Within a week, the developer addressed all of these, releasing an overview trailer showcasing the mechanics and gameplay of MindsEye. All that running, gunning, and driving we’ve seen thus far? It’s still there, though you can toss in robots, space puzzles, a drone that follows you around (and can be upgraded), and…a post-launch roadmap? Yes, Build A Rocket Boy outlined everything at launch and what’s to come, including new single-player modes, free-roam “updates” and the Starstream universe.

It’s a lot to take in, and that’s before considering how Arcadia, the core creation tool used for Everywhere, is confirmed to be implemented into MindsEye. Or how co-CEO Mark Gerhard believes that all the negativity against the game is “100 percent” financed by someone else (and that it “doesn’t take much to guess who”). Now, there’s a massive interview with Leslie Benzies, game director and studio founder, by GamesIndustry, and it offers some…interesting revelations.

To start with, MindsEye is only the beginning, only “one story in an epic universe.” Benzies described it as “bang in the middle” of this narrative, and the others occur in different periods (with the implication that one occurs 10,000 years in the past) and locations in the universe. The plan is to “fill out the universe over time – so when you travel around, all the stories will be connected by one overarching theme, and each story will have different mechanics.”

So far, so ambitious. Maybe a little too ambitious, but it does give further context on what the Starstream universe could potentially be. He reaffirmed that the studio would continue supporting MindsEye with new content with stuff like races made “just for fun.” However, most of the content will be implemented into the story and then comes the kicker. Benzies said, “Once you’ve played the big overarching ten-year plan, you’ll have a very good idea of what this universe looks like.”

I’m not usually someone who blanches at terms from game developers and publishers, like quadruple-A, hero shooter, live service or metaverse. But “ten-year plan” does something. Let’s continue.

After MindsEye launches, Build A Rocket Boy will implement multiplayer, which is reasonable enough, but also plans to create a “full open world.” It’s still giving tools to players to create what they want, and the developer will look at how to “incorporate that into our plans.” “Hopefully some will create compelling content we can then promote and make that part of our plans to push to other players,” said Benzies, though whether there would be any kind of monetary compensation. Love of the game probably only goes so far but I digress.

It’s the developer’s side that concerns me because it wants to release an open-world multiplayer title next year, set one year after the events of MindsEye. It also wants to release an open-world free-roam title that will span “from when MindsEye finishes to the launch of the open-world multiplayer game.” With all the interconnectedness and talk of a larger universe, how much will those future stories cost? The answer is that it depends on the scale. “Some will be free, and some will be paid.” At this point, it seems a given that the multiplayer and free-roam titles will cost money.

Oh, and by the way: MindsEye is considered a “relevant piece of the puzzle that will have players asking questions of what the bigger story is.” To that end, the studio intentionally avoided releasing footage for “huge parts of the game” to avoid spoilers and that the story takes some “unusual twists.”

If all of that isn’t enough, he also confirmed that Everywhere is still very much a thing. That content creation platform announced before MindsEye, and which the latter was seemingly a part of? It’s still there. Why would you think it wasn’t? Benzies said it was going to “show up again pretty soon” and that everything that’s been worked on, “there’s a story behind it – a big overarching story. So Everywhere will come back, and it fits into this story somewhere.” He can’t reveal any more, obviously, because that would be a spoiler but it’s all “part of the same product.” It’s all connected.

I have many questions, but it’s the ten-year plan that gets me. Consider, for a moment, a developer like Bungie and Destiny, which famously famously had a ten-year plan for the franchise, which involved multiple sequels with Activision. It would exit that publishing agreement several years later, release expansions of varying quality, become acquired by Sony, change its content release plans multiple times, and is now seemingly on a knife’s edge with how underwhelming its performance has been (to say nothing of all the problems, rumored and confirmed, with leadership).

Then there’s 343 Industries and Halo Infinite. Remember how former studio head Chris Lee said it’s “about creating Halo Infinite as the start of the next ten years for Halo and then building that as we go with our fans and community.” That was after the horrendous campaign showcase at E3 2020 but before the game’s delay and Lee’s departure from the company.

Granted, Infinite is still getting updates for multiplayer but the campaign was left hanging. 343 eventually announced a rebranding to Halo Studios, multiple new titles in development and a shift to Unreal Engine 5. And for all its quirks, that’s a developer supported by one of the biggest, if not the biggest, gaming publishers in the world.

