Dystopian action thriller from GTA veteran has a "fake open world," and its devs want playing it to feel like "bingeing your favorite Netflix show"

Action-adventure thriller MindsEye is the next game from GTA veteran Leslie Benzies, and its devs want playing it to feel like "bingeing your favorite Netflix show."

Developed by Build a Rocket Boy, MindsEye puts you into the shoes of former soldier Jacob Diaz, who's been fitted with a neural implant called – you guessed it – the MindsEye. Being set in a dystopian near-future fictional setting of Americana (specifically, the city of Redrock), described as "a world where AI, high-tech experimentation, and unchecked military power shape every encounter," the plot sounds super intriguing. What's more, looking at the gameplay shown off so far (which includes car chases and shootouts), it's not hard to see its game director's past works have had some significant influence, with Benzies serving as the producer of multiple GTA games including 3, 4, Vice City, and 5.

Unlike the likes of GTA 5, however, MindsEye isn't an open-world adventure. Speaking to Edge in issue 409, assistant game director Adam Whiting confirms it's a "linear action game" that's "kind of like a fake open world, or faux-pen world, you could even say."

That's not to say it won't be interesting to explore, however. The center of the map is the "main playable area," which includes Redrock itself – a city that's been packed with "ambient characters" going about their lives. Art director Sebastian Livall confirms you'll see some people at work, too – whether that's a barista at a coffee shop, or someone working for one of the different delivery firms. "We've really tried to build on the depth of the world, and branding and corporations are a key way that we've done it," Livall says.

It sounds like the story is going to be a major driving force in MindsEye, as Livall continues: "You're being compelled to go from mission to mission to mission. Really we want the feeling to be like reading chapters of a book, or I suppose the best contemporary example is bingeing your favorite Netflix show, going from episode to episode."

There hopefully shouldn't be too much longer to wait for it, anyway, as MindsEye is set to launch on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC at some point this summer, although it doesn't have an exact release date yet.

In the meantime, be sure to check out our roundup of the best action games you can play right now.