Time's Up on Boring Game Time: MindsEye Review
Mind'sEye Game Experience: Disappointing Results After 2 Hours of Gameplay
Hey there, gaming pals! This week, I've been diving headfirst into the latest shooter droppin' on the scene: MindsEye. And let me tell ya, it ain't exactly a breath of fresh air, to put it lightly.
So, what's the deal with this title that's stirred up a bit of buzz in the gaming community? MindsEye is an action-packed adventure game, developed by Build a Rocket Boy and published by IO Interactive, championed by none other than Leslie Benzies — former president of Rockstar North — aiming to leave his mark with this project after an unpleasant split with the GTA team back in 2016.
Now, I gotta admit, the trailers set my expectations sky-high. MindsEye promised to breath new life into the shooter genre, bringin' the bar up a few notches. But the game's got me thinkin' of 2010s Call of Duty campaigns more than anything. Ya feel me?
But hey, I like to keep an open mind when it comes to games, so I hopped into MindsEye to see if it could carve out a path for itself in the current landscape. Spoiler alert: It's got a ways to go.
Performance and Design
First off, MindsEye is kinda playable on my trusty-rusty 6-year-old RTX 2070 Super. I was a bit worried 'bout my old hardware gonna turn this game into an unplayable slideshow, but it's holding up...though it can get really ugly sometimes. Still, the faces look good, at least.
As for the gameplay, put thoughts of GTA out of your mind, pal. MindsEye is a linear production — cutscenes, action, cutscenes, action. You can drive around a big city, but it's mostly point-and-shoot as your boss bugs you over the radio to get to the next objective.
Eventually, the game introduces some “open-world activities” via portals, and there's even a level-building tool to create custom missions and share them. Since I ain't a kid, I'm down for player-generated content, but the example mission I played didn't win me over — almost as useless as a Trump tweet on national security policy.
And the shooting? Well, it's kinda fun, I guess, when I'm actually doing the shootin'...but nothing special about the AI or guns so far.
Story in Shamblesville
Even if the action were top-notch, the touted thought-provoking narrative is nowhere to be found. After a traumatic spec-ops history that left him with a mysterious brain implant, protagonist Jacob Diaz lands in a desert city called Redrock chasin' a fresh start.
He's given a job at a local evil robot factory by his friendly-ish acquaintance, and they immediately start battlin' berserk robots and takin' out mercenary squads without so much as an eyebrow raised. The story is littered with unconvincing character arcs and dream logic, and it leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
There's potential here, but I'm not convinced that MindsEye is gonna deliver on it yet.
MindsEye: Overhyped and Overrated?
MindsEye launched on Steam today and it's currently received "mixed" user reviews, with many voicing their dissatisfaction. We're still waiting on a proper review from us here at PC Gamer, but as it stands, I'd steer clear of this one for now.
If you're hankerin' for something thought-provokin', might I recommendcheckin' out "The Mind's I" — an anthology book from 1981 that's fascinating stuff. Or, if you wanna watch a clueless guy suffer through war flashbacks, check out the brutally underrated "Jacob's Ladder" with Tim Robbins.
Thanks for joinin' me on this disappointin' ride, gang. Catch ya next time!
- Your Favorite, Slightly Salty, and Completely Honest Gaming Guru
In this week's gaming adventures, MindsEye, the new shooter game, has been less than exhilarating, with its storyline reminiscent of Call of Duty campaigns from the 2010s. Despite the buzz in the gaming community, the game has left me yearning for more thought-provoking narratives, similar to the anthology book "The Mind's I" or the film "Jacob's Ladder". As for betting on MindsEye, I'd suggest holding off for now, as it seems to have been overhyped and may require some gameplay improvements. In the realm of entertainment, MindsEye might be best enjoyed as a case study on the pitfalls of hype rather than a game to win big on.
