Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy Review: A Promising Concept Hampered by Pacing and Unrefined Mechanics

The landscape of video games is often revitalized by the bold decision of companies to breathe new life into cherished, perhaps even dormant, older game series. Even when the resultant title doesn’t quite reach the pinnacle of critical acclaim, such efforts serve to reignite interest in properties that deserve to be remembered and celebrated. The Mado Monogatari series, a nostalgic legacy from Compile, which originally featured beloved Puyo characters such as Arle and Carbuncle embarking on dungeon-crawling adventures, is one such series that benefits from this modern resurgence. Historically, the only localized entry prior to the recent global release was Sorcery Saga: Curse of the Great Curry God. Now, with the advent of Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy, the series has made a more prominent worldwide appearance. However, we find that this latest installment, while possessing a certain charm and a willingness to embrace a lighthearted, even silly, tone, ultimately falls into the realm of merely “okay,” failing to distinguish itself as a truly revolutionary or exceptionally engaging Mystery Dungeon-style roguelike.

Our journey begins with Fia, an aspiring young mage who receives a prestigious invitation to attend the renowned Ancient Magic Academy. Naturally, she makes her way to this esteemed institution, accompanied by her loyal companion, Carbuncle, and armed with her grandmother’s invaluable Grimoire, with the ultimate goal of becoming a formidable mage. Upon her arrival, Fia discovers she is fashionably late. Fortunately, the amiable principal readily excuses her tardiness, deeming her very act of successfully reaching the academy as her unofficial “entrance exam.” However, the peace is short-lived as Carbuncle, in his characteristic exuberance, inadvertently causes a significant disruption that involves a considerable number of other new students. This unfortunate incident leads to Fia and her fellow accidental troublemakers being collectively designated as the “trouble class.” Under the guidance of their assigned instructor, Rivan, they are tasked with navigating the intricacies of academy life, delving into challenging dungeons, and ultimately proving their worth as aspiring mages to a rather stern and discerning professor named Rosemary, who remains unconvinced of their potential.

The progression system within Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy deviates from the conventional, more straightforward structure typically associated with the Mystery Dungeon subgenre. Instead, it adopts a hybrid approach, blending visual novel elements with roguelike mechanics. While Fia is resident at the academy, players are required to advance through distinct “classes.” These are essentially brief, informative segments that expound upon various magical properties and academic disciplines. Successfully completing these classes rewards players with assignments that directly lead them into the dungeons. Upon successfully fulfilling these assignments, players are able to unlock new Magic Artes within Fia’s Grimoire, thereby expanding and enhancing her offensive and defensive capabilities. Fia herself possesses the ability to align herself with various distinct classes, and at the principal’s office, managed by Egard, players have the option to alter her Role or undertake a Promotion Exam to augment her power and stats. Beyond the narrative progression and the management of Fia’s abilities and equipment within the academy setting, there are also opportunities for light crafting. This includes engaging in activities such as tending to magical plants, fishing for rare ingredients, preparing simple meals, and utilizing materials acquired from the dungeons.

While certain narrative sequences featuring Fia and her fellow students – namely Eska, Leena, Totto, and Will – can be genuinely engaging and even thought-provoking, it is often the segments set within the academy where Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy can experience significant lulls in its pacing. The overall tempo of the game feels somewhat disjointed, tending to move at a rather sluggish pace. This is not the comfortable, cozy kind of slow burn that allows for genuine immersion and appreciation of detail; rather, it often feels as though an inordinate amount of time passes before any significant events unfold. Fia’s movement around the academy’s environments is also noticeably slow, contributing to a general sense of tedium. Occasionally, there are events such as contests that, while visually interesting, lack a truly exciting or impactful element. The game does sprinkle in welcome references to the broader Puyo series, with familiar faces like Suketoudara and Skeleton T making appearances, and enemies such as Puyos frequently populating the dungeons. We personally felt that more of these nostalgic callbacks would have been a welcome addition to enrich the experience.

Once players finally have the opportunity to enter a dungeon and commence exploration and combat, Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy presents an experience that, in its attempt to be innovative and compelling, can sometimes lean towards being overly rudimentary and ultimately frustrating. The architectural design of the dungeons, with their clearly defined pathways, rarely evokes the sense of sprawling labyrinthine complexity or palpable danger that is characteristic of more established entries in the Mystery Dungeon lineage. The objective of each dungeon run is often quite clearly telegraphed, and the individual runs themselves are remarkably brief. This stands in stark contrast to similar titles where players might spend hours navigating intricate layouts. While there are occasional traps and rudimentary puzzle elements to be found, we did not personally find them to pose a significant challenge. The ever-present threat of “enemies moving when you move,” a staple of the genre, is effectively nullified here. The game has transitioned from a traditional turn-based system, where enemies acted on the field, to a structure where engaging in combat is initiated by making contact with an enemy.

