A new free-to-play mobile game in the Madoka Magica franchise by f4Samurai and Pokelabo, Madoka Magica Magia Exedra, has just been released for Android and iOS devices and could be a competitor to Honkai: Star Rail. This comes a year after the closure of Magia Record in Japan, which lasted for just over seven years.

A Steam port for Magia Exedra is in the works, but the release date for it has not yet been announced. Madoka Magica Magia Exedra was originally announced in April 2024, and was initially slated for a late 2024 release. However, in November 2024, the gacha title was delayed to Spring 2025. The game's combat system is highly reminiscent of HoYoverse's popular turn-based RPG Honkai: Star Rail.

Madoka Magica Magia Exedra Could Compete With Honkai: Star Rail

The Combat System Should Be Familiar To Those Who've Played HoYo's Smash Hit

In Magia Exedra, players take on the role of a protagonist known as Nameless Girl and whose appearance is merely a shadow. She does not know who she is and does not anything about herself. But with the help of a familiar-looking creature, simply named A-Q, the Nameless Girl goes on a journey to regain her identity by collecting items known as Memsparks. This is achieved in the game through progressing through the main quests, which includes viewing various stories in the Madoka Magica franchise and engaging in combat along the way.

The key gameplay comes in the turn-based combat system, which should be very familiar to those who have played Honkai: Star Rail. While your party is composed of five characters as opposed to HSR's four, the combat should more or less feel the same. Characters come equipped with a basic attack, a skill, and an ultimate known as a "special skill." Players need to take note that three-star rarity characters, however, will not have special skills available. And for all characters to be able to use their regular skills, they will consume one skill point. The enemies will have shield bars that need to be broken.

Each character has an element attached to them - Flame, Aqua, Forest, Light, Dark, or Void. They will also have a dedicated role for combat - Attacker, Defender, Breaker, Buffer, Debuffer, or Healer. Characters can also have a Portrait equipped on them, similar to HSR's Light Cones. The main difference here is that any character can equip any Portrait, and that Portraits are not locked to specific roles.

Our Take: Magia Exedra Needs to Stand Out With New Stories

A Familiar Combat System Alone Can Only Take it So Far

What was unique about the previous mobile game in the Madoka Magica franchise, Magia Record, was that it was an officially brand-new story never seen before and thus provided fresh content for fans. So far, the initial experience of Magia Exedra is reliving tales already seen via the anime. What can help ensure its longevity as a game is completely new stories with exciting twists and reveals, and this may have some potential with our new protagonists.

The game looks to be providing some social experiences familiar to gacha gaming veterans, like a guild system in the form of Unions and PvP in the form of Player Match to keep players engaged. It's important to note that the combat being very similar to Honkai: Star Rail can work both ways: for some players, it could be too much like HSR and a turn-off, but for others, it could be comforting as they'd be able to quickly adjust to the core gameplay. Here's hoping Madoka Magica Magia Exedra is not merely viewed as a cheap knock-off and provides more unique and interesting experiences for players in the long term.

Source: Steam