After being underwhelmed with the last couple of Compile Heart video games I have played, I have become desperate for something more substantial from the company, something that showcases what a good RPG experience from them looks like. Perhaps… I need to look at a game not primarily developed by them, with the creative processes handled by a regular co-developer of theirs – Sting. Enter Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy, the latest instalment in a series which would eventually spawn SEGA’s long-running Puyo Puyo puzzle game franchise, and the first chapter in a decade following 2013’s PlayStation Vita exclusive Sorcery Saga: Curse of the Great Curry God. Does this finally deliver a solid RPG experience or another experience to be lost in a saturated market? Read on to find out in my review!
As you might already expect from first impressions, the narrative of Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy is nothing genre-defining, or something you will want to pick up the game for. However, it is more than serviceable. I found the story to be a breezy, slapstick take on the familiar magic academy setup, many franchises have explored in the past, but it shines with its focus on cheerful chaos and friendship rather than big twists. The main cast appear to be broad stereotypes at first glance. Yet, their chemistry sells the jokes and the small wins, with Will’s earnest bravado and Leena’s gradual thaw adding some heart to the story – complemented by Fia’s protagonist energy. The script lingers on skits and classroom mishaps, so the game’s early hours can feel chatty, but the tone stays upbeat and approachable throughout. As a light-hearted coming-of-age romp, it works, landing more smiles than eye rolls.
The game’s design is characterised by a simple anime art style with numerous pops of colour, offering clean linework and sufficient variance in portrait artwork that contribute to the punchline selling, making you forget how small the game’s file size actually is for a moment. The chibi models appear cute at first glance, but their limited posing and modest animation leave conversations relying heavily on the 2D plates. The academy’s rooms and halls have personality and readability; the dungeon floors less so, with repeated stonework and a reliance on traps and hazards for flavour. Helpful quality-of-life touches and a solid UI enhance the design, making it a fitting experience. Yet I still wished tilesets and enemy mixes evolved faster than the palette swaps suggest.
Meanwhile, Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy’s soundtrack keeps the mood buoyant, albeit forgettable, pairing light, bouncy school themes with a handful of punchier battle queues – ultimately being more pleasant than memorable. The Japanese-only voice work suits the slapstick energy, with clean and enthusiastic deliveries across the cast. Depending on your tolerance for cutesy mascots, your mileage may vary, however. Sound effects have a satisfying snap that helps sell hits and spell flourishes, but the lack of an English dub may disappoint those who prefer it.
At its core, Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy runs on a clean yet straightforward school-to-dungeon rhythm: take a lesson, accept an assignment, traverse a dungeon and then report back for credits and promotions. Chapters often spotlight a party member to keep motivations in view. Side lessons include fishing, gardening, cooking, and synthesis; they add charm more than must-have power.
Dungeons are procedurally generated stacks with straightforward goals and periodic bosses. A vitality meter ticks down as you explore, open chests or climb floors, and a good curry tops it back up, which in practice nudges you to pick your routes rather than traverse every tile – and maybe even slightly mitigate the burnout from the samey-looking dungeons. Hazards and secrets break up the flow, but rewards tend to be materials and seeds rather than exciting weapons or spells, so exploration rarely lands a standout find.
Battles shift to small arenas that mix a visible turn timeline with free movement. You directly pilot Fia while allies follow tactics you set outside combat, and the ensemble works well enough without micromanagement. Elemental skills drop orbs that charge party‑wide Great Magic finishers, and clear strengths and weaknesses make targeting choices legible. It is a fun system, although some fussiness is found in aiming, and taking the most straightforward route is sometimes the most effective.
Progression is steady and flexible. Fia can swap roles to alter stats and gear access, the grimoire’s tree unlocks new Artes, and benched classmates still earn experience. Because VT curbs endless floor farming, levelling rarely runs away from the story, and the curve feels fair. Normal difficulty offers cozy gameplay with occasional spikes, and Hard adds a modest bite. However, regardless of what option you choose, some repetition will likely creep its way into the experience by the midgame for many.
While my expectations, granted, were not high for this experience, what Sting and Compile Heart have offered with Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy is a satisfying course correction. This is a cosy, colourful crawler where character portraits and skits outshine stiff models, the academy charms more than the dungeons, music and Japanese voice work set an upbeat mood, and an approachable loop of lessons, towers and Great Magic keeps things ticking – even if some recycled foes and design elements wear thin. It is not the deep, loot-hungry RPG that will redefine their catalogue, yet it is a solid, likeable outing that, for the JRPG fan, may be worth checking out.
Final Score for Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy
This review was conducted on a PlayStation 5 digital copy of Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy, with testing on a PlayStation 5 Pro retail unit. A review code was provided by Idea Factory International to facilitate this review.
Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy is now available to purchase on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch.
