(Pocket-lint) – Guerrilla Games might have already had success with the Killzone titles for multiple PlayStation platforms, but it was really Horizon Zero Dawn that elevated the studio to a higher level. The 2017 action-RPG had everything – stunning graphics, a heartfelt and complex storyline, and invention cascading from every pore. Indeed, if it wasn’t for a certain Breath of the Wild also releasing that year, it would have no doubt swept game of the year awards across the board.
Now we have a Horizon sequel and, who knows, the developer may well have another chance at ultimate glory. Zero Dawn 2, or Forbidden West as it’s officially known, has certainly pulled out all the stops with a continuation of Aloy’s adventure. It is bigger, bolder and, on PlayStation 5 at least, even more beautiful.
Horizon: Forbidden West is a PlayStation exclusive of epic proportions and shows why this IP is comfortable sitting at the same table as Uncharted, The Last of Us, Marvel’s Spider-Man and God of War. It’s really that good.
Grand beginnings
That’s not least because, in Aloy, Guerrilla Games has created one of the most interesting female characters in gaming. Having started out as an exile at the beginning of the first game and rising to become the saviour of Meridian, she is now an accomplished and much-loved hero. The sequel reflects that, both in the story and gameplay mechanics.
It starts soon after Zero Dawn left off. Aloy is looking for a backup of the Gaia software protocol that has the potential of restoring the Earth’s ecosystem and averting another extinction level event for its inhabitants. However, things don’t go quite to plan and after the Hades AI seemingly rears its head again, she has to follow it to a new region – the eponymous Forbidden West.
This allows for new mysteries to unravel and even more of our lead’s past to become clear. We’ll hold off on giving you any major plot spoilers as the discovery is half the fun, but needless to say it’s as expansive and complex as in the first.
The game world is as realised too. For those who are unaware, the Horizon games set an interesting premise – that many years after civilisation was effectively wiped out, mankind started again with tribes dotted around the landscape, hunting and foraging to survive. But, rather than animals inhabiting the wilds, machines with animalistic traits do instead. Some are deadly, some enormous, and some can be trained as steeds.
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Aloy is one of few capable of tackling and even befriending them, not least because she has a “focus” – a Bluetooth earpiece-style device that gives her data on the past and enables her to get information on everything around her, especially of the metallic, autonomous kind. Forbidden West expands on this theme and presents further clues as to what it all means and why the past and the present are possibly closer linked than previously thought. Oh, and there are a fair few surprises along the way.
It makes for a great tale that unveils as you play, but that’s not all there is to the game. This is a massive open-world adventure and as such is crammed with additional extras, side missions and collectables to while away your time on too.
More of everything
Like most open-world games, including the previous Horizon and its DLC, The Frozen Wilds, there are plenty of fetch quests, puzzle zones, and resource gathering to be done. Much is optional, but considering it utilises a similar XP system and level progression as before, it’s wise to do as much as you can to ensure your skill set is as rich and diverse as possible.
Sony Interactive Entertainment
There is a slightly more advanced skill tree in the sequel, with six new categories to expand your combat, stealth, and general abilities. Warrior, Trapper, Hunter, Survivor, Infiltrator, and Machine Master each come with a healthy array of benefits to unlock. You earn skill points (by completing main and side missions, generally) and can assign them as you go. Like many action-RPGs of this ilk, it enables you to build a character to suit your own play style. And, as there are plenty of points on offer throughout the game, you’ll get a lot of opportunities to tweak.
The same can be said of weapons, which in Forbidden West is similar in practice to Zero Dawn, just bigger and with more options. Weapons can be levelled-up, as too can outfits, while coils can be fitted to enhance elemental effects, damage or the like. Basically, this is classic Horizon just on a larger scale.
There are also some unique new tools and weapons, such as a Shieldwing that can be used to glide through the air, or the Pullcaster that can tear down walls or help Aloy leap to higher climbing points. They are discoverable at certain points in the campaign, but can also be used to go back to previous areas to complete puzzles that weren’t accessible before.