Then there’s Anthem, BioWare’s attempt at a live-service looter shooter. Former EA vice president Patrick Söderlund (who is now the CEO of Embark Studios of ARC Raiders fame) said that it would be the start of “maybe a 10-year journey” for BioWare. It was released in 2019 and deservedly panned, abandoned its planned roadmap, abandoned seasons in 2020 for a rework which never occurred and then abandoned support altogether in February 2021. The servers are still up for anyone who still cares.

The point of all this is that if these big companies couldn’t adhere to a ten-year project plan, then how is Build A Rocket Boy going to do it? Sure, it has three studios in different locations, but the total number of employees is unknown, and it doesn’t have a major publisher backing it, much less owning it and providing a safety net of sorts. There’s also the fact that Everywhere, despite being in development on Unreal Engine since 2020 (conceptualization began as early as 2016), still doesn’t have a release date.

Maybe I’m overreacting. If it heavily repurposes assets, ropes in community creators, and scales up, it could achieve all this. A lot hinges on the success of MindsEye, and I’m willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. It’s $60, and value is subjective, but I’m not sure the gameplay and story-telling showcased thus far is something that I’ll be enthralled by over a “20ish” hour period. And that’s before considering all the other games out this month.

There’s also the fact that for all intents and purposes, MindsEye is the groundwork for what’s a live-service framework, and the success of new endeavors in that space in the past few years has been – to put it nicely – abysmal. Is MindsEye going to be such an incredible experience that will attract millions upon millions of players who want to see this grand narrative continue? Will they even be willing to engage in this open-world multiplayer sequel launching next year? You know, the same year as Grand Theft Auto 6, which has much more hype and probably a more robust multiplayer experience?

It’s hard to say, but it feels like Build A Rocket Boy wants to create a Fortnite competitor without an existing groundswell of support, financial success or immense resources, and I currently don’t think it can deliver. Maybe it’s just hedging its bets – if MindsEye doesn’t succeed, follow the current roadmap, see how recurring revenue pans out, and if it fails, oh well. We’ll find out after it launches on June 10th on Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, but at this point, I’m just fascinated to see where this journey leads next.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

Benzies also spoke about how Everywhere plays into the greater story of MindsEye somehow. While he hasn’t revealed details about this to avoid giving out spoilers, he does mention that we will get to see Everywhere soon.

“This is all part of a bigger story and ecosystem that we’ve got planned,” said Benzies when asked about what the lack of the mention of Everywhere with upcoming shooter MindsEye means for the project. “Everywhere is going to show up again pretty soon. Everything we’re working on, there’s a story behind it – a big overarching story. So Everywhere will come back, and it fits into this story somewhere. I can’t tell you [where], because it would be a spoiler. But that’s going to reappear soon, and it will all be a part of the same product.”

“In terms of the tools, the tool doesn’t really care what world you’re building in. It sits separately. So any game we create, it will naturally work on top of it. But we’re big fans of keeping everything thematically connected, or connected through a narrative, and you’ll see it.”

Benzies reiterated that playing MindsEye will reveal more details about Everywhere to players, including how the game will even be connected with the project to begin with. “The bigger story will become obvious, once you’ve played through all of MindsEye,” he said. “Then you might start to see how it all connects together, to the Everywhere world.”

Everywhere, originally announced all the way back in 2022, was set to be the flagship project for Build A Rocket Boy, with MindsEye being meant for a release through Everywhere. However, since then, Hitman maker IO Interactive had taken up publishing duties for MindsEye, and mentions of Everywhere, as well as its creation suite Arcadia, essentially disappeared, until earlier this month.

A spokesperson for the studio revealed that MindsEye would indeed include features of the Arcadia creation suite from Everywhere as part of the game. Arcade will be present in the title in the form of Play.MindsEye and Build.MindsEye.

“As with all new products, things evolve,” said the spokesperson. “Arcadia was originally envisioned as our creation platform, but as we continued developing MindsEye and building out [Build A Rocket Boy]’s ecosystem, it naturally grew into something more focused— Play.MindsEye and Build.MindsEye.”

