Winx Club The Magic Is Back Review (PS5)
The TV series Winx Club: The Magic Is Back returned to TV last year (2025) which rebooted the 2004 series and now the game complements its return. Although the new series has been criticised by older fans, it actually targets a younger demographic which is where the new game fits. Like the rebooted TV Series, the game follows sixteen‑year‑old Bloom who discovers her fairy powers, studies at Alfea College and quickly falls in with a new circle of new friends as they clash with the Trix, a trio of dark witches who’ve stolen a powerful artifact and are ready to unleash chaos across the Magical Dimension. The game is also developed by Iron Frog Studios that provide a nice homage to the Winx Club.
In terms of gameplay, Winx Club: The Magic Is Back is a very basic isometric action‑adventure that can be completed in a weekend. The core loop revolves around linear exploration, light puzzle solving and dispatching a small handful of enemy types, including some “bosses”. You move back and forth between levels and the fairy school, which functions as a hub but adds little meaningful structure to the experience. The overall design feels like a straightforward, almost old‑fashioned licensed game, with little in the way of surprises or mechanical evolution that unfortunately at times did become a grind for my daughters.
Control-wise, the game is limited and occasionally clumsy as it feels like something is missing from the movement, especially with combat as there are noticeable input delay issues. Thankfully as the difficulty is so low, these problems rarely translate into genuine frustration or challenge but instead, they contribute to a sense of roughness, reinforcing the impression that the game was built under budget constraints. As a result, it does feel like one of those younger gamer games that is missing that overall polish.
Narratively and structurally, the simplicity becomes a drawback as puzzles are minimal and rarely grow beyond the most basic interactions and there are no real dialogue choices to shape events or relationships. In conversations, the girls tend to share the same generic personality, which flattens the charm that made the original show stand out. Combined with the short runtime and repetitive loop, the game ends up feeling like a brief, disposable diversion rather than a fully realised adventure in the Winx universe.
However where the game does find some appeal is in its cast and cooperative play as you can control all six Winx members, each with unique magical abilities, which gives at least a surface level of variety to combat and exploration. Local co‑op lets a friend join in, and this shared play can make the repetitive structure feel less tedious. Nonetheless for fans of the reboot or younger girl gamers, the experience is cozy, nostalgic and incredibly easy, which aligns well with its intended younger audience, even if it leaves older fans wanting more.
Graphics & Audio
Visually and sonically, Winx Club: The Magic Is Back is similarly underwhelming and after an initial high‑quality FMV intro with a well‑produced pop song, the presentation drops to visuals reminiscent of a mid‑tier PS2 game, with dated graphics and limited detail. The music is poor and repetitive, there is no voice acting at all and sound effects don’t really enhance much. Taken together, these elements make the game feel older and cheaper than its release date suggests.
Final Thoughts
As a whole, Winx Club: The Magic Is Back is a short, harmless and very basic tie‑in that younger players may enjoy for its ease and familiarity but it lacks the magic and polish to truly satisfy long‑time fans. It’s one of those games that feels more like a cash grab opposed to a game made for kids and sadly (even though we finished it), my daughters were a little underwhelmed and without co-op play, we would have missed the finish.
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