Mindseye Review Bombed: What Went Wrong With Leslie Benzies' Big Gamble?
Game Reviews

Mindseye Review Bombed: What Went Wrong With Leslie Benzies’ Big Gamble?

Keyword Focus: Mindseye review, Mindseye bugs, Mindseye Steam ratings, Leslie Benzies game

When ex-Rockstar Games legend Leslie Benzies teased Mindseye, expectations skyrocketed. This is the guy who helped shape GTA V—one of the best-selling games ever. But as of June 2025, Mindseye is being branded one of the worst AAA launches in recent memory.

Let’s break down where things fell apart, what it means for players, and whether the game can be salvaged.


Quick Stats

  • Title: Mindseye
  • Developer: Build A Rocket Boy
  • Director: Leslie Benzies
  • Release Date: June 10, 2025
  • Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
  • Genres: Open-world, action-adventure, sci-fi

The Review Bomb Heard ‘Round the World

Here’s how Mindseye is faring with critics and players:

  • Metacritic Scores:
    • Critics: 37–43/100
    • Users: 2.5–2.6/10
  • Steam Rating:
    • Mostly Negative (~38% positive from 1,500+ reviews)

Reddit threads and YouTube reactions are overflowing with disbelief and disappointment. One commenter compared it to “Cyberpunk 2077 and Redfall’s lovechild—except somehow uglier.”


Bugs, Glitches, and Performance Meltdown

Even if you want to enjoy the world or story, the game actively works against you:

  • Frequent crashes on both PC and console
  • Sub-30 FPS even on high-end setups
  • NPCs teleporting, vehicles glitching, and mission-breaking bugs

Popular streamer Sodapoppin attempted to play it live and was visibly struggling to stay engaged, eventually bailing mid-stream.


A PR Disaster in Motion

The chaos didn’t stop at gameplay—it bled into the launch campaign.

  • Streamer CohhCarnage had his sponsored event pulled last-minute
  • Build A Rocket Boy CEO Mark Gerhard alleged that bad reviews were part of a “paid smear campaign”
  • IO Interactive’s CEO dismissed those claims as unprofessional and misleading

This only added to the growing distrust among fans and media alike.


Developer Response: Too Little, Too Late?

The studio has begun damage control with an initial performance hotfix that includes:

  • Memory leak fixes
  • CPU and GPU optimization
  • Crash solutions across platforms

While more patches are promised, damage has already been done. Sony has even begun issuing refunds to PS5 users.


Why This Failure Hurts More Than Usual

This isn’t just a misstep—it’s a reputation hit. Leslie Benzies is a giant in the industry. When his first post-Rockstar title flops this hard, it’s a wake-up call: past glory doesn’t guarantee future success.

For comparison, Cyberpunk 2077 launched rough, but CD Projekt Red had community trust and a strong roadmap. Mindseye lacks both at the moment.


Can Mindseye Be Saved?

It’s possible—but it’ll take serious work.

Other games have pulled off comeback stories:

  • No Man’s Sky became a redemption legend after massive updates
  • Final Fantasy XIV was rebuilt into one of the most successful MMOs after its own disastrous launch

What Build A Rocket Boy needs to do:

  • Publish a clear, detailed development roadmap
  • Engage the community with transparency
  • Fix the core gameplay and technical issues
  • Consider a soft relaunch once major issues are resolved

Final Verdict

Mindseye was marketed as a bold new entry into the open-world genre. What we got feels unfinished, unstable, and unworthy of its AAA label.

Should you buy it now?
No—unless you’re in it for the spectacle or future curiosity.

But if the team puts in the work, there’s still a shot at redemption. Whether that happens or not depends on how fast—and how honestly—they respond.

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