The battles themselves represent perhaps the most ambitious facet of Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy, and paradoxically, they also emerge as the most unstable element within the game’s overall design. Players are afforded the ability to assemble a party of up to three characters, with Fia invariably being one of them. Combat unfolds within a confined arena, and while there is a visual timeline displayed at the top of the screen indicating the turn order, the actual execution of attacks can feel clunky. It is worth noting that the enemy designs tend to repeat with notable frequency. When executing an attack, players must contend with the visual representation of their weapon’s or spell’s effective range. The crucial requirement is to ensure that the target enemy falls precisely within this designated area to register a successful hit. While this is somewhat more manageable with a standard physical attack utilizing a sword or spear, it becomes considerably more challenging with magical spells. For spells that feature an area-of-effect (AOE) circle, players must ensure the enemy is positioned at the epicenter of this circle when the spell is cast. However, the constant movement of both allies and enemies disrupts the intended fluidity of this system. Furthermore, attempting to meticulously gather the necessary elemental proficiencies from each party member to unleash a Great Magic Artes attack often proves to be a frustrating endeavor. In our own playthrough, we found it significantly more pragmatic to simply resort to repeatedly striking enemies with Fia’s weapon until they were dispatched, bypassing the complexities of the spell system altogether.

Despite these criticisms, we must acknowledge that we did find moments of enjoyment within Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy. The characters themselves are undeniably cute and possess a certain endearing charm, and as enthusiasts of the Mystery Dungeon subgenre, we are naturally drawn to its inherent appeal. The primary drawbacks, however, lie in the game’s relentlessly plodding pace, a combat system whose range and AOE mechanics often undermine their own purpose, and dungeon exploration that feels more mundane than genuinely challenging. We hold the belief that, should a sequel be considered, many of the existing elements could serve as a robust foundation for a significantly improved experience. By streamlining extraneous gameplay elements that proved less effective, tightening the narrative focus, and recalibrating the gameplay mechanics to align more closely with the successes of Sorcery Saga or the foundational first-person dungeon crawlers of the original series, a truly compelling title could emerge. Our assessment is that the current iteration of Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy presents a game that is perhaps too accessible for those seeking a novel Mystery Dungeon roguelike, yet simultaneously too slow-moving and mechanically awkward for players unfamiliar with the genre’s conventions.

Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy is currently available for players on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 platforms. This release presents an opportunity for players to engage with the revived Mado Monogatari franchise, even if the experience is not entirely without its significant reservations. The potential for this series remains palpable, and with careful refinement and a keener understanding of what makes roguelikes and visual novels truly shine, future installments could very well capture the magic that this initial outing only hints at.

Exploring the Narrative and World of Fia and the Wondrous Academy

The core premise of Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy centers on the titular character, Fia, a young and eager student who receives a coveted invitation to the prestigious Ancient Magic Academy. This narrative framework immediately establishes a sense of burgeoning adventure and academic pursuit, familiar tropes within the fantasy genre. Fia’s journey to the academy, accompanied by her familiar, Carbuncle, and her grandmother’s Grimoire, sets the stage for her tutelage under master mages. The initial late arrival and the subsequent explanation of her entrance exam by the principal provide a lighthearted and whimsical introduction, setting a tone that the game largely maintains.

The subsequent establishment of the “trouble class,” a group of students brought together by Carbuncle’s mischievous antics, introduces a cast of supporting characters who will accompany Fia throughout her studies and dungeon explorations. These characters, including Eska, Leena, Totto, and Will, are intended to provide camaraderie, distinct personalities, and potentially unique skill sets. The interactions within this group, particularly during the academy segments, aim to flesh out the world and provide narrative context. The presence of Professor Rosemary as an antagonist, or at least a significant obstacle, adds a layer of challenge and motivation for the students to prove their capabilities.

The integration of the Puyo series lore and characters, such as Suketoudara and Skeleton T, is a deliberate choice to connect this installment with the series’ broader history. These references serve as a form of fan service and can enhance the nostalgic appeal for long-time followers of Compile’s games. The visual design of the characters and the magical elements are generally consistent with the established aesthetic of the Puyo universe, contributing to a cohesive if somewhat predictable presentation.

