Former Rockstar producer Leslie Benzies unveiled a new teaser on March 24 for his studio’s upcoming game, a game-within-a-game sci-fi experience called MindsEye.
Benzies has hinted at the game’s development for some time, referencing the existence of its sci-fi universe in 2017. The former Grand Theft Author producer referred to the project as Everywhere, only sharing further details regarding the game’s story in 2022.
The game series will be set in a “multi-world game experience that blurs the line between reality and the digital world,” with Benzies and his studio Build a Rocket Boy calling it an adult take on Roblox and the metaverse.
The new MindsEye teaser provides further details regarding the game’s story and setting. MindsEye will be the first entry set in the Everywhere universe, with the Build a Rocket Boy team calling it “a high-octane, AAA, story-driven action-adventure game, set in a world of futuristic corporations, conspiracy theories, and sinister new technologies.”
Notably, Everywhere serves a separate function from the Mindeye game, though MindsEye is set in its world. According to Benzies, Everywhere serves as a central hub and platform for MindsEye and other future games, similar to Roblox.
The Everywhere world is a three-dimensional space with numerous settings and biomes, allowing users to experiment and create smaller games or hold digital events like concerts or premieres.
Build a Rocket Boy will give players tools to share these experiences through their platforms, while popular experiences may gain more traction on Everywhere’s main hub. The platform will also feature many different hubs and biomes, including the Utropia social hub, a Combat District and a Racing District.
Though the platform’s concept is reminiscent of metaverse-style platforms, Build a Rocket Boy has said that it will not feature NFT or Web3 components in its current stage of development.
“We believe the world of games is changing. I always find the word ‘game’ underwhelming for what’s actually happening in the industry. We’re trying to make a place where people can come to play, where they can build, and where they can share their experiences,” Benzies said.
“We’re trying to make more than a video game here.”
MindsEye serves as a stepping stone into this new world, taking the form of a traditional triple-A production game. While it’s unlikely that the average Everywhere user will be able to emulate MindsEye’s quality and fidelity, it pushes the boundaries on what the new platform is capable of.
MindsEye speculation
The teaser trailer for MindsEye hardly reveals much about the game, though it has some trappings Grand Theft Auto players will be familiar with.
The teaser starts with a protagonist describing the dangers of a neural-link-like technology, depicting a character changing the movements of an android through a mental connection. It then features a montage of scenes from the game, showing new robotic entities as well as a shoot-em-up section on a moving vehicle.
Build a Rocket Boy has yet to elaborate on other important details, like the game’s rating, but the developer has said that MindsEye will be released in an episodic format. The developer also said that each chapter would be a standalone story from different perspectives, though all episodes will connect to an overarching plot in the game’s universe.
Everywhere users will also gain access to all MindsEye content. Build a Rocket Boy assistant game director Adam Whiting said that the company hoped to open up tools and assets from MindsEye for players to use, allowing developers on Everywhere to craft their own high-fidelity game experiences.
While the developers expect the Everywhere platform to release this year, MindsEye’s current release date is still tentative. The game will be released exclusively on Everywhere, though Build a Rocket Boy affirms MindsEye’s strength as a standalone intellectual property.
