While it’s been overshadowed by its spin-off puzzle counterpart — Puyo Puyo — the Mado Monogatari/Sorcery Saga series has been a consistent dungeon crawler series in Japan since 1989. Now, more than 35 years since the series began, a new game called Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy has been released for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 & 5. While it’s not an innovative take on the genre, it’s a competently made and fun one.
Rather than traditional turn-based dungeon crawling, Fia and the Wonderous Academy takes a more active approach as you battle in real time against foes. This comes with a slight catch, though, as while you can move around and unleash melee attacks, you can’t use your magic until it’s your “turn” to do so. This is a solid nod to the series’ history and makes battles interesting as you’ll have to strategize and make sure you’re casting the right elemental spells, as you won’t get a chance to instantly do another one if you screw up.
This system does take quite a bit of time to get used to, especially as you start going into dungeons with teammates that you also have to account for. Like other dungeon crawlers, you have a vitality meter that is always draining, so you’ll need to cook in order to maintain energy and keep going. While there’s a lot going on, the game never gets too difficult, even on higher difficulties, as it’s a pretty forgiving dungeon crawler, and that gives Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy its own spot inside a genre that is often way too punishing.
That lack of punishment combines nicely with the game’s tone. There’s a lot of charm here, from the Puyo enemies to the quirky dialogue in the story. If you’re into a silly story, then you’ll find a lot to like here, as the localization communicates the humor well. While there’s not a gigantic pay-off to the narrative, I was smiling throughout its episodic chapters and was charmed throughout.
The main negative against the latest Mado Monogatari game is simply that it gets quite repetitive as it goes on. Once that initial learning curve is overcome, there’s not all that much to sink your teeth into. It’s a relatively shallow dungeon-crawling game, which isn’t necessarily a problem as it remains fun, but a few extra late-game mechanics would’ve kept it more interesting.
Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy Review: Final Verdict
Filled with likable characters and a silly magical school storyline, there’s a lot to like about Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy. While dungeon-crawling veterans won’t find much new here, it’s great to see that the series is still active and making new fans more than 30 years after it debuted in Japan. Newcomers will especially find it rewarding, and it’s a great entry point into dungeon crawling for younger players.
SCORE: 7/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 7 equates to “Good.” A successful piece of entertainment that is worth checking out, but it may not appeal to everyone.
Disclosure: The publisher provided a digital PS4 & PS5 copy for our Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy review. Reviewed on version 1.000.000.
