You know it’s a red flag when a new video game is expected to launch in just a month’s time and you have barely seen any raw gameplay for it. That’s the case with this new GTA-like, MindsEye. Created by ex-GTA producer Leslie Benzies at Build a Rocket Boy Studio, the game has been shrouded in the weirdest marketing campaign, or lack thereof, I have seen in ages.
MindsEye is expected to launch on 10 June and players who are interested in the game are still relying on leaks from streamers in order to see any actual gameplay from the shooter. I don’t know if the studio thinks that is now the “cool” way to market a game in 2025, but given the state of the industry and its rising cost of video game prices, gamers are not as dumb as they think (I hope).
Hyping up a game with zero gameplay a month before its launch and relying on social media posts to pretend to leak gameplay clips does more damage to your game than you think. So far, MindsEye has had a pre-order trailer, which of course pushes the game’s Deluxe Edition upgrade and Premium Pass that is included in the pre-order campaign.
The pass promises ‘extra missions and challenges’ which are expected to roll out in 2025 and 2026. We don’t know what these missions and challenges are because we haven’t seen any gameplay. That said, the pre-order trailer is a scripted story trailer that is full of well-edited cutscenes likely stitched together to try sell you on this GTA-meets-Fast-and-Furious game.
There was a gameplay trailer back in February this year with a few seconds of driving and shooting. Don’t forget a bunch of running in-between a guy blowing up a lot of stuff. Yeah, explosions don’t sell a game to me, unless it’s Just Cause, of course.
But the whole handling of MindsEye is really suspect. It reeks of controlled influencer marketing and fake hype videos which only the gullible fall for. There’s no substance behind any of the trailers and little gameplay we’ve seen so far.
Even the game’s official website is just one single web page with the “censored version” of the story trailer and pre-order links. You won’t find screenshots, the story notes, or even the other trailers.
I won’t be surprised if my Instagram and X feed start to drown with these so-called “leaked clips” where streamers and influencers throw around “GTA has been delayed, so play MindsEye now” nonsense. I hope gamers don’t fall for it.
With just a month left before this game’s release, I am not sure if the devs and publishers have plans to share anything of substance about this game, but until you see real reviews and actual gamers sharing their thoughts on it, maybe hold off.
I can’t say I will be reviewing MindsEye given my lack of relationship with the local distributor but I will definitely be keeping an eye on the overall reception.
