The thing about some of the Kemco RPGs that started out as mobile titles is that standard and premium versions tend to exist. The difference? You can pay to get bonuses from a season pass, access to some “cheats,” or other extras that might streamline the experience. This is the case of Astrune Academy, which started out in that fashion, before heading to platforms like the Switch for a paid fee. The thing is, these extra optional effects helped me enjoy it more than I expected.
The premise behind Astrune Academy is that a number of young heroines named Elnatt, Mimosa, and Spica, are attending the academy mentioned in the title to develop their abilities. Because of certain circumstances regarding Elnatt transforming into a demon when she uses magic and instances, ones from different classes are all working together under the supervision of a professor named Sirius. Additional happenstances lead to Snow, another young sorceress, also joining the party. It ends up being a pretty typical JRPG romp. If you enjoy past Kemco and EXE Create RPGs, you know what you’re getting.
What I appreciated was how while the elements you can tell were present in the original free version can be obvious, it is very easy to either take advantage of them or ignore them. I mean, yes, you’ll see the exclamation marks in the in-game menu screaming you have unclaimed rewards or daily roulette spins available, but you don’t have to go for any of them.
Of course, I did. I’m old. I play multiple games at a time for work. I like an occasional Kemco because they amuse me. I’m not above accepting a bonus if it helps me skip a little level-grinding. I’d take part in the daily roulette, since the bonuses there would help with character growth or would give me Star Stones for the other “paid” or “cheat” elements. When I managed to get the Meteor Prize of 300 Star Stones the first time, I invested in the MP Full Recovery Secret Room item. The second time it came around, I’d gotten enough stones from taking part in battles and accomplishing Missions (things you would normally do in the game) to pay for the Premium Pass. That unlocked bonuses and another Ice Spirit to use as a summon.
The thing about it is that it also paired well with other quality of life features. You can speed up battles and turn on auto-battle. You can turn up your walking speed. There’s fast travel via standard methods and a “local warping” that lets you set one spot as a designated area. Before you head out into the world map for the first time, you get one pendant that greatly increases the encounter rate and another that eliminates them completely.
All of this means that Astrune Academy ends up being sort of my convenient Kemco JRPG for when I want something mostly lighthearted and not too complex. I have the option of making it easier on myself, thanks to the Switch paid version offering all these means of taking advantage of past additions. There’s little to no stress on my part, and it makes it easier to enjoy the adventures of magical girls attempting to learn and do their best to help themselves and other people.
Astrune Academy is available on the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC, and mobile devices.
