MindsEye’s New Mission ‘Blacklisted’ Fails to Impress Gamers
The highly anticipated mission ‘Blacklisted’ for MindsEye has finally dropped, promising to unveil the supposed “evidence of sabotage” that Build a Rocket Boy (BARB) co-founders Leslie Benzies and Mark Gerhard have been talking about. As a fan of the MindsEye universe, I was eager to dive in, but let me tell you, it didn’t take long for me to realize that the mission is a total letdown.
MindsEye, a narrative shooter from the mind of former Rockstar legend Leslie Benzies, had a lot of hype around it. While the base game has its chaotic charm, ‘Blacklisted’ is a different story—it’s just a mess. From the narrative to the gameplay, nothing stands out as even remotely interesting. You’d think a mission built on so much hype would deliver more, but it’s a major disappointment.
According to a recent chat with ex-BARB animator Chris Wilson, this mission was once envisioned as a crossover with Hitman featuring none other than Agent 47. However, when the deal with IO Interactive fell through, BARB repurposed the mission, and now you take on the role of elite assassin Julia Black. Your job? Take out a notorious drug dealer and an arms dealer. Exciting premise, right? Sadly, the execution leaves much to be desired.
This mission can be wrapped up in under an hour—unless you’re like me and get sidetracked—which is a relief since the game doesn’t let you save your progress if you exit. Why they chose this odd design choice is a mystery. Surely they could have included a save feature for those checkpoints!
The mission’s trailer also falls flat, relying on royalty-free music that feels anything but classy. And speaking of unimpressive, the so-called storyline is a jumbled mess. For instance, in Redrock City, police suddenly appear in fixed spots while I’m busy sending crowds of pedestrians flying with my car, all while my hostage is casually chatting on his phone in the backseat. Talk about immersion killer!
What’s truly baffling is how the mission fails to deliver any credible evidence of the alleged sabotage against MindsEye and BARB. At one point, you’re chasing a masked DJ, seemingly a nod to Cyber Boi, a YouTuber who stirred up controversy with BARB. Wilson mentioned that studio leadership suspected this DJ was behind the sabotage due to some “hate mail,” but those emails apparently resembled nothing more than casual chat banter.
But you’ll find none of that intrigue in ‘Blacklisted’. Instead, it culminates in a car chase and an inevitable, predictable ending. The mention of a “ritual network” plotting from within Meridian is brushed aside, making it feel like an afterthought. If you’ve been keeping up with the story, this fleeting reference is easy to miss.
As I played, I spent a frustrating 15 minutes trying to crack a safe, which turned out to be pointless. The mission’s wider conspiracy is weak, and the main goal isn’t even clear. What data are we trying to retrieve? How did the victim get it? Your guess is as good as mine.
In a weird twist, ‘Blacklisted’ seems to make the accusations of sabotage seem even more absurd because it’s such a lackluster experience. There are no solid claims to back up those allegations, and it’s not even entertaining to play, unlike the original game. The only silver lining? It’s free for those who already own MindsEye, but honestly, it’s hard to recommend even at no cost.