“It’s three seamlessly interconnected experiences – an explosive action-adventure campaign; Play.MindsEye, a continuous stream of premium studio-developed content; and Build.MindsEye to craft your own games.”

MindsEye is slated for release on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, and will be out on June 10. Leading up to the game’s release, Build A Rocket Boy has also confirmed its plans for post-launch support for the title in the form of a roadmap.

“As with all new products, things evolve,” said the spokesperson when asked about the current state of Everywhere and its Arcadia tools. “Arcadia was originally envisioned as our creation platform, but as we continued developing MindsEye and building out [Build A Rocket Boy]’s ecosystem, it naturally grew into something more focused— Play.MindsEye and Build.MindsEye.”

“It’s three seamlessly interconnected experiences – an explosive action-adventure campaign; Play.MindsEye, a continuous stream of premium studio-developed content; and Build.MindsEye to craft your own games.”

The spokesperson also mentioned that while the studio’s work originally started with playtesting features for Everywhere. This involved interacting with “a community of builders in real-time”, while the developers themselves had already started work on the project that would eventually become MindsEye.

“For BARB to fully realize our vision, we had to beta test our creation system with a community of builders in real-time and started with Everywhere while we were in stealth mode developing MindsEye.”

The situation is an interesting reversal of fate, since Build A Rocket Boy had originally announced Everywhere back in 2022 as its flagship product, with MindsEye originally meant to be released exclusively through Everywhere. However, IO Interactive announced back in 2024 that it would be taking over as the publisher for MindsEye, releasing it as a standalone title on PC and consoles.

“We are honoured to be the global publishing partner working with Build A Rocket Boy’s exceptionally talented team and to bring our community an exciting new IP,” said IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak back when the partnership was originally announced. ” IO Interactive and Build A Rocket Boy are like-minded in how we aim to create a bond and a long-term relationship with our communities, which perfectly aligns with our commitment to delivering high-quality, immersive experiences to players worldwide. As our first publishing partnership, this marks a significant milestone for IO Interactive, and we could not be prouder of this collaboration.”

Build A Rocket Boy, meanwhile, has been getting ready to release MindsEye on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on June 10. The game will combine open-world gameplay along with cover-based shooting with a vast arsenal, as well as driving sections involving high-speed car chases.

Leading up to the game’s launch, the studio had released three teaser trailers for MindsEye, which focusing on a different aspect. While the first teaser focused completely on on-foot action in an open environment, the second teaser featured a car chase and conversation between two characters. The third one, released earlier this month, was yet another on-foot combat section, albeit this time around in a more closed-off environment.

The marketing campaign for MindsEye has been a confusing one, complete with trailers getting leaked and strange comments by one of the studio’s heads. Check out our thoughts about what makes the title’s marketing a complete mess.

Developed by Build a Rocket Boy

A household name Build a Rocket Boy is not. However, the studio’s founder – Leslie Benzies – near-enough every gamer on the planet is aware of; the legendary games he produced whilst working at Rockstar very much are household: Red Dead Redemption and the eternal cash cow Grand Theft Auto V both radiate Benzies’ DNA. Following his split from Rockstar, he, and numerous alumni relocated to Edinburgh and formed the new studio under Leslie’s leadership. MindsEye is its first game.  

What is MindsEye?

Given Benzies’ pedigree, it’s perhaps unsurprising the immediate resemblance MindsEye shares with Grand Theft Auto. Sunlit streets of a caricatured American city, gun-toting protagonists who’re ostensibly good between all their murdering, themes of crime, greed, and corruption, the similarities go on. Yet, MindsEye isn’t cookie-cut out of Rockstar’s blueprint though. No, MindsEye is a more focused action-adventure thriller, presenting awestriking cinematic set pieces between linear mission design and tightly curated narrative delivery. Oh, and there’s a distinctly sci-fi, Cyberpunk edge to the experience; themes which GTA has never tackled.  

What’s the story?

MindsEye follows the story of Jacob Diaz, an elite former soldier with that tried-and-tested video gamiest of things: amnesia. Embedded with a neural implant – dubbed a MindsEye – he travels to desert city Redrock haunted by visages of his former self, of covert missions, and instances which he believes changed his life forever. His mission to uncover answers leads to discoveries of corruption, greed, militaristic control, and the freewheeling power of disingenuous government.

