GTA Dev’s New Game Makes You Drift Like It’s a Movie Scene

MindsEye Isn’t Just Another GTA Clone—It’s a Full-Blown Car Movie You Can Play

If you've ever wanted to know what it feels like to drift a car through a neon-lit city at midnight while the camera spins out like you're in Fast Five, buckle up—MindsEye is coming. The new open-world title from Leslie Benzies, former creative lead on GTA V, is gunning for something louder, faster, and way more cinematic.

Now heading his new studio, Build A Rocket Boy, Benzies has given his team a very clear mission: every high-speed moment in MindsEye should feel like it belongs in a summer action blockbuster. And from what we’ve seen and heard, they’re leaning hard into that vision.

"The camera detaches as you take corners at high speeds to make you feel like you’re on the edge of control, almost like you’re in a Fast & Furious film." — Adam Whiting, Assistant Game Director

This isn’t just a visual gimmick. The team is actually building MindsEye’s driving model in Unreal Engine 5.4, and they’ve been putting in serious work on the tech side—refining tire grip, suspension behavior, and weight distribution—so that every camera shift feels like a natural extension of your car’s physical state.

Image: Gran Turismo 7

Car Action in Video Games: What’s the Big Deal?

Let’s be real: car chases are hard to get right in video games. Most games either lean too far into realism (hello, Gran Turismo) or swing wildly into arcade land (hi, Burnout). GTA V struck a rare balance between those two, offering physics-heavy driving that was still fun, flexible, and stylish.

With MindsEye, Benzies is trying to evolve that legacy by blending deep control with movie-level thrills. Imagine a camera that swings wide during a drift, then snaps tight behind you during acceleration, like you’re being filmed by a drone in a Michael Bay sequence.

This technique isn’t new to movies. Films like The Fast & the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Baby Driver, and Ronin have long used dynamic camera rigs to exaggerate momentum, blur speed, and give the viewer a literal spin during a stunt. MindsEye is attempting to translate that same effect to interactive form, and the early word is that it works shockingly well.

"You've got a lot of precise control... but a lot of people get on with the driving straight away."

That quote from Whiting captures something important. This game isn’t just for sim racers. New players can still jump in and start drifting corners within minutes, but the system also scales with skill, allowing experienced drivers to push their car's limits with subtle throttle control and perfect Scandinavian flicks.

Image: MindsEye. Screenshot from trailer

MindsEye’s Garage: Not Just Cosmetic, Actually Functional

If you thought this was going to be one of those games where you drive the same car for 30 hours, nope. Each mission drops you into something new. Maybe you’re in a factory-tuned rally buggy blasting over loose gravel, or maybe it’s a low-slung street racer built for hairpins.

"Switching rides forces you to rethink speed, braking points, and power oversteer angles."

Basically, the game treats cars like characters. Each one behaves differently, and each one pushes you to adjust your driving style. In a world where many open-world games just reskin vehicles and call it a day, this kind of mechanical variety is a big deal.

Image: Sleeping Dogs

GTA-Style Games Worth Playing While You Wait

Until MindsEye drops (no official release date yet, sorry), here’s a solid list of the best GTA-like games to hold you over. Whether it’s sandbox chaos, narrative missions, or stylish crime drama, these all scratch that same itch in Gta-like game table:

If MindsEye ends up in this list a year from now, it’ll have earned its place among legends.

The Future of Car Cinematics in Games

What MindsEye is doing—integrating movie-style camera direction into moment-to-moment gameplay—could be a big deal. This is something we’ve seen teased in games like Need for Speed: Unbound or even Forza Horizon, but MindsEye seems to be committing to the bit all the way.

It’s the kind of design choice that, when done right, turns regular gameplay into highlight-reel material. You’re not just playing a car chase—you’re watching yourself be awesome from a dozen dramatic angles in real time. It’s part game, part stunt show.

If Benzy's pulls it off, MindsEye won’t just be another GTA-lite with shiny graphics. It’ll be the first open-world game that truly makes driving feel like directing a movie scene.

What is MindsEye's Role in Gaming?

So far, MindsEye is checking a lot of boxes. Stylish car physics? Check. Cinematic camera work? Check. Legit variety in vehicles and mission types? Big check. Plus, it has the creative DNA of someone who defined open-world games for a generation.

The driving alone looks like enough to justify a pre-order if you're into high-speed chaos. Add a dynamic open world and some spicy story beats, and this might be the surprise hit of 2025.

The Fast & Furious games have all been… well, not great. But MindsEye might finally be the title that captures that vibe the right way—not through branding, but through gameplay that looks and feels like you’re living the fantasy.

Now let’s just hope they throw in a “family” joke or two. You know they want to.