After nearly a decade out of the spotlight, Leslie Benzies, one of the key figures behind the Grand Theft Auto series, has returned to the industry with MindsEye, a new action-adventure title under his studio Build a Rocket Boy. But despite the hype and anticipation, the game’s PC release has stumbled out of the gate—earning a “Mostly Negative” user rating on Steam just days after its launch.
🚀 A Grand Return Turned Rocky
Released on June 10, 2025, across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, MindsEye wears its GTA influences proudly. From third-person shooting and open-world exploration to structured missions and cinematic storytelling, it’s clear that Benzies brought his Rockstar pedigree to the new IP.
But the Steam community is far from impressed.
As of writing, the game has received over 1,100 reviews, with many criticizing its technical flaws, buggy gameplay, and lack of polish. Several users even claimed the title felt “rushed,” despite the long wait since Benzies’ split from Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive back in 2016.
⚠️ Common Complaints
Players have flagged a range of issues in their feedback:
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Poor optimization, even on high-end rigs
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Numerous bugs and glitches affecting core mechanics
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Clunky combat and inconsistent AI behavior
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Performance problems that hinder immersion
While some reviews acknowledged the game’s promising narrative and cinematic ambitions, many felt that the technical problems overshadowed those strengths.
“This could’ve been something special, but it feels unfinished. Constant crashes, weird physics, and slow frame rates even on my RTX 4080,” wrote one Steam reviewer.
🎮 Console Versions Fare Slightly Better
Interestingly, MindsEye is receiving moderately better user ratings on consoles:
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On the PlayStation Store (US), it currently holds a 3.26 out of 5, based on 894 user reviews.
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On the Xbox Store, it’s slightly higher, averaging just under 4 stars from 127 user ratings.
While these aren’t glowing scores by any means, they suggest that the console ports may have avoided some of the PC version’s worst issues—or that console players are more forgiving at launch.
🔧 Developer Response and What’s Next
Build a Rocket Boy has yet to issue a formal response regarding the feedback on Steam, though players are hoping for swift patches to address the game’s most pressing problems. Whether MindsEye can recover, No Man’s Sky-style, remains to be seen—but Benzies now faces a crucial opportunity to prove his studio’s long-term vision and capability.
For now, MindsEye serves as a cautionary tale: legacy and hype alone aren’t enough in today’s unforgiving gaming market.