Who is Jacob Diaz?

The origin of Jacob’s neural implant is a mystery to be unravelled by the player. Somehow this skull-mounted device is fracturing his memories, with flashbacks of an especially haunting mission tormenting him daily. Motivated by righting corporate wrongdoing, Diaz feels unemblazoned by the anonymous source of his implant, so using skills from his past-life as a solider – his weapon handling, combat manoeuvres, stealth capability, tactical acumen, and vehicle control – he confidently charges headfirst into the city of Redrock, unsure of the scale of enemy which awaits. However, recent reports indicate that driving mechanics feel stiff, so that’s something to keep in mind.

What kind of city is Redrock?

A scorching hub of blue-chip tech, Redrock’s near-future visage of optimism and wealth is nothing but a desert mirage. Corporate oppression and artificial intelligence define its denizen’s everyday lives, exemplified most negatively in the city’s over-exuberant automated robot police force. Redrock’s political governors are entangled with the nefarious tech mogul at the helm of this AI police corp too, with their joint corruption steering Redrock – and, presumably, the world at large – towards a new, unfounded phase of human evolution. However, according to recent reports, the game is riddled with bugs, so let’s hope those will be ironed out by the time the game launches.

NPCs influence the story

There’re countless other inhabitants nestled within Redrock’s streets, all following their own motivations, and most harbouring dark secrets. These tertiary characters Jacob encounters along the way are working to solve their own predicaments, so for Jacob – and thus you the player – trust is a major factor. Who exactly are Jacob’s allies? Whom should he watch from the shadows? In a way, the relationship Jacob has with the people he meets is an allegorical microcosm to what’s happening in the city at large; can anyone – AI included – be trusted? Where is the dividing line between human betterment and totalitarian control?  

Combat overview

There’s an element of GTA influence in MindsEye’s combat sure, but there’s a tactical depth here more than Rockstar has ever attempted. The environment, for example, plays a large part in how Jacob approaches encounters. Utilising surroundings, reaching elevated vantage points, and seeking environmental exploits are crucial to gaining the edge in battle. Enemies portray a range of tactics and learned behaviours, so tactically the player must always think dynamically and be prepared to change their strategy. Weapon-wise, the usual fayre of pistols, shotguns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, rocket launchers, et cetera, along with a few mystery prototype weapons, are in Jacob’s expert hands, but this being a near-future timeline – with neural implant tech a reality – expect to see some Cyberpunk-esque modifications make their way to Jacob’s arsenal too. However, according to recent reports, enemy encounters lack depth, with foes simply charging at the player.

High-tech gadgets and neural-related abilities

The poster child for Jacob’s high-tech gadgetry is his drone companion which we see numerous instances of him launching from his backpack, presumably the hovering machine folded up neatly like a parachute prior. The drone assists in scanning, exploring, and stealth, as well as lending a helping hand in combat. The drone is upgradeable too, with manoeuvrability expanding its usefulness as Jacob burrows deeper down the rabbit hole. Neural hacking is also a thing for Jacob, giving him ability to tamper with electronic systems from afar. Augmented vision is a third ability Jacob possesses, giving him a fresh perspective on the world. All in all, this raft of weapons and gadgetry should give players numerous ways to approach any given situation.

MindsEye’s themes

Benzies has been clear to point out that MindsEye’s story is heavy on thematic elements, and we’ve touched upon numerous of those themes in this feature already: corporate dominance, the trepidation inherent in AI over-reliance; technological dependence and its impact on freewill and over-surveillance. Corruption, power, greed, lies, morality; MindsEye’s world is shaped by repression, a promise of security mired by political overreach. These themes are prescient to the real-life of today but pushed to the extreme. It’ll be interesting to see just how believably MindsEye’s themes land.

Faux Open World

Redrock is a sprawl; a diverse metropolis divided up into distinct districts which players are free to explore with Jacob. Numerous factions operate throughout the city too, some NPCs keen on furthering the city’s tech-reliant future, whilst others are underground resistance forces hellbent on exposing corporate greed and corruption. Mission structure is said to be linear, and narrative design is promised to be tight; how this fits in with the faux open world – one that’ll feature interactive elements and an evolving landscape – is hard to know. One interesting feature is Arcadia, a content creation mode accessed through a portal, available only on PC at launch, which allows players to develop encounters across the map.