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Crafting is largely the same as before, too, with resources both natural and mechanical plentiful throughout.
Games in games
Like The Witcher and many recent Assassin’s Creed games, there are additional tasks and games within that have little to do with the plot, but fun to complete nonetheless.
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Throughout the Forbidden West, you’ll find Machine Strike players wanting a challenge. This is an invented board game that combines chess, draughts and tabletop wargames. You collect Strike pieces on your travels (based on the different machines you discover) and pit them in battle against these players in order to earn credits and other Strike pieces. It’s not as involving as Gwent, say, but is a nice distraction and change of pace.
Hunting grounds return, to test your mettle against different machines, and there are the occasional Melee Pits dotted around to hone your close-quarters combat skills. The latter is especially useful as you’ll often find yourself in melee with the Rebels – a new threat of disparate tribal foes who just so happen to also be able to control the machines. There are plenty of other minor exploration sites to be found too.
Fast travel is a must, especially once you’ve unlocked most of the huge map, and thankfully that’s once again done through campfires (which also act as save points). If you also want to fast travel from elsewhere, you can purchase fast travel tokens from traders. Tall necks return too, to remove the “fog of war” obscuring vast zones once you’ve managed to climb them.
Sony Interactive Entertainment
In short, this is a mammoth game (geddit?). But thankfully it never feels too big to handle. The balance is just right.
Generation game
We’ve played the PS5 version exclusively so cannot comment on how it runs on PS4 or PS4 Pro. What we can say is that there are so many benefits to playing on current-gen hardware that it’s obviously the best way to do so.
Sony Interactive Entertainment
For starters, there is good use of the adaptive triggers on the DualSense controller. The R2 button throbs as you draw an arrow, for example, and gives you the correct amount of tension to make it a more physical experience.
Loading speeds are greatly enhanced too. With such a mighty map and a lot of graphical detail it could have suffered from pop-in or texture issues, but that’s not the case. There’s a very brief loading screen when you fast travel between locations but nothing to write home about. Having the PS5’s SSD makes a game like this so much more accessible and smooth, that’s for sure.
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The other big enhancement comes graphically. The PlayStation 5 version offers in terms of graphical real estate, making the game world seem more dense, but also has two game modes to play in.
If you favour resolution, you get what looks to be a native 4K presentation, but running at 30 frames-per-second. Favour performance and the frame rate jumps up to 60fps, albeit with a softening of the image a touch. We’re not sure exactly what the resolution drop is, but it’s slightly less crisp all-round. That said, we’re more than happy to put up with the latter to get a more buttery smooth experience. It certainly benefits the boss battles you’ll stumble upon at points.
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Guerrilla Games also states that the same lighting used in cut scenes is enabled in the main game too, but only on PS5. Certainly, it looks fantastic.
Animation on character models is jaw-dropping – it was already good in the original, but has been improved further for Forbidden West. The acting is exemplary too, from all the cast not just Ashly Burch as Aloy. When combined with the Hollywood-style soundtrack and effects work, it makes for a bundle that is a true blockbuster.
Verdict
For all Forbidden West’s undoubted enhancements and improvements, especially on PS5, it is still effectively the same game as Zero Dawn. And that is to its benefit.
The action-adventure gameplay continues to be intuitive and a joy, with combat, climbing, stealth, and puzzling each combining wonderfully to keep every minute of the many hours-worth of play captivating.
Of course, it does fall into the same traps as all open-world RPGs at times. There are a few repetitive tasks and side missions, while machine hunting can become over-familiar to a fashion. But there’s so much to see and do you’ll be happy to let the less interesting aspects slide.
Aloy once again proves to be one of gaming’s most likeable characters and the premise still feels fresh and interesting.
In all regards, Guerrilla Games has done it again. It’s created a title that will surely appear in game of the year nominations once more. And it might have a better chance to nab more top-line gongs to boot.
The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.
The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.
However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”
Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.
“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.
“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”
The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.
At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.
A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”
Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.
Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.
Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.
Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.
While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.
Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.
The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.
— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
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Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.
The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.
“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”
San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.
Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”
“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.
The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.
