MindsEye Launch Marred by Performance Issues and Withheld Review Codes
The highly anticipated game MindsEye has launched to a rocky start, with players reporting a plethora of performance issues and poor enemy AI. According to a report from Polygon, the game’s developer, Build a Rocket Boy, has withheld review codes from major outlets, including Polygon, Eurogamer, and others.
In a statement to Polygon, a representative for Build a Rocket Boy and publisher IOI Partners confirmed that review codes would not be provided. At the time of writing, there are not enough critic reviews for MindsEye to have a metascore on Metacritic. Polygon has reached out to Build a Rocket Boy for comment regarding the launch of MindsEye and its decision to withhold review keys, but has yet to receive a response.
Players who purchased MindsEye on launch day via Steam have taken to the platform to share their experiences, with many reporting performance issues, poor enemy AI, and a general sense of discontent. With over 1,200 user reviews on Steam at the time of writing, MindsEye is sitting with a "mixed" reception. Some reviewers have commented that they have refunded the game, citing the numerous performance issues, while others have noted that they now understand why Build a Rocket Boy didn’t want reviews live before MindsEye launched.
One Steam review has sparked a rumor that the opening of MindsEye is overstuffed with cutscenes in an attempt to push players past the two-hour playtime mark, and out of the window for refunds. However, after reviewing various playthrough uploads on YouTube, it appears that the game’s pacing issues are more a case of poor studio execution rather than a nefarious scheme.
The launch of MindsEye has drawn comparisons to the release of Cyberpunk 2077 in 2020, which was marred by bugs and performance issues. Polygon notes that Cyberpunk 2077 eventually got delisted from the PlayStation Store, and players received refunds. While it’s unclear if MindsEye will suffer the same fate, at least one player has shared on Reddit that they were able to initiate a refund from Sony due to the game’s performance issues.
As the game’s launch continues to unravel, it’s clear that Build a Rocket Boy has a long road ahead of itself to get MindsEye back on track. With no track record of success to point to, the studio will need to work quickly to address the game’s performance issues and win back the trust of players. As Polygon notes, "there might be a good game underneath it yet, but Build a Rocket Boy has a lot of work ahead of itself to get MindsEye to that point."
The situation is made more precarious by the fact that MindsEye is a debut title from Build a Rocket Boy, meaning that the studio has no established goodwill with players. As Polygon observes, this is in stark contrast to CD Projekt Red, which had a established track record with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt before releasing Cyberpunk 2077. With MindsEye‘s launch trajectory showing no signs of improvement, it’s clear that Build a Rocket Boy will need to act quickly to salvage the game’s reputation.
Source: Polygon