Cutting-edge cinematography

Build a Rocket Boy are super focused on delivering a genre-defining cinematic experience with realistic character animations and emotionally dense storytelling. It isn’t just about lifelike camera angles – although grounding the experience with true-to-life vantage points is important – but portraying complex emotions and character development earnestly.

15-hour runtime

It may surprise you to learn that completing MindsEye’s main campaign will only set you back approximately fifteen hours. This comparatively streamlined runtime reinforces the studio’s dedication to crafting a tightly choreographed story, rather than allowing players to dictate the pacing or structure through branching or nonlinear narratives. The net result is the team should hopefully balance tension building moments with bombastic set pieces effectively.

Release date, platforms, and price

MindsEye is releasing to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam on 10^th June 2025, and is priced at $59.99 / £54.99. Post-launch content is a little hazy at the minute but there is speculation that DLC expansions including a potential multiplayer mode are coming.

Pre-order for deluxe content

Pre-orders are live now, and should you pull the trigger prior to MindsEye’s release then you’ll get your hands on a ton of deluxe content. Deluxe weapon skins, and “future” skins for Jacob’s vest, his Sedan, and drone companion. Also bundled in is a premium pass which includes an “exotic” pack comprising “exotic” versions of those just-listed skins, plus an intriguing horde mode mission and access to seasonal content as it comes later on in the year and into 2026.

PC requirements

Official requirements to run MindsEye on your rig at a minimum include an Intel Core i5-12400F / AMD Ryzen 5 5600X, Nvidia GeForce GTX 2060 / AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT 6GB VRAM GPU, and 16GB RAM. For the recommended settings, it is confirmed that you’ll need Intel Core i7-13700K / AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 / AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT 8GB VRAM GPU and 16 GB of RAM. 70 GB of storage is expected.

As seen on its Steam page, MindsEye’s PC requirements are rather steep, even on the lowest settings. On minimum settings, the game will require either an i5-12400F or a Ryzen 5 5600X, along with either a GeForce RTX 2060 or a Radeon RX 5600 XT with 6 GB VRAM. Meanwhile, on recommended settings, you’ll need either an i7-13700K or a Ryzen 7 7800X3D, as well as either a GeForce RTX 4070 or a Radeon RX 6800 XT with 8 GB VRAM.

On either settings, you’ll also need 16 GB of RAM and roughly 70 GB of free storage space. You can check out the full system requirements below.

MindsEye launches on June 10 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.

Such is the range of quality that I almost forgot about Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, Dynasty Warriors Origins, and Steel Seed. The next six weeks will be even more enticing with Elden Ring Nightreign, Mario Kart World (and the Switch 2 launch), and the long-awaited Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. The year’s second half is still TBD, with publishers doubtless scrambling to fill the void after Grand Theft Auto 6’s delay. However, with all the showcases coming in June, we could see several potential release date announcements.

Amid all this hype, one game has seemingly slipped under the radar, made all the more bizarre by the time left before its release. We’re talking about MindsEye, an action-adventure title developed by Build a Rocket Boy, founded by Leslie Benzies of Rockstar North fame. It’s out June 10th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, and the initial trailer gave the vibe of a GTA-coded playground with all the explosiveness and action to appeal to the franchise’s fans.

Or at least those who only want the explosiveness and action because that’s more or less what the “reveal gameplay trailer” from February showcased. Lots of running around. Lots of blowing up cars with guns. Some driving. Some blowing up of cars while driving. Honestly, the amount of vehicular destruction is borderline concerning. Of course, the developer later clarified that the narrative is more linear than emergent or sandboxy.

However, we’re a little over three weeks out from launch, and the only gameplay seen thus far has been that trailer and two recent gameplay teasers. One shows protagonist Jacob Diaz gunning down some enemies in a sequence more than a little reminiscent of Trevor attacking The Lost MC’s hideout in GTA 5. Eventually, he pursues them through the streets while a dust storm is in effect.

The second teaser is longer but less exciting, showcasing some driving through Redrock City at night. No overview trailer. No walkthrough of a mission. Not even much by way of what makes the gameplay of MindsEye special or unique. It’s a marketing strategy garnering attention almost exclusively for its lack of marketing.

