kickstarted Craig's tenure as the agent.
Risico
Lastly, there's the 1960 Bond tale "Risico." In the story, James Bond is in Italy trying to uncover the plot behind an illegal drug operation. A CIA informant that Bond meets named Kristatos has a personality quirk in which he takes phrases and words from multiple languages to form entirely new things. "Risico," the namesake of the book, is the word "risk" in Dutch.
The plot of this Bond adventure has been used in other media over the years. Many elements were found in 1981's For Your Eyes Only, however that borrowed ideas from other places as well so it can't be considered a true adaption. The most appealing aspect of this story is it's title. It sounds mysterious, exotic, and filled with excitement. If IO Interactive announced that Project 007 is called "James Bond: Risico," it would be a perfect fit for a mystery action game.
Project 007 is in development.