How Loki Season 2 Can Bring Idris Elba’s Heimdall Back To The MCU

Idris Elba believes Heimdall could still return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe – and it’s easy to see how he would fit in with Loki season 2. When Marvel first began to market Avengers: Infinity War, president Kevin Feige warned the deaths would be permanent. The MCU had become notorious for its revolving-door approach to death, but Feige suggested this was going to change now that Thanos was fully arriving on the scene.

He was overstating, of course. It’s true that Infinity War did kill off multiple characters both before and after the Snap, but few were permanent. In reality, because of time travel in Avengers: Endgame, only one death has lasted: Idris Elba’s Heimdall, who was killed by the Mad Titan Thanos when he sacrificed himself to send the Hulk to Earth. Elba himself is aware he’s operating within a superhero universe where death is just an inconvenience, though, and he believes Heimdall could return to the MCU. “I think the constraints of the sort of superhero universe are none,” he observed in an interview, “so everything is possible. I think that Heimdall is an amazing character and still exists.“

Related: Loki Set Up A Villain Even Bigger Than Kang

He’s certainly not wrong, especially after the events of Loki season 1. This saw the birth of Marvel’s “Multiverse of Madness,” with the timeline freed from the control of He Who Remains and the creation of countless branched realities. There are undoubtedly now timelines where Heimdall never came into contact with Thanos, and others where he survived Thanos’ attack on the Asgardian refugees (given one variant of Loki was an alligator, there may well be timelines in which Heimdall is a wise old owl too). That means Heimdall could easily return in future Multiversal adventures, and it would be particularly easy to see him coming back in Loki season 2.

Loki season 1 unlocked the Multiverse, and saw a variant of the God of Mischief come face to face with other Lokis from branched realities. Season 2 could take things in a different direction, though, by having Loki encounter variants of people he knows well – alternate versions of Thor, perhaps, or of Heimdall and the Warriors Three. This would easily allow Marvel to bring Heimdall back, and they could switch the character up in any way they wished. Perhaps in one timeline Heimdall is ruler of Asgard, or in another he’s used his powerful sight to become the ultimate thief. Anything is possible.

But the interesting question is whether or not variants of Heimdall are aware of the Multiverse’s existence. Heimdall, after all, possesses the ability to look through time and space, to peer across the Nine Realms and beyond. It’s entirely possible that power has been extended now the Multiverse has been created, meaning every version of Heimdall could potentially be able to see what is happening in other timelines – and may be able to look into the TVA’s mysterious base as well. If that is the case, Heimdall could become an essential ally for Loki in season 2.

More: All 13 Marvel TV Shows Releasing After Loki (& When)

Loki will return for season 2 on Disney+.

https://ift.tt/3xv8YsU IFTTT

How Lovecraft Inspired Mass Effect 3’s Leviathan DLC

The Mass Effect Legendary Edition has been an extreme success for BioWare and EA, and includes all Mass Effect games from the original trilogy and their complete DLCs. One of the more memorable DLCs from the series is Mass Effect 3’s Leviathan DLC. The Leviathan story involves Shepard and their crew hunting for an ancient power that can supposedly defeat the Reapers. These creatures are revealed to be an ancient, subaquatic race called Leviathans that were the original apex species in the galaxy. The Leviathan DLC expanded on the ancient history of the Mass Effect galaxy, but also took much of its inspiration from Lovecraftian works.

Lovecraft’s tales and mythos have been adapted into many genres of games, with some being more faithful to the source material than others. While Mass Effect’s Leviathan DLC was not trying to directly adapt a Lovecraftian story, it took many influences and used common themes from the ‘canon’ world of Lovecraft and its mythos. One of the most direct adaptations from Lovecraft to Mass Effect was the Leviathan creature itself, as well as its backstory and abilities.

Related: Mass Effect 3: The Best Order to Play Missions (& Why)

The word ‘Leviathan’ originated from the Hebrew term ‘livyathan’, which referred to a large sea monster or sea serpent. Lovecraft’s mythos kept this definition, but evolved the Leviathan figures in its stories into eldritch deities of untold power. Mass Effect followed suit, turning the Leviathan into an ancient power that was responsible for almost complete domination over other species in the galaxy, and was responsible for an apocalyptic level threat. The Catalyst in Mass Effect was revealed to have been created by the Leviathans, who in turn created the Reapers as a failsafe to protect sentient life from their synthetic helpers. Lovecraftian tales often place eldritch figures, such as Cthulhu, as the catalysts to apocalyptic events or harbingers of complete and total destruction, which makes Mass Effect 3’s Leviathan a perfect fit for this role. The motivations of the ancient being, as well as its capacity for domination, make it a picture perfect Lovecraftian monster.