This isn’t to say that Build a Rocket Boy isn’t advertising something different with MindsEye. You may remember the studio’s first announced project, Everywhere, an MMO more geared towards acting as a content platform where users can create and share different experiences.

It also consists of a few districts, each with gameplay elements like racing and third-person shooting, while ARCADIA, its editor, lets you create different components. All of this attracted skepticism, especially given the controversy surrounding Metaverse-style games. If you watch its trailer from last year, it’s seemingly going for a Fortnite-style content platform experience.

And MindsEye? It’s purportedly an experience within Everywhere developed by the studio, likely to showcase what ARCADIA is capable of. But it can also be modified to create different versions of MindsEye to mess around in. Associate game director Adam Whiting told Edge magazine likened it to Minecraft servers. “There are the official servers, but there are custom servers with wacky stuff. Maybe there’s a zombie apocalypse server you go on or one where they wipe the map of our story and characters and tell their own narrative using our tools.” There’s at least some potential, however small, of a sandbox-like experience kind of, sort of like GTA (but not really).

There are also the bonus missions created with ARCADIA included in the Digital Deluxe Edition. So it’s possible, at least based on what Build a Rocket Boy is saying, to infuse MindsEye with more content to keep it going beyond the standard launch experience. How does it all work, at least in layman’s terms? Why isn’t the developer showcasing it in trailers or hyping up the same? It doesn’t seem like you need Everywhere to play MindsEye, seeing as it’s launching as a standalone product, but will that change down the line?

To recap then: Not only does MindsEye not have any extensive official gameplay – and what we’ve seen thus far hardly seems all that special – but there’s an entire user-generated content side for it that Build a Rocket Boy hasn’t even touched on. Again, about three weeks out from launch. No pressure and all that, but if you’re charging $60 for an experience, the least you could offer is more extensive details and gameplay. And no, shooting cars and watching them explode isn’t going to cut it.

Of course, some would give the benefit of the doubt to Benzies. On top of being the former president of Rockstar North, the core developer behind the Grand Theft Auto titles – including the upcoming GTA 6 – he’s been involved in every single one of Rockstar’s biggest releases.

A producer on every title in the series, starting from Grand Theft Auto 3. An executive producer on Max Payne 3 and L.A. Noire. A producer and game designer on Grand Theft Auto 5. At one point, Benzies was synonymous with Rockstar North almost as much as Dan Houser was with Rockstar as a whole. Maybe he’s earned some reprieve, given his illustrious history.

However, remember that Grand Theft Auto 5, his last project, was released in 2013. Everywhere was announced in January 2017, starting development on Amazon’s Lumberyard engine before switching to Unreal Engine in 2020. It was slated to launch in 2023 but saw delays – in 2024, Build a Rocket Boy laid off an unknown number of employees.

Though it began in Edinburgh, the developer has two other studios in Montpelier and Budapest. This isn’t implying that either project has seen development troubles, but with the long development cycle for Everywhere, you would expect a more concrete release window or assurance at this point.

As for MindsEye, it was first teased in 2022, making it almost three years since. It’s possible that the developer won’t share anything until the final polishing stage. It could be going down to the wire, maybe announcing a last-minute delay if things don’t work out. The problem is that aside from these gameplay teasers and “narrative” trailers, which haven’t given us a reason to care about any of the characters, aside from that one dancing robot, there’s been very little communication from the studio this close to launch.

It’s ironic considering how it touted this as a “meaningful, well-crafted story” or how the camera during high-speed driving would make you feel like you were in a Fast and Furious film. If that’s a tease for going into space at some point, it would be one of the few intriguing things in MindsEye.

Finally, and I can’t emphasize this enough, not everyone sets out from the studio where they made their name to become a success. With all the talk around user-generated content, the launch of MindsEye may not be what defines it down the line. However, Build a Rocket Boy needs to detail what makes this a worthwhile experience on its own and fast.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

As it happens, there’s a ton of games that pluck bits of GTA’s aesthetic and mould it into their own experience. The games on this rundown aren’t just crime orientated; many adapt an immersive, life sim experience into a vibrant open world. Check out these 15 upcoming GTA-like games, as there’ll certainly be a time when you’ll want another open world to dive into.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Like a Dragon’s likeable underdog Ichiban Kasuga unites with Yakuza mainstay Kazuma Kiryu in another spawling RPG epic set along the shorelines of tropical Hawaii alongside the more familiar districts of Japan. Set to be the longest game in the Yakuza oeuvre at 45-50 hours, our two larger-than-life heroes have been brought together by the hands of fate, joining forces to fight sinister foes. Jobs, skills, and outlandish scenarios return as well as turn-based combat. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth releases January 26^th, 2024, to PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.

