MindsEye Review – Not Like This

by

In MindsEye, one of your initial tasks involves following a car without getting too close or falling behind. If you get too near, the driver might notice; if you lag behind, you’ll lose track of the vehicle. This mission format has been criticized for being repetitive and outdated for more than a decade. The twist in MindsEye is that instead of driving a car, you control a drone. However, this doesn’t make the stakes any higher because you can simply fly high to evade detection. This initial impression isn’t very promising, especially considering the multiple red flags associated with the game and its developer Build a Rocket Boy. For instance, the co-CEO has accused anyone criticizing the game of being funded by an unspecified source, and both the chief legal officer and CFO resigned from the company just weeks before the launch.

Despite its questionable appearance, I ventured into MindsEye with a positive outlook. Behind the scenes, there’s a notable history, with Leslie Benzies, a former lead at Rockstar North and producer of Grand Theft Auto III to V, taking on directing responsibilities. You can indeed spot traces of GTA’s genetic makeup in MindsEye. However, the similarities between the two end there unfortunately.

In simpler terms, the game MindsEye isn’t particularly impressive. The initial mission and much of the following 10 hours are disappointingly dull, featuring repetitive third-person action that includes driving and cover-based shooting within a limited, linear environment. While the story isn’t entirely bad, it lacks originality and leaves little impact overall.

The protagonist is Jacob Diaz, a former soldier who has selective amnesia due to a neural implant in his neck – the MindsEye device. At first, Jacob seeks to uncover his past, but as events unfold, it becomes clear that this quest transcends personal matters and becomes crucial for humanity’s survival. Common sci-fi themes gradually emerge as the game progresses.

In a plausible future scenario that seems not too far-fetched, MindsEye delves into thought-provoking ideas, such as an AI controlling public security and an overpowered military. However, these intriguing themes are brushed aside, merely serving as backdrop, without any substantial exploration. In today’s world, AI is increasingly being utilized in law enforcement, and the flaws of robotic police may not be more alarming than human officers’ mistakes. Thus, raising these issues without offering insightful commentary feels unsatisfying and diminishes the story’s intended impact.

Jacob is quite typical among protagonists, lacking unique traits except for an annoying innocence that never seems to cause him trouble. This is due to the other characters being precisely who they claim to be, with no mystery or emotional complexity, making it challenging to connect or feel invested in their stories. They are neither appealing nor captivating, and even the villains meet their ends in off-screen cutscenes, denying us the thrill of a climactic battle.

It’s unfortunate as the visuals of the world and characters are stunning, and the actors generally perform well with their assigned roles. However, there are instances where the dialogue delivery seems stilted, making scenes seem disjointed rather than smooth like a natural conversation. Moreover, the game’s conclusion is so sudden, underwhelming, and unsatisfying that it was almost comical.

The imaginary city of Redrock shows some resemblance to a distinctive design. The layout of MindsEye seems inspired by Las Vegas, featuring copies of the Luxor pyramid, Allegiant Stadium, and the Sphere as its notable structures. It has a futuristic vibe while still appearing plausible as the kind of city we might encounter in the near future. If you look past the casinos and skyscrapers, you’ll notice strip malls, condos, and ordinary neighborhoods – places that could easily be found today, except for the presence of advanced drones and robots. It offers a glimpse into the future, yet one that seems feasible and thus familiar.

Although Redrock shows a significant amount of work in its creation, it unfortunately lacks depth. From an external perspective, MindsEye might seem like a grand open-world game, but upon closer inspection, it turns out to be quite rigid and linear. There are hints of Grand Theft Auto’s DNA, yet the gameplay is far from dynamic. In most missions, you’re confined to a specific vehicle and directed from point A to B with no room for exploration or deviation. The game discourages exploration, often scolding you if you stray too far off the intended path, and failing the mission if you don’t return promptly. There doesn’t seem to be much reward for venturing off course, as there are no meaningful consequences for actions within the game. Whether you cause accidents or run over pedestrians, the world remains indifferent. The lack of police response to crimes further adds to a sense of artificiality, making the entire experience feel lifeless and staged. Essentially, Redrock serves as a dull backdrop for monotonous missions with little variation.

