MindsEye’s Glitchy Debut Leaves Players Disappointed and the Studio Scrambling

MindsEye was supposed to be a big deal. It’s the first game from Build a Rocket Boy, the new studio founded by Leslie Benzies, the former Grand Theft Auto producer who helped shape Rockstar Games into a household name. With that kind of pedigree, expectations were sky-high. MindsEye promised an ambitious mix of narrative-driven action, high-tech themes, and open-world exploration—all running on the latest version of Unreal Engine 5.6.

But after launch day, the narrative shifted fast. No review codes were sent out to major outlets before release, and it didn’t take long for players to find out why. The game landed on PC and console with a thud, packed with bugs, broken AI, and rough performance even on high-end rigs. As of now, MindsEye has around 43% positive reviews on Steam, and Reddit has become a hotbed of frustrated feedback.

“Cutscenes and story is fine, city is alright. Gameplay has no spark to it and the performance on consoles is pure chaos. Also the NPCs movements sometimes are just full on glitchfest.”

The above comment from a user on Reddit was echoed by dozens of others, many of whom ran into frame rate drops, disappearing textures, or bizarre NPC behavior. Even players on the PlayStation 5 Pro are reporting frame rates dipping as low as 25fps—far below what’s expected for a next-gen title in 2025.

The developers have responded, albeit under pressure. A statement posted to the game’s official Reddit page tried to reassure early adopters that fixes are on the way:

“We understand that the current minimum spec requirements are very high, but our engineering team are working around the clock to improve performance on mainstream hardware as well as consoles by integrating the performance improvements in Unreal Engine V5.6. We will provide patch 3 update timing, including these improvements, within the next 24 hours.”

It’s a promising gesture, but one that doesn’t erase the frustration of a broken launch. According to players, many of the issues are basic stability problems. Collision detection fails. Enemies freeze or float. Driving feels rubbery and unpolished. Worst of all, it just doesn’t feel fun to play, which is a far bigger issue than just a few visual bugs.

So what was MindsEye supposed to be? It’s set in a near-future urban sprawl called New Arden, where megacorporations control society through surveillance tech and consumer manipulation. The player takes the role of a former private security operative pulled back into the chaos of digital espionage, corporate warfare, and underground resistance movements. Thematically, it’s a mix of Watch Dogs, Cyberpunk 2077, and even The Matrix, blending stealth, hacking, and gunplay into a cinematic single-player experience.

Development of MindsEye began several years ago, shortly after Benzies parted ways with Rockstar following a very public legal dispute. Build a Rocket Boy was founded in Edinburgh with satellite offices around Europe, and the studio boasted a massive headcount for a new IP. With Unreal Engine 5 and a reported budget in the high tens of millions, MindsEye had every technical and financial advantage available—on paper.

But insiders and previews hinted at trouble early. A limited hands-on demo shared with YouTubers last month received lukewarm reactions, citing awkward controls and an unfocused gameplay loop. In a surprising twist, Build a Rocket Boy’s co-CEO Mark Gerhard responded to early criticisms in the official Discord by claiming the negativity was orchestrated.

“Doesn’t take much to guess who.”

That comment raised eyebrows fast. When challenged on the idea that a rival studio might be paying influencers to tank MindsEye, Gerhard doubled down, saying:

“Not wild when it’s true.”

He later tried to walk back the accusation, claiming his comments were misunderstood and only meant to target bot farms and fake dislikes, not actual critics. But the damage was already done, and the lack of press reviews—combined with the now-infamous “bot farm” defense, has only made the situation worse.

Game That Feels Half-Finished

Beyond the technical mess, MindsEye just doesn’t seem to land the way it should. Despite a slick setting and cinematic presentation, players are calling out the core mechanics for feeling dated or underdeveloped. Gunfights are clunky, AI enemies act erratically, and driving through the city doesn’t match the fluid experience of Benzies’ previous work on GTA.

There’s no multiplayer yet, and while MindsEye is supposed to connect with Everywhere—Build a Rocket Boy’s larger metaverse project—those systems are nowhere to be seen at launch. What players got was a single-player campaign that runs poorly, feels shallow, and doesn’t live up to the pedigree of its team.

The idea of “early access in disguise” has been thrown around a lot on social media, with some speculating that the game was pushed out to hit a financial milestone before it was truly ready. That’s speculation, but it fits the timeline and the silence from critics.

Now, with patch 3 expected soon and more fixes in development, MindsEye has a shot at redemption. But it’s going to take more than a few bug fixes to win back players who were hoping for the next big thing in story-driven action games.

For now, MindsEye is another example of an ambitious vision brought low by rushed execution—and one more reminder that a famous name on the box doesn’t guarantee a smooth launch.