InZOI

The goal of hyper-realistic life sim InZOI is to keep its denizens suitably fed, watered, and happy. There are jobs to apply for, chores to fulfil, instruments to play, and ovens to set on fire. With an extensive character customisation and in-depth build mode, InZOI promises hours of life affirming gameplay. Playable platforms aren’t confirmed at this stage, and we’re expecting to wait another year before we can dive in; InZOI is targeting a late 2024 release window.

VIGILANCER 2099

In this open-world RPG, you’ll play as a bounty hunter tasked with rising through a criminal empire whilst earning money on bounties to spend on weapons and upgrades. Of course, this being a Cyberpunk 2077 adjacent game, neon-lit rain-soaked city streets imbued in shades of pink and purple characterise the experience. In truth, VIGILANCER 2099’s puddle-strewn streets look incredible. Let’s hope the gameplay, touting flying vehicles and multiple traversal options – including a fun looking parkour mechanic – match up to the visual splendour. This one’s been in the works for a while; there’s no official release window, and up to now it seems to be PC only.

Everywhere

Rockstar alumni Leslie Benzies’ new studio Build a Rocket Boy’s first outing is a community-driven open world extravaganza, one whereby imagination runs riot, where players can build, play, and connect in newfound ways. What does this entail in terms of gameplay? Well, you and your mates can explore vast biomes, take down entire armies, race cars across crystal laser worlds, or simply hang out. Everywhere promises everything. A closed alpha began on December 5^th.

Nivalis 

Another life sim on this rundown, this time blending real-life visuals with a pixel art aesthetic, in Nivalis players can grow businesses and manage restaurants. Apartments can be bought and fish can be caught. The sky’s the limit in this city stretching from the shore to the clouds. Nivalis has a speculative 2024 release date, with PC looking like the only platform announced thus far.

Mumbai Gullies

Rise to high society in one of India’s most vibrant cities in Mumbai Gullies, a third-person open world adventure featuring more activities than you can shake a stick at. Invest in the stock exchange, go shopping, go out for lunch, explore the tourist traps all whilst reaching the top of a criminal empire. Mumbai seems an exceptional setting for an exciting experience. Coming to PC, with a release window yet to be announced, be sure to wishlist this one on Steam to keep in the loop.

171

Playable right now in early access is this Brazilian inspired Grand Theft Auto. 171 is an open world action adventure, one that’ll be immediately familiar to residents of Brazil. Here, every action has a reaction, aggression draws attention, wielding weaponry brings the full force of the law and a slew of bandits at your door. 171 is a living, breathing experience, densely populated with innocent civilians and interactive elements. Coming to PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and PC when the game’s alpha period is over.

Gangstar New York 

Originally set to release in 2022, perhaps owing to Gangstar New York’s lofty ambition the game has suffered numerous delays. An open alpha ended in May 2023, but a release date still isn’t forthcoming. When it does come out, expect a social sandbox experience set in a near-future New York that’s ripe for the taking by some criminal underling. Players will be free to traverse the world as they see fit, with running, driving, climbing, parkour, grapple hooks, ziplines, and jetpacks all on offer as players journey to the top of the criminal underworld. Hopefully everything is running smoothly behind the scenes, and we’ll see a release date soon.

The Precinct

Heavily indebted to old-school GTA only this time instead of becoming a criminal kingpin in a reimagined US city, players will rise through the ranks of fictional Averno City’s police force. This action sandbox features procedurally generated crimes, from petty misdemeanours like parking infractions and littering to halting illegal street races, undertaking exhilarating car chases through twisted streets and alleyways on the hunt for powerful enemies and responding to bank heists alongside Averno’s finest, with player choice on how to complete each mission front and centre. UK developer Fallen Tree Games are plotting a 2024 release, with PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S the announced platforms.

