| MindJack | |
|---|---|
North American cover art |
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| Developer(s) | feelplus |
| Publisher(s) | Square Enix |
| Composer(s) | Tsuyoshi Sekito |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 |
| Release date(s) |
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| Genre(s) | Third-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, cooperative |
| Rating(s) |
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| Media/distribution | Blu-ray Disc, DVD |
MindJack is a third-person shooter video game developed by feelplus and published by Square Enix for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. In the campaign story, the game is single-player but “transitions seamlessly” into cooperative gameplay.[1] The game was to be originally released in October 2010 for Europe and North America but it was pushed back to Q1 2011. North America took the first release of the turn of the year, followed by Europe and Japan.[2]
MindJack takes place in 2031, when the world’s governments are in decline and new corrupt organizations are arising. The player can “hack” into and control enemies, vehicles, or civilians.[1]
Contents |
MindJack is a third-person shooter incorporating a cover system. The player character can carry two weapons and grenades. The player can mind hack civilians and weakened enemies, controlling them as the player character while the main character is controlled by artificial intelligence. Weakened enemies can also be turned to the player's side, becoming allies.
Online players can "hack" into a person's single-player campaign and take control of the AI enemies while Player 1 plays the game's story campaign. The online players may help the solo player by attacking other enemies or they can attack Player 1 themselves.
| MindJack | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Aggregator | Score |
| GameRankings | 42.50% |
| Metacritic | 42/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
| 1UP.com | D |
| Allgame | 2/5 |
| Eurogamer | 6/10 |
| G4 | 1/5 |
| Game Informer | 5/10 |
| GameSpot | 5/10 |
| IGN | 4/10 |
| Official Xbox Magazine (UK) | 3/10 |
MindJack was universally panned by critics. While some critics complemented its gameplay concepts, most criticize "Mindjack" for its weak story, enemy AI, aesthetics, and gameplay.
Angry Joe of Blistered Thumbs and That Guy With The Glasses was incredibly critical of the game.[3] He gave the game a 1/10, the lowest score he had given so far tied with Sonic Free Riders[4].
Eurogamer called it "a strange blend of Resident Evil 5, Uncharted and Minority Report," stating "If you can look past the lack of polish and horrible graphics, there's a compelling and unique take on cover-based shooters here, along with an interesting lesson on how games deal with plot. It's a rewarding little game, if you can hack it."[5]
Gamespot praised MindJack's concept and online multiplayer, but concluded "Mindjack does have a few bright spots, but they are smothered beneath the weight of the awkward controls and squandered potential."[6]
IGN summed up their review with "Mindjack is ultimately a frustrating and forgettable shooter with horrible presentation, clumsy controls and a plodding campaign. It serves up a next-gen idea with its unique multiplayer design yet delivers it in a horribly last-gen package."[7]
1UP.com found nothing to like about the game, calling it a "lazy, corporate-mandated cash-in."[8]
Official Xbox Magazine's verdict was that "Nobody in their right mind should buy this".[9]
Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw of Zero Punctuation gave it an extremely negative review, saying, "It's rare to find a game so blisteringly appalling in its every slightest aspect".[10]