One of the most common themes in Lovecraftian horror stories is the ability of ancient, godlike beings (such as the Leviathan or Cthulhu) to inflict their will over others through mind control. The complete domination over a being’s free will is a terrifying prospect, and one that Lovecraft and enthusiasts of his work regularly employed in their tales. The underwater superbeing in Mass Effect 3 can communicate telepathically, and can override the physical and mental processes of susceptible organisms. The creature’s intelligence and abilities are unmatched by modern technologies and species, similar to the eldritch Leviathan figures throughout Lovecraft’s many stories. With the Leviathan’s capacity for destruction and ability to dominate species it deems lesser than itself, Mass Effect’s sea monsters appear to have many similarities to Lovecraft’s godlike monsters.

As is the case with many Lovecraftian works, the Leviathan DLC in Mass Effect 3 has a horror-esque theme and narrative structure. The many tales of Lovecraftian fiction often fail to answer the bigger questions surrounding the origins or universal truths answerable by the big, bad monster. This has been a theme in many games inspired by Lovecraftian horror, such as The Call of Cthulhu and The Shore, and leads players to ponder about the mysteries still lurking beneath the waves long after their playthroughs have been completed. The Leviathan in Mass Effect 3’s DLC fills in some of the trilogy’s mysteries, such as the true origins of the Reapers and the truth of the Catalyst waiting at the end of the game, however the truths of the ancient galaxy are left unanswered. The fate of the Leviathans, the reality of their civilization, and the true extent of their motivations are all mysteries that will likely never be solved.

While Mass Effect’s Leviathan and Lovecraft’s many eldritch deities have their differences, the inspirations, themes, and origins of the characters hold many similarities throughout each fictional tale. The narrative structure of Mass Effect’s DLC compared to Lovecraftian tales is also quite similar, as it dabbles regularly in the horror genre and refuses to answer all the players’ questions. The Mass Effect Legendary Edition, including the Leviathan DLC, is available now on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation systems.

Next: How To Achieve The Rarest Mass Effect Playthrough, According To BioWare

https://ift.tt/3fRnAg9 IFTTT

How The Vale: Shadow of the Crown Is Being Made For Blind Players

Indie developer Falling Squirrel’s upcoming project, The Vale: Shadow of the Crown, provides an audio-focused experience created with blind and low-vision players in mind. Though many strides have been made in recent years, accessibility in gaming still has a long way to go, particularly in the mainstream space.

Titles such as The Last of Us Part II helped push things forward in this regard, boasting 60 accessibility settings, a number of which benefit fans who are visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, and need assistance with mobility. Hardware is slowly gaining ground in some respects as well, with Microsoft’s Xbox Adaptive Controller arguably constituting the best example. The hardware manufacturer designed the gamepad to meet the needs of users with disabilities. And it works with a wide variety of devices, allowing players to attach external pieces like joysticks and buttons as needed. Of course, the hard work isn’t over yet and Falling Squirrel is doing its part to populate the market with another accessibility-friendly adventure.

Related: Microsoft’s Adaptive Controller is Already Making A Difference

Today, Falling Squirrel shared a dev diary in which Creative Director Dave Evans candidly speaks about what inspired The Vale’s premise. The project began as a way for Evans to tell stories, then morphed into a game for visually impaired players once he realized the community had long been underserved. Wanting to build an all-audio game, Evans contacted CNIB, a charitable organization devoted to helping blind and low-vision Canadians. Through this connection, the Creative Director met game consultant Martin Corsellis, who helped educate him in audio game tropes and how best to approach sensitive topics.

Falling Squirrel’s work with the diverse group of play testers organized by the CNIB convinced them to pursue a first-person experience to place users “in the shell of the main character,” a notion further helped by the studio’s hiring of visually impaired voice actors such as TV and Radio personality Ramya Amuthan. Interestingly, Falling Squirrel also utilized plugins and technology created for virtual reality titles that allow developers “to create binaural audio with stereo headsets in a virtual 3D space.” Applying such tools to the all-audio experience resulted in the creation of The Vale’s “3D soundscapes” further enhanced by the use of haptic controller feedback.

The developer expressed a desire to immerse visually impaired and sighted players in an emotional tale about a blind hero who embarks on a journey rife with all manner of danger. It packs in the core tenets of countless other action-adventure titles, too, including combat encounters, resource management, and the need to collect quality gear.

Hopefully, The Vale: Shadow of the Crown acts as a herald of things to come, inspiring mainstream developers to invest in a wider range of accessibility. Though things continue to improve on this front, the road ahead still seems a long one.

Next: Psychonauts 2 Will Feature An Invincibility Mode For Accessibility

The Vale: Shadow of the Crown comes to PC via Steam and Xbox One platforms on August 19.

https://ift.tt/3xv6736 IFTTT