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Despite some optimistic people out there, MindsEye ended up being what many expected: an absolute train wreck. Yet, we all saw the many signs. The gaming was waving red flags all around us, but we had no clue the actual launch would be one of the worst of the year. And if that’s not enough to make you believe the MindsEye situation is that bad, hold on to your seat because Sony has done the unbelievable: it is issuing refunds to all players. Yes, this is a big deal because, as you may or may not know, Sony’s refund policy is airtight, and the company only issues refunds in the most extreme cases. So, we’re living another “Cyberpunk 2077 at launch” situation.
Sony Has Opened Refunds for MindsEye and Is ‘Aware of the Game’s Situation’
Redditor MasterOfMoogles1995 shared a picture of their interaction with Sony. According to them, Sony refunded the game almost instantly, with the company saying, “It seems you are correct regarding optimization for this game. The situation is currently under investigation.”
This is a huge deal because the last time Sony opened refunds for a game after players had already spent some hours in it was when Cyberpunk 2077 launched. Despite its now positive reviews and upcoming sequel, everyone’s first trip to Night City was one of the worst gaming experiences at that time. For better or worse, MindsEye has taken that “crown” and will now be known as the second game Sony allowed players to refund, at least in this decade.
However, the situation seems to be a bit shaky at the moment, with some players getting a refund and a few others being left with uncertainty by Sony.
“I just tried it, and they told me they need to ‘escalate and investigate’ for 3-5 business days. I have no guarantee of a refund right now.” – cbearsfreak via Reddit.
“Thanks to this post, I went to get a refund. I thought I wouldn’t qualify because I had played it. But they refunded it after checking the game to see if it’s as bad as I said. Thank you, dude.” – Artemis820 via Reddit.
For now, it seems that the MindsEye refunds are a matter of luck, but many Redditors encourage PlayStation gamers to keep trying.
Another ‘GTA Killer’ That Was Doomed to Fail
Before you all jump the gun. No, the developers never claimed MindsEye would be a GTA killer. But let’s face it: it wanted to be one. Rockstar announced GTA 6 would have a Roblox-like mode, and MindsEye went down that road, too. We can see some similarities, at least in the game’s foundation — an open world with third-person shooting combat, vehicular mayhem, etc. However, MindsEye delivered none of this. Instead, it’s just a shallow take on the genre that GTA has dominated for decades, where the only thing it does well is the direction of its cutscenes, and that’s pretty much it.
But then it hit me, “Are developers aiming too high by trying to compete with GTA?” I’ve always said it: Competition breeds excellence, but MindsEye went into a swordfight with sticks, and it had nothing solid. Yet, that doesn’t mean it is the end for MindsEye. We’ve seen redemption stories that range from No Man’s Sky to Cyberpunk 2077, and MindsEye could join those ranks. Whether it does or not will depend on the developers. But in the meantime, we sadly have one of the worst games of the year, and one that forced Sony to break its strict refund rules.