Project Balod

Another story-driven action adventure on this rundown taking place on the streets of an Indian city, Project Balod is semi-open world but features a heavily dose of shooting action, with a mysterious narrative to unspool amidst the chaotic urban backdrop. Not a lot is known about this Indian gangster game, with the developer yet to announce a release date or playable platforms.

Contraband

Contraband is an upcoming co-op heist game from Just Cause developer Avalanche Studios. Set in the fictional 1970s world of Bayan, Contraband is described as a smuggler’s paradise. Squads can plan heists from their base of operations, with a host of valuable loot on offer for well executed plans. There’s no release date confirmed for this one yet but owing to the studio’s pedigree this is sure to be a hit when it does come out.

Project Madras

Amongst the best-looking games on this rundown owing to its development in Unreal Engine 5, Project Madras takes place on the open world streets of Chennai. A vibrant, explorative affair, Project Madras will have players roaming the marinas, monuments, and side streets of this exhilarating city, a place with homely locals, and a side of spicy Chennai. A game in the early stages of development, no release window or playable platforms have been announced yet.

Star Wars Outlaws

With the slew of scoundrels dotted throughout the galaxy, it’s a marvel no studio has attempted a game like Star Wars Outlaws yet. Massive Entertainment’s open-world adventure through the retched hives of scum and villainy looks exceptional, with players’ plotting one of the biggest heists this side of the outer rim territories across the familiar deserts of Tatooine. Coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC in 2024.

Cyberpunk 2077 Orion

Cyberpunk 2077 is well and truly redeemed, and whilst CD Projekt Red have announced they’re pooling resources into The Witcher 4, eyes will certainly be looking expectedly on codename Orion, Cyberpunk 2077’s sequel. For their part, the Polish developer are stationing a new team in Boston who’ll steadily plug away in the coming years. We can only imagine the splendour of Night City given a few years’ worth of development and expertise – let’s just hope this one is playable from the off.

Mafia 4 (Rumored)

Will there ever be a Mafia 4? Well, developer Hanger 13 announced in 2022 that Mafia’s fourth iteration was in active development. Since then, information has been scant. Latest rumours are that Mafia 4 will be set in 20^th century Sicily. Whether this rumour turns out to be true is anyone’s guess. Put this one firmly in the rumoured pile.

While there will be new trailers, details and announcements for the top 25, other new games will also be revealed, some considered “wishlist-worthy.” It’s unknown which games will appear, but there will be an exclusive interview with Leslie Benzies and Adam Whiting of Build a Rocket Boy for Everywhere, their first big game.

Stay tuned for more details as the show draws near. Other noteworthy showcases this week include the Dragon’s Dogma 2 Showcase on November 28th, where Capcom will debut 15 minutes of new gameplay (and possibly the release date). Level-5’s Vision 2023 2 event is set for November 29th with the latest information on Professor Layton and the New World of Steam.

Of course, there’s also The Game Awards on December 7th, which promises several world premieres and new announcements (potentially including a new trailer for Death Stranding 2).

https://twitter.com/everywheregame/status/1723037786117202308

Grand Theft Auto VI

Grand Theft Auto 5 image used for representation purposes.

It’s been almost an entire decade since Grand Theft Auto 5 released on the PS3 and Xbox 360, and fans still have little to no information available on the next game in the series. While we have official confirmation that GTA 6 is in active development and we have seen a very early version of the game in action thanks to recent leaks, we don’t really know much about its story, new gameplay features, map size, and the like. However, it’s fair to expect that GTA 6 will feature a fully realized sandbox like every other entry in the franchise – so you will be able to carve out all sorts of fun with vehicles, NPC AI, and hopefully a Director mode as well. But since GTA 6 isn’t releasing anytime soon, it’s best to keep expectations in check for now.

Starfield

Bethesda’s first new IP in 25 years, Starfield is set to be a gargantuan space odyssey with all the bells and whistles that one expects from a developer with such a pedigree. The game’s NASA Punk designs look really fresh, which perfectly balances sci-fi and realism. You will get to explore a massive open-world and hundreds of planets which will be home to different factions and species, so it seems fair to expect a lot of varied quests and gear in Starfield. It releases for Xbox Series X/S and PC sometime in early 2023.