MindsEyeis the debut release from Build a Rocket Boy, a new studio founded by former Rockstar North president Leslie Benzies. As one might expect, a lot of the hype surroundingMindsEyerelates to this prestigious leadership, with many hoping that the game will feature the same level of quality as other Benzies-produced games, likeGTA 5andRed Dead Redemption.
Naturally, audiences will have to wait and see how much Rockstar DNA has seeped intoMindsEye, but it does seem to have at least a bit in common withGTA. Certainly, its cyberpunk premise is radically different from that of the grounded but satiricalGrand Theft Auto, and the game’s futuristic, speculative fiction aspects will influence gameplay as well. Then there’sMindsEye’s integration intoEverywhere, an ambitious metaverse project that Build a Rocket Boy is conceptualizing, which has the potential to totally transformMindsEyeand its relationship with audiences. And yet, the game’s emphasis on driving, shooting, and open-world exploration, not to mention its ostensible cultural critiques, may put it in conversation withGrand Theft Auto, which should have broader industry ramifications.
If MindsEye Turns Out Well, It Could Mean the Return of GTA-Likes
There Used To Be More GTA-Influenced Video Games
The sixth and seventh console generations sawthe rise of theGTAseriesthrough heavy hitters likeSan Andreas,GTA 4, and ultimately,GTA 5. Perhaps it was this burgeoning, ever-shifting identity, combined with general critical acclaim, that spawned so many clear imitators, with some of the most prominent including:
While some games released in recent years draw inspiration fromGTA, most of them can’t be called “GTA-likes” in the same way as the above titles. For example,Cyberpunk 2077takes clear cues fromGTA 5’s world designand driving mechanics, but it ultimately has a lot more in common with other western RPGs than it does with Rockstar’s open-world crime franchise. It would appear that AAA developers have largely receded from the trend of imitating Rockstar, surrendering the open-world crime contest toGTA, despite its lackadaisical release schedule.
What MindsEye’s Success Could Mean for Future GTA-Likes
As previously mentioned,MindsEyewill most likely be both remarkably similar and meaningfully different fromGTA. This is a description that can be applied to the bestGTA-influenced games, as they too strike the right balance between being influenced by Rockstar’s flagship series while still doing their own thing. Take, for instance,Sleeping Dogs, a game many consider to bethe bestGTAalternative:Sleeping DogsretainsGTA’s mature tone, urban open-world design, and driving systems, but mixes in a more sober narrative, deeper combat mechanics, and a more realistic setting. The result is a game that is unapologeticallyGTA-inspired, but isn’t afraid to experiment in other ways.
Assuming thatMindsEyeachieves success and visibility as aGTA-esque game, there might be a resurgence in games that borrow from theGTAformula. After all, there are countless modern games that attempt to emulate seminalfranchises likePokemon,Dark Souls, andMinecraft, so there shouldn’t be such hesitation to iterate upon the template of gaming’s most popular single-player series. Of course, most developers won’t want to directly compete withGTA 6, but in a few years, there could be a real incentive for offering alternatives to theGTAexperience. Such alternatives could benefit from playing with Rockstar’s staple ideas in an interesting way, just likeMindsEyeseems to be doing.
