The world of Build A Rocket Boy’s action-adventure gameMindsEyeis one in which technology rules every aspect of life. Robots perform many day-to-day tasks, drones are an omnipresent sight in the sky above Redrock City, and humans can receive advanced neural implants such as the titular MindsEye. While makingMindsEye,the team envisioned a future that has become closer and closer to reality as the game developed.MindsEye’sexploration of the relationship between mankind and technology is a balanced one, acknowledging both the potential benefits and drawbacks of ever-advancing innovation.
“We are interested in and intrigued by all forms of technology, and AI is obviously at the forefront of our minds,“MindsEyedirector Leslie Benziestold Game Rant. He explained that the team had come up with many of its ideas years ago before the advent of AI, such as the companion drone that accompanies protagonist Jacob Diaz on his journey, and has been both surprised and excited to see some of their ideas become reality.
Technology Affects All Elements of Life in Redrock City
Benzies explained MindsEye’s relationship with the ongoing advent of AI as a boon for the game. As he said,
“We conceived ideas years ago, which at the time felt very future-forward, so it’s been interesting to watch in real time how those technological advancements are becoming an integral part of our culture, which just makes our story feel all the more relevant.”
Benzies and the Build a Rocket Boy team developedMindsEyeand its setting, Redrock City, as “a vision of the future with an original blend of futurism and sci-fi inspired by how heavily we are all influenced by the omnipresence of technology.” Drones, artificial intelligence,high-tech vehiclesand weapons, and so forth are simply a part of daily life for Redrock’s denizens. Diaz’s neural implant, for example, and its companion drone “makes gameplay feel more dynamic and layered without tipping the balance too far in the player’s favor.”
While there are many ways technology benefits the lives of Redrock’s inhabitants, it also brings conflict. Redrock is the site of a power struggle between tech genius Marco Silva and power-hungry Mayor Shiva Vega. “The volatile relationship between Silva and Vega - Big Tech and Government,” Benzies explains, “is poised to impact the future of Redrock and its inhabitants.” To no surprise,amnesiac protagonist Diazfinds himself thrust into the center of this ongoing battle.
MindsEye Takes a More Optimistic Look at a Technological Future
While Benzies acknowledges that technology is not without its dangers, such as enabling Silva’s economic dominance or Vega’s grab for power, he feels thatMindsEyeultimately takes a more optimistic look at a technology-focused future compared to moretraditional dystopian fiction. “There are opportunities to have some fun with this,” Benzies said. “I believe we’ve successfully balanced a serious narrative and deep characters with an enjoyable exploration of what a possible future may resemble.”
Of course, Benzies also acknowledges thatartificial intelligence, which plays a major role inMindsEye,is currently a topic of frequent discussion as its influence in the modern world and the video game industry grows. It wasn’t when the team started the game, but ultimately, Benzies is cautiously optimistic about the future of AI, saying:
“Human beings have always invented tools that have assisted them in creating greatness. Every time there is a massive shift in technology, there is a fear that humans will be replaced. It happened with the calculator and the computer, and now it’s happening with AI…There will never be a replacement for human ingenuity and creativity.”
MindsEyeis far from the first game to provide a nuanced exploration of the complex relationship between humanity and technology; othergames fromDetroit: Become HumantoCyberpunk 2077have tackled the subject from many points of view. ButMindsEyeputs a unique spin on the consistently relevant topic with its ultimately optimistic look at the potential positives of technology and its willingness to have fun with the subject rather than telling a straightforward dystopian story.
