Moroccan folklore  heads to Steam

Drawing deep inspiration from Moroccan and Amazigh culture, language, and spiritual traditions, Mira and the Legend of the Djinns is an adventure that tells the tale of Yuba, an avid treasure hunter, and a mysterious Djinn named Mira, the first Djinn discovered in generations. The two journey together across the devastated world of Fallen Amazgesh, a world of ruins, to uncover her lost memories, and in turn, what happened to her land and its people. To this end, Yuba and Mira agree to form a spiritual Bond, something no human has done outside of fabled legends.

Publisher Assemble Entertainment and developer Little Knight Games have released a new developer commentary trailer for Mira and the Legend of the Djinns, a Metroidvania action platformer coming to Steam. In the trailer, lead programmer Rachid Hassani discusses the cultural influences and considerations that played a part in bringing the game to life, and how his upbringing in Morocco helped to shape the narrative and character cast. 

“We’ve thoughtfully crafted Mira’s narrative to accurately capture the spirit of Moroccan folklore while considering cultural and religious sensitivities,” said Hassani. “What resulted is a fine-tuned storyworld inspired by magical realms, Moroccan culture influences, and authentic folklore that is both new and recognizable. 

“Even down to the sound design, our team used  authentic Moroccan-Amazigh music and melded it with high fantasy orchestral tunes to make something completely new and enchanting.”

In the game, delivered in a classic 2D pixel art Metroidvania-style format, Mira and Yuba traverse the vast expanse of the Desert Ocean, discovering new friends and vicious foes along the way. Together, the pair track down priceless artifacts, explore dangerous ruins, battle against mutated creatures and corrupted spirits, and come face to face with the very cause of the cataclysm that destroyed Mira’s world and conceived Yuba’s.

Key Features of Mira and the Legend of the Djinns:

• Go With the Flow: Djinns hold power over four Primal Elements: Solar, Celestial, Infernal, and Lunar. Players are granted four different weapons to wield, each one imbued with one of the four Elements. A fluid combat style allows players to switch between weapons and elemental modes on the fly — even in the midst of combat!
• Grow the Skill Tree: Whether by progressing the story or buying them in-game, take down enemies in style with dozens of moves to unlock. Create new movesets and utilize them to kick some serious butt!
• Show Me Your Moves: Along with the classic Metroidvania abilities such as the Dash, Mira and the Legend of the Djinns features magical abilities unique to the retro genre. Many of the spells have uses outside of combat, encouraging players to try out different combos and think outside the box.
• All Good Things are Multipurpose: Throughout the game, players can discover seven different tools, each used to overcome obstacles, solve puzzles, and weaponize during combat. Certain items are more scarce; acquire these rarities by doing side quests, defeating certain enemies, and if you’re lucky, occasionally purchasing in shops.