The first impression of Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy is that it feels like being brought back to an old series that’s been rejuvenated with new style. The game borrows from its dungeon-crawling roots, but throws in an academic element that gives the experience a fresh and lighthearted feel.
Welcome to the Academy
The academy setting isn’t window dressing—its central to how the game is played. Classes, magic clubs, and even interactions with other students provide narrative spice and mechanical richness. Classroom conversation is often humorous, sometimes surprisingly biting, and they bring the quest a personality that goes beyond generic dungeon crawling.
Combat marries traditional turn-based with over-the-top new visuals. Spells explode in color and sound, but it’s the system that makes it enjoyable. Each battle requires strategic consideration, whether using elemental weaknesses or conserving limited resources. It’s not penalizing, but rewarding exploration and preparation.
The daily schedule of the academy maps precisely on to dungeon progression, and the identity of the game is expressed here. Spending time practicing skills, forming a bond with your fellow students, or getting lost in the maze is significant. Each “day” has its own rhythm, which is like a mini-narrative in itself, and it is not difficult to be immersed while chasing upgrades or delving deeper into the esoteric ruins that exist beneath the school.
The Look and Feel of a Mage
Visually, Fia and the Wondrous Academy straddle a middle ground between old and new. Character models are rendered softly and almost storybook in nature, whereas environments abound in bright colors and lighting effects. The dungeons themselves occasionally feel repetitive, but the charm of the cast and strange enemy designs go a long way in keeping the energy of the journey alive.
Its soundtrack is also noteworthy—whimsical during academy life, but foreboding and ominous during combat. It connects the game’s duality together: carefree academy shenanigans above, perilous magical trials below.
The issue of playing through it is the game’s pacing. It tends to stay too long on dialogue or school events before returning to action. While these do help to flesh out the world, they test one’s patience when dungeon crawling is the main draw.
As a first impression, Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy is an ambitious reimagining of a cult-classic formula. Tipping the balance of nostalgia and accessibility, it’s got enough charm and substance to placate veterans of the series and newcomers alike. It’s great to see a lost role-playing game series brought back for all to enjoy.
A review code provided for this article. Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy is available now for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.