In some instances, instead of monotonously traveling from place to place in MindsEye, you might find yourself caught up in lengthy car chases that offer little more thrill than witnessing a vehicle unexpectedly burst into flames. These pursuits share similarities with your daily commute, as both conclude with a scene once you reach a designated spot. The outcome doesn’t depend on your actions; you’re essentially following a car until the game deems it appropriate to end the chase. However, controlling the vehicles can be enjoyable due to their responsive handling during high-speed handbrake turns and realistic feel on the road. Despite this, the cars have a lightweight sensation, making them prone to flipping over with the inconsistent physics engine. Unfortunately, unlike in other games, you’re unable to exit your car and choose another one, which becomes frustrating. Conversely, when you’re finally on foot, you’ll yearn for the chance to get back behind the wheel.

In MindsEye, cover seldom seems essential because the enemy AI is largely inept, plagued by numerous flaws that undermine an already sparse shooting experience. Instead of strategizing, enemies often stand still, charge at you blindly, or vanish and reappear instantly without any transition animation. At times, they’ll flee while firing erratically, creating bullets that seemingly defy physics. They react sluggishly to your movements, are as accurate as a Stormtrooper in reverse gear, and their slow-moving bullets can be easily dodged. The quick kill time makes it easy to stay out in the open and eliminate enemies before they drain your health bar. The hard difficulty mode doesn’t offer any meaningful challenge, despite my efforts to create one. Combat remains dull throughout.

In essence, the combat feels rigid and lacks excitement at its core. There are no close-quarter attacks, and explosive items like grenades aren’t accessible until late into the game. Even when they become available, they’re tricky to manage because you can’t control their aim without switching to a companion drone that trails behind you. You also can’t fire blindly from cover or perform evasive actions such as rolling. Your combat choices are severely restricted, and the weapons at your disposal feel underwhelming due to the game’s subdued sound effects and unresponsive enemy behavior. New weapons often appear in your arsenal without any indication, so I frequently discovered new guns only when I noticed them in my inventory. The exception was when MindsEye instructed me to use a specific weapon that wasn’t in my possession.

As a gamer, I found myself struggling to stay engaged with this game, as it seemed to be intentionally designed to test one’s endurance while playing. The missions felt overly extended just to justify the game’s price tag. I can’t help but remember countless times I was behind the wheel for what felt like an eternity, only to be involved in a tedious gunfight, followed by another long drive to watch an insignificant cutscene. MindsEye occasionally strays from this pattern, but the results are equally disappointing. There’s an obligatory drawn-out stealth sequence where you spend most of your time waiting for the slowest robots in existence to pass so you can sneak by. One mission requires you to fly a mini drone into a woman’s apartment and essentially hunt for pixels to find the right objects. The game even includes bothersome one-off minigames, such as performing CPR and digging your own grave. However, MindsEye’s most intriguing action sequences are confined to cutscenes.

In addition, there are some offbeat side quests in this game, only loosely connected to the main storyline. These adventures often take you back and forth between past and future timelines, where you engage in brief gunfights for a medal based on your speed in eliminating enemies. The benefits of completing these or enhancing your speeds are purely for entertainment purposes. Interestingly, the game also allows you to craft these short quests yourself using beta-stage building tools, which seems like an early prototype or preview of Everywhere, Build a Rocket Boy’s announced metaverse-adjacent project. Despite the complexity of the tools, I found little motivation to learn how to create missions that didn’t appeal to me initially.

MindsEye isn’t the most terrible game I’ve ever played, but it didn’t cause much trouble in terms of its possible technical glitches. The internet is overflowing with instances of bugs and performance problems, yet the only major issue I encountered on PC was occasional stuttering. However, even if you can maintain a stable experience, MindsEye still falls into the grave sin of being incredibly dull. Above all, it feels like a game stuck in the past. It wouldn’t have been good 15 years ago either, but perhaps some of its design choices might have made more sense then. As it stands, problems like flawed AI and inconsistent car physics only make its outdated and bland design even worse. Stunning visuals can’t make up for a lack of depth, whether that comes from its meaningless world, tedious combat, or any number of other significant flaws. If you’re seeking quality, direct your mind’s eye elsewhere.

Read More

2025-06-16 18:10