If you’ve been following gaming news for a while, you must have come across a game called MindsEye. It is an upcoming game being developed by Lezlie Benzies’ new studio, ‘Build a Rocket Boy‘. Leslie has been the producer of every GTA game since the release of GTA 3 in 2001. He has worked on every major GTA release since then, including the fan favorites like GTA San Andreas, GTA 5, and more.
The GTA community has been very excited to play it, since Leslie’s name is attached to the game! A lot of people have been calling it a direct competitor to GTA 6 and whatnot! With the game releasing in less than two months from now, a lot has been uncovered. So, we thought, why not showcase everything that we know so far? Let’s get right into the details without wasting much time!
Also Read: 6 Features GTA 6 Should Steal From GTA Chinatown Wars
Everything We Know About MindsEye
The initial announcement for MindsEye happened in 2023, but it didn’t reveal much about the game. We got to know that the game is being made by Build A Rocket Boy, and IO Interactive is the publisher. But the story and the gameplay trailer were finally showcased at this year’s PlayStation State of Play event. Very recently, the developers released another trailer to announce the release date. The trailer also revealed some story details, so let’s start with the story details first!
MindsEye Has A Returning Face
So far, we know that MindsEye takes place in the future, and the game is set in the city of Redrock. On the Steam page, the developers have described the city of Redrock as ‘an intense, super-heated, desert metropolis where technology is king’. The world relies on AI and high-tech experimentation. Military power seems to be a big part of the game, too.
The main character of the game is Jacob Diaz, a former soldier who finds himself haunted by his ‘fragmented memories’ of a mission that changed his life. Our objective is to deal with the lost memories and uncover the truth about Jacob’s past. The title of the game, MindsEye, directly refers to a neural implant that goes by the same name.
Jacob has the same implant, and he comes to Redrock City in hopes of discovering more about it. His quest soon becomes a mission for the survival of humanity. By the way, if you haven’t noticed already, Jacob is played by Alex Hernandez, the same actor who played Lincoln Clay in Mafia 3.
More details reveal that there are two powerful people in this world: Shiva Vega and Marco Silva. Both have a volatile relationship as Silva is a billionaire who runs Silva Industries, and he wants to change the course of human evolution, while Vega, the Mayor of the city, wants greater control of his technology and Redrock’s citizens in the process.
Linear, Not Open-World
A lot of GTA fans, who were expecting an open-world game, were disappointed when it was revealed that the game follows a linear story. But the developers did clarify that it will have a faux-open world. This means that the game’s setting and design have been created in such a way that it will create the illusion of a vast space. However, that also means that this game is not going to be a direct competitor to GTA 6.
Further details revealed that it will be about 16 hours long and has been structured like a TV series. The story pacing of the game is said to be similar to that of Mafia: Definitive Edition. But rather than a Mafia story, it will focus on “cinematic action, engaging missions, and character-driven storytelling”, according to the developer. They also mentioned that we will get to experience missions on foot, behind the wheel, as well as in the air.
The gameplay trailer also showcased a drone, which the developers say is a companion. From the trailer, it looks like it could be activated to support us as we progress through the story. Sounds like a cool concept, something like what we’ve seen in games like Fallout 4 with pet companions like Dogmeat.
Game Engine Details
The game is being built upon Unreal Engine 5.4, the latest version of the engine. Using the latest version means it is going to have some never-before-seen features. One of the main highlights that looks very interesting has to be the implementation of custom physics in the game.
The developers revealed that the game is going to feature an advanced driving system, which is based on custom vehicle physics, a new feature of the Unreal Engine 5.4. In simpler terms, it means that, unlike other games, where most physics elements like car models react the same way, in this game, every car is designed to respond uniquely. We got to see some exciting car scenes in the trailer, too.
When Does The Game Come Out?
The developers announced that MindsEye is set to launch on June 10th this year. It will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S consoles, and on PC. They released a new trailer to announce the release date. We also noticed a fun little throwback to Midnight Club 3 Dub Edition in the trailer. Given that many of the developers did work at Rockstar Games, it is highly likely that it was very much intentional.
The Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation Store pages have already been live for some time, and the pre-orders for the game have started. It has been priced at 60 dollars, and there are a total of two editions. There’s the standard edition, which comes with the base game. The other is the Deluxe Edition, which comes with a Premium Pass. If you pre-order the standard edition of the game, you can get the Deluxe edition upgrade for free.
MindsEye is a BIG Project!
Most people seem to be unaware of the scale of MindsEye. Developers’ interview revealed that MindsEye is just the beginning; their project is part of eight episodes that will be released later on. Yes, that means seven more games will be released sometime in the future. While being set in the same universe as MindsEye, developers did mention that each of those episodes will be set in different periods and locations and will even feature different gameplay.
MindsEye Multiplayer Game
It was revealed that not only are they working on the Linear games, like MindsEye, but they’re also working on an open-world multiplayer game. One thing to note is that this multiplayer game we’re talking about here is different from the ‘Everywhere’ platform that the developers have been working on. Everywhere is a platform like Roblox that comes with an integrated game creation system; however, this upcoming multiplayer is going to be a full-fledged game.
So far, we know it will be set in the same universe as MindsEye and will be taking place in the same city of Redrock. According to the developer interviews, the players will have the freedom to explore, create, and shape their own stories within the world. While no official release date has been fixed, Edge magazine did say that the game would be released by 2026.
With that said, that was it for all the details we know so far about Leslie Benzies’ upcoming game, MindsEye! Are you excited to play the game? Do let us know by dropping a comment on our social channel!
