Image credit: Build a Rocket Boy

With its release date of June 10, 2025, rapidly approaching, MindsEye, the upcoming action-adventure game from Build a Rocket Boy, has garnered significant attention, not least because it comes from a team that includes former GTA producer Leslie Benzies.

The question on many minds, and the focus of this breakdown, is whether MindsEye shows the potential to achieve a “promising 7.5/10” as an early impression, or if its current state suggests a different trajectory.

Initial Impressions

MindsEye has attracted attention largely because of its development team, which includes people who previously worked on Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption. That kind of experience has set expectations high. At the same time, the game’s low-key marketing has raised questions in the lead-up to release.

MindsEye is set in the near-future fictional city of Redrock. Players step into the shoes of Jacob Diaz, a former special-ops soldier with a neural implant called “The MindsEye” that haunts him with fragmented memories of a secret mission. The narrative centers on Diaz’s quest to uncover the truth about his past, which quickly escalates into a mission critical for humanity’s survival as sentient robots rise.

The game aims to blend third-person shooting and cinematic storytelling, drawing comparisons to GTA V and Cyberpunk 2077. It is described as a “narrative driven, single-player action-adventure thriller”.

What Feels Polished

Some early concerns aside, MindsEye does seem to get a few things right. The setting Redrock stands out as one of its stronger elements. It feels believable, with that kind of grounded, mid-future vibe that’s clearly more advanced than today, but not full-on cyberpunk overload. From the gameplay trailers, the visuals have been described as stunning, with great attention to detail in environments and characters, adding a sense of realism.

Image credit: MindsEye Redrock City

The story, weaving a sense of mystery into Jacob Diaz’s fragmented memories and struggle against AI, high-tech experimentation, and unchecked military power, is seen as pretty engaging and capable of keeping players hooked.

The developer, Build a Rocket Boy, has stated the game is intended to have a 15-hour to 20-hour story campaign. Director Leslie Benzies emphasizes that this length is intentional to ensure players can finish the game amidst many distractions, focusing on delivering “the meat and potatoes” of the experience. Post-launch plans include game creation tools and additional assets, missions, and challenges.

Areas to Improve

The biggest red flags so far come from the technical state of the game’s disc version before the day one patch. Players who got early access, like MrHazel88, reported a bunch of issues that reminded some people of Mass Effect Andromeda at launch. These include:

• Noticeable frame rate drops, both in gameplay and cutscenes, sometimes dipping as low as seven FPS, even on a PS5 Pro.
• Screen flickering when moving the camera.
• Visuals that look “washy” or blurry, making it hard to see what’s going on and suggesting the game needs more optimization.
• Shooting that feels off — described as “bad” or “empty,” with little to no feedback or hit reactions, which isn’t great for a shooter.
• Game-breaking bugs that stop players from progressing in the story. Some called the disc build “unplayable.” And that’s more serious than what a typical day one patch is meant to fix.
• Outdated gameplay mechanics. A few early reviewers said it feels “ordinary” or like something from a few console generations ago. The driving has been called “halfbaked.”
• A lack of clear identity in the marketing. Some found the trailers forgettable and felt like the game still hasn’t really shown what it wants to be.

In response to these leaks and early impressions, developer Build a Rocket Boy has urged early buyers to wait for a major day one patch to ensure MindsEye plays as they intended.

Community Scores and 2-Critic Insights

With MindsEye set to launch on June 10, 2025, critic reviews haven’t dropped yet. That “7.5/10” floating around is more of a placeholder based on early guesses. So far, what we’ve seen from previews and community chatter leans toward cautious skepticism.

Community Sentiment (from Push Square comments):

• A lot of people doubt the day one patch will fix everything.
• There’s frustration over shipping an “unfinished game” on disc and leaning so heavily on a patch to clean it up.
• Comparisons to rocky launches like No Man’s Sky and Cyberpunk 2077 keep popping up.

• Some are already predicting a “dumpster fire” or “train wreck,” expecting bad scores across the board.
• That said, a few folks are still hopeful. Some pre-order holders want to give it a fair shot and are rooting for the patch to turn things around.

Early Critic/Journalist Impressions (from preview events and early access):

• At a press preview a week or two before launch, several bugs and glitches were on display. One dev even had to use “God mode” mid-demo just to keep things moving.
• The stream was shown over Microsoft Teams and looked choppy and blurry, which made it tough to judge the visuals.
• Still, some who attended saw potential in the game’s setting and story — assuming everything gets cleaned up.
• As we mentioned before, MrHazel88, who got a copy early, posted a detailed breakdown on X, pointing out major issues with performance and graphics on the disc build. His post has made the rounds and fed into the broader discussion.

  • On the other hand, the head of MindsEye claims that the negative buzz surrounding the game before its release is part of a paid, coordinated effort to discredit the studio.

MindsEye boss claims game's negative reaction ahead of release has been paid for in "concerted effort" against studio
byu/Roids-in-my-vains ingaming

Summary

In conclusion, MindsEye has the groundwork for something promising — a clear concept, a focused story, and a team that knows what it’s doing but so far, early impressions are being overshadowed by technical issues and gameplay that feels unpolished.

The ambition to create a cinematic, story-driven experience with post-launch creation tools is clear, but right now, a lot of people are saying the same thing: wait for reviews, wait for patches. If MindsEye is going to live up to that “promising 7.5/10,” the day one patch has a lot of heavy lifting to do, especially when it comes to performance and the feel of the gameplay.

Sources:

  • https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/1kxnhg4/mindseye_boss_claims_games_negative_reaction/
  • https://x.com/MrHazel88/status/1930233857762103726