Key Takeaways
- MindsEye Update 5 adds long-requested features like dodge rolling and shoulder swapping, but still lacks melee combat.
- The update removes free-roam mode, one of the game’s least popular features, signaling a potential design reboot.
- Developer Build a Rocket Boy rebrands its creative hub as Arcadia, hinting at a shift back toward user-generated content.
A Game That Never Needed to Be Open-World
Not every game wants to be Grand Theft Auto—and MindsEye might finally be realizing that. The troubled open-world shooter from Build a Rocket Boy, the studio led by former GTA producer Leslie Benzies, launched earlier this year to a mix of curiosity and disappointment.
Once touted as a bold experiment blending narrative-driven action and open-world exploration, MindsEye struggled to justify its scale. Its sprawling city felt oddly hollow, its missions repetitive, and its central “Free Roam” mode—a key selling point—quickly became a punchline.
Now, with Update 5, Build a Rocket Boy is pivoting hard. The patch adds some long-requested gameplay tweaks but also quietly removes Free Roam entirely. It’s a move that says as much about MindsEye’s future as it does about its past mistakes.
Free Roam Takes a Break — for Good Reason
In an unusual turn, Update 5 removes a major feature: Free Roam mode. The patch notes vaguely promise that “Free Roam is taking a short break but will return soon,” though few fans seem to miss it.
Free Roam’s bizarre design choices made it feel more like a placeholder than a playground. Players were stuck as a character nicknamed “Can’t Drink Dust Guy,” a shirtless old man in a gas mask, able to drive only a single car and shoot nameless enemies for minimal reward. The mode offered none of the freedom or personality that defines the open-world genre—it was an open city that begged to be closed.
Its removal might be the first step toward MindsEye acknowledging what many already knew: it’s a game better suited to tighter, mission-based design than endless, empty space.
New Features Aim for a Second Chance
Alongside that bold subtraction, Update 5 adds a few long-overdue quality-of-life improvements. Players can now dodge roll and swap shoulder views—two small but significant features that improve combat fluidity.
While a melee system remains on the community’s wishlist, the studio has also added new content, including:
- A wave-based shooter mode with chaotic Halloween flair.
- Drone racing events for a break from gunfights.
- VIP protection missions, also Halloween-themed and entirely singleplayer.
Though clearly inspired by the Fortnite Creative format, these additions show Build a Rocket Boy leaning into what it can control: fast, structured, and self-contained fun.
Enter Arcadia: A Rebrand with Big Ambitions
Perhaps the most confusing (and ambitious) part of the update is the rebranding of Play.MindsEye to Arcadia, and Build.MindsEye to Build.Arcadia. According to the developers, Arcadia is a “powerful, no-code creation tool” that will allow players and the studio alike to create new content.
In essence, it’s the return of Everywhere, the grand sandbox concept Build a Rocket Boy originally promised before MindsEye became its focus. Whether this pivot will resurrect that dream—or just fragment the game further—remains to be seen.
For now, Arcadia seems like an attempt to recapture some of that build-your-own-world magic that the studio initially sold to investors and fans alike.
A Second Life or a Slow Fade?
MindsEye’s story is one of ambition colliding with identity. The game never quite knew what it wanted to be—cinematic shooter, open-world epic, or player-driven sandbox. Update 5 doesn’t fix everything, but it suggests Build a Rocket Boy is finally listening to feedback and trimming the fat.
Whether that’s enough to restore player trust is another question entirely. With GTA 6 looming on the horizon, MindsEye faces a crowded market and skeptical audience.
Still, if Arcadia can deliver the user-generated creativity that Everywhere once promised, MindsEye might yet evolve from an identity crisis into a comeback story.
Bottom Line:
Update 5 might not save MindsEye, but it could redefine it. By shedding failed open-world ambitions and refocusing on creativity and combat, Build a Rocket Boy might finally turn its misfired blockbuster into something worth revisiting.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is for general purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. The author’s views are personal and may not reflect the views of GameDegen.com. Before making any investment decisions, you should always conduct your own research. GameDegen.com is not responsible for any financial losses.
