The plot follows classic adventure tropes of self-discovery, grief, and battling secret societies across early 20th-century India, Mauritania, and Portugal, with no romance systems, character creation, pronoun options, or identity-focused subplots. Developer statements confirm Haroona's Indian origin was foundational and unchanged across iterations, with casting of Anya Chalotra tied to her acting fit for a resilient streetwise heroine rather than activist mandates.

Marketplace scenes feature diverse locals consistent with the settings, but these remain background and organic. Some online commentary claims DEI influence or Sweet Baby Inc. involvement due to the female lead of color and commercial underperformance, yet plot summaries, reviews, and developer AMAs emphasize supernatural lore and action over social messaging.

Metacritic and OpenCritic scores hover around 62-66 with complaints focused on bugs, combat, and linearity, not ideological content. The result is a traditional power-fantasy adventure with incidental modern casting that does not drive or alter the premise.