Critical Mass: Tech Review

Far Cry 5: Lost on Mars
Xbox One (Ubisoft)

Ubisoft's open world shooter, set in the cult-infested pastures of Montana, brings rednecks to the Red Planet with its latest add-on mission. You play a hillbilly who ends up on Mars where his pal Nick has been reduced to a floating head. Your mission is to find Nick's body parts and save earth from an alien invasion. Where's Elon Musk when you need him?

Far Cry games have a history of whimsical add-on missions. The third edition in the open world shooter featured Blood Dragon, a '70 kung fu action story. Far Cry 4 took us to the Valley of the Yetis. This edition is like a '50s B-movie without the Communist subtexts. Hop around a barren map, blasting space crabs with an exotic arsenal that includes a Blaster of Disaster and Nut Grabber. It's a cross between Starship Troopers, Mars Attacks, and cult creature feature Tremors. A jetpack offers Zero G giggles, but the repetitive grind of shooting and climbing left us longing for terra firma.

5/10

The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit
Xbox One (Square Enix)

As games grow up, we're seeing more thoughtful portrayals of characters, and dramas that wouldn't be out of place in a Netflix series. Life Is Strange, one of the best adventures of recent years, dwelt on subjects such as depression, same sex relationships, bereavement, and teenage life in a small town, in a way we hadn't seen before in games.

As a precursor to Life Is Strange 2, the developers have released this free adventure about a seven year old boy who's obsessed with superheroes. Explore environments, chat to people, and solve puzzles. While the game is way too short, you can't help but be moved by the exploration of a single father's tragic relationship with his imaginative son.

8/10

The Exorcist: Legion VR
PS4 (LegionVR, LLC)

If the devil is in the detail, then Old Nick is haunting the controls for Legion VR, which uses PlayStation's VR headset. After mounting the couch in order to assume the correct position, the game handed me a virtual smartphone that only worked when my hands were raised above my head. It was like a demonic version of Twister. Following calibration tips from the game's developers, I eventually purged the game of this satanic activity.

You play a Boston homicide cop, investigating a priest's murder. Episode one, Last Rites, is set in a church where you search a crime scene for clues. The Exorcist's unholy antics should carry a health warning. Within the terrifying world of VR, every creak plays havoc with your nerves. Players gather evidence, solve puzzles, and prepare to encounter an evil entity.

Some VR games induce nausea, but the movement mechanics here means you won't vomit pea green soup over the living room like Regan in the original 1973 flick.

7/10

Preview
State of Mind
PC (Daedalic Entertainment)

The Matrix meets the dystopian universe of sci-fi author William Gibson, with a dash of Blade Runner thrown in for good measure, in this upcoming cyberpunk thriller.

Berlin, 2048. The world has gone to crap. The globe is polluted. Robots have taken all the public sector jobs. Surveillance is omnipresent. The digital world is constructed from our personal harvested information. There are few resources.

If there's any consolation, at least Trump is no longer president.

In the demo, you start off by playing Richard Nolan, a journalist whose wife and child have vanished following a suspicious accident. Players navigate 3D environments, solving puzzles. The gameplay later alternates between six characters. State of Mind, out 16 Aug, features stylish cubist graphics and explores themes that say as much about today as the distant future.

APP ATTACK

KERB otherwise known as the Airbnb of parking, has moved into Belfast after launching in Dublin in February. The app allows residents and car park owners to rent out parking spaces. The company takes 20% on every booking, but it's free to list a space on the app. The Australian app is now in 300 cities and provides parking spaces for boats and helicopters.

BBC 6 Music is one of the best digital radio stations in the world. Now the BBC is singing a new tune with BBC SOUNDS, a collection of live and on-demand radio, music and podcasts.

The app personalises content according to a user's listening habits. According to Dan Taylor-Watt, head of BBC Sounds, over 80,000 hours of music is currently available on the app.

SAM MCCAULEY CHEMIST has a clean bill of health with its new app, which lets patients to upload prescriptions and view their medical history. The chemist, which has 32 stores in Ireland, lets you order medicine from the comfort of your sick bed.