Extinction is a part of nature. Of the five billion species that have existed on Earth, 99.9 per cent have vanished. The Triassic-Jurassic extinction, two hundred million years ago, finished off the crocodile-like phytosaur. Sixty-six million years ago, the end-Cretaceous extinction eliminated the Tyrannosaurus rex and the velociraptor; rapid climate change from an asteroid impact was the likely cause. The Neanderthals disappeared some forty thousand years ago. One day--whether from climate change, another asteroid, nuclear war, or something we can't yet imagine--humans will probably be wiped out, too.

Look beyond the actions and theatre of the Trump White House to the macro trends of the 21st century. There is the migration of economic and political heft to the East. There is the migration of many, many people towards the West, digitally savvy about the relative riches here, climate change and conflict among the push factors for some too. There is the internet revolution upending business models and working patterns, inventing social media and concentrating vast wealth and influence among a clutch of global behemoths like Apple, Meta, Amazon and X. And there is the artificial intelligence revolution in the infancy of its influence.

The opening area of the game will suggest that you head north to Stormveil Castle, a decrepit estate shrouded in tempest. Instead, I rode my spectral horse East. I was shocked to see how far I could ride without stopping. Suddenly, I was in a war-torn battlefield, with AI-controlled soldiers fighting massive creatures in never-ending combat. I snuck my way into a nearby castle, where I found its remaining denizens fighting among each other, a confusing and frightening spectacle, particularly for my level 12 knight.