Dungeon Delving: Mechanics and Challenges in Fia’s Adventure

The dungeon crawling aspect of Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy is where its divergence from traditional roguelikes becomes most apparent. Rather than procedural generation that emphasizes unpredictable exploration and resource management, the dungeons in this title are characterized by a more structured and linear design. This approach, while potentially making runs quicker and more focused, diminishes the sense of emergent danger and the thrill of discovery that often defines the genre. The clear telegraphing of objectives and the short duration of each dungeon run contribute to a less demanding, and for some, a less engaging, experience.

The presence of traps and light puzzles offers a minimal layer of interactivity beyond combat and movement. These elements are generally not complex enough to pose a significant obstacle, serving more as minor environmental diversions than substantial challenges. The absence of the “enemies move when you move” mechanic, replaced by a contact-initiated battle system, fundamentally alters the strategic considerations of navigating dungeons. It shifts the focus from careful positioning and anticipating enemy movements to the direct engagement of combat upon encounter.

The combat system itself is a point of contention. The attempt to create a unique system involving character positioning, attack ranges, and spell targeting is commendable in its ambition. However, the execution falters. The need to precisely align attacks within a moving battlefield, coupled with the complexity of coordinating spell effects and party member synergies, often leads to frustration. The ease with which Fia can simply rely on basic weapon attacks highlights a potential imbalance in the system, where the more intricate mechanics are less rewarding or more difficult to master. The repetitive enemy designs further exacerbate the monotony that can set in during prolonged combat encounters.

The Academy Experience: Pacing and Gameplay Integration

The segments set within the Ancient Magic Academy serve as the narrative and progression hub of Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy. Here, players engage with the story, unlock new abilities, and manage Fia’s development. The “classes” are presented as interactive learning modules, introducing concepts of magic and the academy’s curriculum. These are intended to be educational and progress the player’s understanding of the game’s magical systems, while also serving as a gateway to dungeon assignments.

However, the pacing of these academy segments is a significant concern. The slow movement speed of Fia and the often drawn-out dialogue or exposition can lead to a feeling of inertia. While the game attempts to foster a sense of academic life and character interaction, the implementation can feel sluggish and uninspired. The inclusion of light crafting activities, such as plant tending and fishing, adds a minor diversionary element but does not fundamentally alter the overall pace or engagement level. These activities, while present, do not possess the depth or impact to significantly enhance the player’s investment in the game’s progression.

The contrast between the potentially engaging narrative beats and the laborious execution of the academy segments creates a disjointed experience. The occasional fun events, like contests, are a welcome break but are not substantial enough to counteract the prevailing sense of slow progression and lack of dynamic interaction. The hope is that future iterations of the Mado Monogatari series can find a more effective balance between narrative exposition, character development, and engaging gameplay mechanics, particularly within the academy setting.

Evaluating the “Okay” Factor: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Potential

In evaluating Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy, it is clear that the game occupies a middle ground. Its strengths lie in its charming characters, its connection to a beloved legacy franchise, and its willingness to experiment with genre conventions. The visual presentation is generally appealing, and the introduction of new mechanics, even if imperfectly executed, shows a desire to innovate. The game is not without its moments of genuine fun, particularly for those who appreciate the Puyo aesthetic and the core concepts of dungeon crawling.

The primary weaknesses, however, are substantial and significantly impact the overall player experience. The glacial pacing, especially within the academy segments, can be a major deterrent. The combat system, while ambitious, is hampered by its own complexity and a lack of polish, often making simpler approaches more appealing. The dungeon exploration, while brief, lacks the depth and challenge that seasoned roguelike players might expect. These issues combine to create an experience that is, at best, “okay” – perfectly functional and possessing some enjoyable elements, but ultimately failing to leave a lasting impression or stand out in a crowded market.

The potential for the Mado Monogatari series to flourish is undeniable. The foundation laid by Fia and the Wondrous Academy, while flawed, offers valuable lessons for future development. Streamlining the pacing, refining the combat mechanics to be both accessible and rewarding, and potentially revisiting the more engaging aspects of the original Mado Monogatari dungeon crawlers could lead to a far superior sequel. The game’s current state suggests a project that had promising ideas but struggled with execution, resulting in a title that is neither groundbreaking nor entirely forgettable.

Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. For fans of the Puyo series or those curious about a visually distinct roguelike, it might offer a decent, if unremarkable, experience. However, for players seeking a deeply engaging or innovative entry into the genre, its limitations may prove too significant to overlook. The future of this revived franchise hinges on learning from the critiques of this installment and delivering a more polished and compelling experience.